Every draft season, there are a handful of players that are constantly mocked to the Cowboys.
A few years ago, it seemed like everyone linked the Cowboys and Dak Prescott in the fourth round. Last year, it was wide receiver Michael Gallup on day two. This year, just about everyone expected the Cowboys to target Kentucky cornerback Chris Westry with their final draft pick.
Well, they didn’t draft him, but Dallas did decide to sign Chris Westry as a priority free agent nearly right after the draft concluded. And when you look at his traits, it’s easy to see why Dallas values him the way they do.
Chris Westry ran a 4.31 40 yard dash while standing at at 6’4″, something which is incredibly rare for cornerbacks to do. He is clearly an athletic outlier, and one which the Cowboys believe they can mold into a productive football player.
On tape, Westry is raw in his coverage ability and footwork to say the least. But with his length, strength, and speed he projects favorably on paper as a press-man cornerback in the NFL. Will he ever reach that lofty potential? Well, it’s hard to predict and unlikely to fully happen. But pairing him with secondary coach Kris Richard is likely the best possible situation for Westry to be put into.
Whether or not Chris Westry is a Cowboy come the end of training camp will be determined by both his ability, and the current situation the Cowboys have at cornerback as well.
On The Draft Show this week, Will McClay specifically mentioned upcoming contract situations for his corners as a reason they targeted the position during this year’s draft. Could this mean that they view both fifth round pick Michael Jackson and Chris Westry as potential replacements for current cornerbacks on the roster?
That would certainly be a bold choice, and would put a lot of faith in day three/undrafted players, but if they have enough trust in their scouting and coaching, it could be the case.
The more likely scenario, however, is that Westry and Jackson will be in a preseason position battle for the final roster spot at cornerback. And, as of today, the favorite for that battle would have to be Michael Jackson.
