Will McClay shares insight on Cowboys’ late-round draft picks

After the conclusion of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys ended the event with eight total draft picks.

Four of those picks were in the first two days of the draft and the other half were later-round draft picks on day three.

OT Tyler Guyton, DE Marshawn Kneeland, IOL Cooper Beebe, and LB Marist Liufau were all taken in the top 100 picks after the Cowboys traded back five spots in the 1st round, acquiring pick 73 from the Lions in return.

In post-draft interviews with Cowboys VP of Player Personnel Will McClay, he was kind enough to share his thoughts regarding each of the eight draft picks.

Earlier this week, we covered the first four picks mentioned above and today we will continue with the final four selections and McClay’s thoughts on each.

CB Caelen Carson

“He has the ability to play inside and outside. Really raw in technique.

“A lot of the things he was doing (in college) was a lot on his natural ability, You know that there is more upside there because of his answers (during pre-draft interviews) and the things he was looking at, plus his work ethic and how he competes.

“He will tackle as a corner, which is also a positive.”

Many draft experts are calling the Cowboys’ pick of CB Caelen Carson one of the steals of the draft, comparing him to the last cornerback taken in the 5th round by Dallas, DaRon Bland.

McClay says they like him because his raw talent was good enough to get him by in college without refining techniques.

Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Backs Coach Al Harris will be eager to get his hands on the young cornerback from Wake Forest.

WR Ryan Flournoy

“He’s a big receiver that we really like. Big, fast, strong, and physical.

“Really stood out and fit in at the Combine and at the Senior Bowl to show that he belonged with the NFL-type players. We think that there is a great upside there.”

The Cowboys drafted WR Ryan Flournoy with their 6th-round pick from Southeast Missouri State.

Flournoy measures in at 6’1″ tall and a healthy 202lbs, bringing more size and physicality to a team that is desperately trying to change its identity.

He draws self-proclaimed comparisons to former Cowboys WR Dez Bryant in his play style and attitude on the field.

The key word used by McClay is “upside”. Flournoy has the upside to be great but needs fine-tuning in his technique and route running before he can make an impact.

OL Nathan Thomas

“This is one of the stronger offensive linemen drafts that there’s been in a long time.

“A player of this caliber that moves people and does things at the NFL level with his size, his ability to bend and be able to play inside and outside makes him attractive and makes for a competitive room.”

OL Nathan Thomas was the first of two 7th-round picks made by the Cowboys in 2024.

Thomas played offensive tackle in college at Lousiana-Lafayette but the Cowboys have already hinted that they like him better as a guard in the NFL.

McClay credits a strong draft class of offensive linemen as the reason they were able to scoop up a player of Thomas’ ability in the 7th round.

He will be given the chance to compete for a roster spot behind starting guards Tyler Smith and Zack Martin among the several players competing to be part of the depth rotation.

NT Justin Rogers

“We want to get big. We want to be physical. (He’s) a big, nasty from Auburn with some length that can play that big inside nose tackle position.

“So (he’s) fitting a need as well as being (among) the best players for us based on our board going down that way.”

It took until the 7th round but the Cowboys finally addressed a position we would have liked to see them address with at least a mid-round pick, defensive tackle.

According to McClay, Rogers possesses traits that the Cowboys would like to have along the defensive line.

Rogers is big. Rogers is physical. Rogers has a big, nasty attitude in the way he plays football. Something the Cowboys desperately need to get over the playoff hump.