After the Dallas Cowboys used a 5th round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft on quarterback Mike White, can he beat out Cooper Rush and win the primary backup job?
For the Dallas Cowboys, backup quarterback would rank very low on levels of concern entering training camp this July. Dak Prescott, the Cowboys franchise quarterback, is the clear starter barring injury, and his backup does not seem like a position of much importance. Even though their is clear faith in Prescott from the Cowboys side, they decided to spend a fifth round pick on a quarterback in the 2018 draft.
The Cowboys selected Mike White of Western Kentucky, and guy with a lot of hype pre-draft, and who some believe has great upside and potential. White started his collegian career at South Florida for two years. He preformed poorly at South Florida, throwing 11 touchdowns to 16 interceptions in two years, and made the decision to transfer to Western Kentucky.
The transfer worked out as well as it possibly could have for White, as he dominated the CUSA for two seasons. He threw for 63 touchdowns to just 15 interceptions, over 8,000 yards, and an extremely impressive 66.5% completion percentage.
Dallas showed faith in White spending a fifth round pick on him, and it says a lot about how comfortable they feel with current backup Cooper Rush. Rush is older than White, and has more NFL experience, staying on the Cowboys roster all last year. He has learned the system and will be leaps ahead of White coming into training camp running the offense.
Although Rush may have the mental edge, White may very well be more physically talented. He showed outstanding flashes of greatness at Western Kentucky, and has the ability to make big plays in the passing game.
For 2018’s sake, backup quarterback may not be a huge need for the Cowboys, but after feeling the need to take a quarterback in the fifth round, it clearly is on Dallas’s radar. The camp battle between Rush and White will be one that is overlooked by most, but very intriguing to see who wins the job.
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For Mike White to win the primary backup quarterback job, the rookie passer will need to show out in training camp, and prove to the Dallas Cowboys that he is able to efficiently run the system better than incumbent Cooper Rush.