How Dallas Cowboys player visits are tipping their hand

Paying attention to player visits and pre-draft interactions helps unveil paths the Dallas Cowboys plan to take in the draft.

To uncover intentions, a common practice of draft junkies is to observe what players the Dallas Cowboys interact with before the draft.

It doesn’t restrict the potential choices to only those players they spent extra time with before the draft. But it does give good indications.

Observing the number of options brought in at each position, similarities between those players, and common skill sets can spotlight draft desires.

Walter Football provides a list of players each NFL team has interacted with. These interactions purposely happen during a wide range of pre-draft activities.

Let’s jump in and see what the Cowboys’ player interactions are indicating.

COWBOYS ARE SERIOUS ABOUT TIGHT END

Jason Witten just signed a 4-year extension but most know he only has a few solid years left as the primary TE.

Even if Witten plays three more years, it wouldn’t deter the Cowboys’ hopes of finally securing a dominating 2-TE formation.

Dallas scheduled private interviews with David Njoku and Jake Butt at the combine. They also invited Adam Shaheen to a private workout in Dallas.

O.J. Howard didn’t make the list because it would be miracle if he fell to 28. And Dallas would draft him in two seconds without previous interaction.

So within the first three rounds, Dallas has set up four tight end options to explore and possibly select if the board falls their way.

DALLAS HAS EYES FOR A BIG CORNER

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Dallas desperately needs a big corner to replace Brandon Carr. Yet also one with more ability than overrated, depth insurance like Nolan Carroll.

Better skilled, yet medium sized corners Orlando Scandrick and Anthony Brown aren’t ideal to oppose towering x-receivers in the NFC East.

9 of 12 corners the Cowboys brought in to visit are 6’0 or taller. Granted there’s a lot of size within the corner class this year, but the height preference is clear.

Two of the smaller visitors are considered undersized slot corners. Tre’Davious White (5’11, 192) is a very solid outside corner matching Brown’s size.

Dallas is signaling a real desire for a bigger body to hold the point against sizable receivers now that Carr (6’0, 207) is gone.

They may draft a smaller corner (i.e. Damontae Kazee) in later rounds if a big guy is already on board. But the first corner Dallas selects will have size.

DESIRED PASS RUSHER WILL REACH 28

Take your pic…Taco Charlton, Takkarist McKinley, Charles Harris, T.J. Watt. At least two of these pass rushers Dallas brought in for a visit will be available.

In my opinion three will make it and the Cowboys will value one too much to pass.

Dallas knows they’ll have less trouble finding a high caliber corner at 60 than waiting another round to land a pass rusher.

The order above is likely in line with the Cowboys’ wishes. If Taco shows up he’s in.

Next: Dallas Cowboys 2017 NFL Draft: Seven Round Mock 11.0

Takk or Harris would be solid picks at 28. I don’t think the Cowboys grade Watt as a first round reach. They’d likely feel comfortable calling his name also.

All in all, selecting a pass rusher first is a very good bet according to player visits.

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