Cowboys Draft Prospects: Quarterbacks Edition

Having Dak Prescott wear a star on his helmet is a great help to the Cowboys organization.

Dak has shown an outstanding ability to lead his team, while also putting out solid production throughout his 4 years in Dallas.

However, just because Dak has been playing well that doesn’t signify that the backup quarterback position is irrelevant. Having a good backup plan is like having a spare tire. You hope to never need it, but you’re thankful when you’re on the side of the road with a flat tire.

Cooper Rush hasn’t shown that he would be a capable backup in case Dak were to miss games. This is where the draft comes into play since Dallas would be able to find players that are both cheap and show potential to play in the league. Guys like Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, and Jordan Love will most likely be gone early but there are still plenty of options for the Cowboys to seek out in the mid to late rounds.

Let’s not forget that Dak himself was a 4th round quarterback, so let’s look at 5 potential draftees, and if there is another possible gem hidden in this draft class.

Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma)

Jalen is probably the most “Dak” like QB this class has to offer. During his 4 years in college, he’s proven to being a great leader that his teammates all gravitate to. He’s also displayed his ability to run with the rock at any given time. Much like Dak, Jalen tends to want to run over players rather than win with his speed. Jalen can also distribute the ball as well as any QB coming out this year but needs to improve on reading defenses quicker. If his 1st and 2nd reads aren’t available, Jalen leans more on abandoning that pass and instead turn towards making a play with his feet.

In that regard, Hurts will benefit greatly from someone like Mike McCarthy who is an offensive-minded coach. Jalen has that love for football that many players lack, and this will have him competing for a starting job on any team. Having Hurts on the Cowboys would give satisfaction to the backup position, while also making Prescott sleep with one eye open.

Anthony Gordon (Washington St.)

Gordon is coming off an incredible season that saw him pass for over 5,500 yards along with 48 touchdowns. Playing in an offense with a great air attack benefited Gordon. His ability to keep his eyes downfield at all times is probably his best trait. That will to not give up on plays is what led to all of those yards and touchdowns. Gordon has demonstrated no fear when it comes to slinging the ball around with the best of them. In his 3 match-ups against top 20 schools, Gordon threw for over 1000 yards and 7 TDs.

He’s more of a pocket passer, that loves to expose teams over the top. Players like Michael Gallup and other speedsters would enjoy having a guy like Gordon on their team. At the very least Gordon would be fun to watch during the preseason, and give Dallas another option in case Dak isn’t available.

Cole McDonald (Hawaii)

When it comes to judging quarterbacks by their looks, Cole checks all the boxes. Great size, strong arm strength, and mobile enough to hurt you when the time comes.

In the last 2 seasons, he’s tallied up 69 touchdowns and over 8,000 yards. Cole seems to be an ideal candidate by just looking at his numbers, and seeing his measurables. However, while he does have some traits to build off, he’ll still need to improve in other areas to be a good QB at the NFL level. If McDonald doesn’t get into his groove early on, his accuracy tends to take a hit throughout the remainder of the game. He has the arm strength to reach almost anywhere on the field, but the timing with his receivers isn’t always where it needs to be. This would be a good pick for Dallas in order to at least cause some discomfort for guys like Cooper Rush.

James Morgan (Florida Int.)

Another day 3 options for the Cowboys could be someone like Morgan. During his last 2 years at Florida International, he completed over 61% of his passes. Not throwing many interceptions is also something he’s been successful in. Over the last 3 years, he has less than 20 combined picks thrown after throwing 15 during his freshman year. He also had 4 players that have 20 or more receptions in his final year which shows he doesn’t lock on to one specific player on a play.

Going through his reads seems easy for him, but releasing the ball looks to be a problem. Many of his sacks have been due to him holding the ball too long, rather than the offensive line not proving enough time. These are things that with time can be fixed with coaches like McCarthy.

Jake Fromm (Georgia)

Fromm is a quarterback that some say could go early on in the draft, or potentially fall to day 3 of the draft. This is due to him having a film that shows he can be great, but him not actually being great. Having thrown 78 touchdowns and only 18 interceptions in 3 seasons is a remarkable achievement. It shows that he doesn’t take risks with the ball while being able to put up scores in a big fashion. He doesn’t have the big arm that you’d like your franchise QB to have, and his release time needs to improve as well. Those 2 factors alone could have Jake fall to the Cowboys in the mid-rounds.

Fromm might not be ready to start in the league his rookie year, but sitting for a season learning the ropes and improving his game could be a big win for Dallas. Jake is an instant upgrade at the backup position and a real threat for a starting job.