5 late-round draft prospects the Cowboys should consider
By Connor Green
![Sam Ehlinger, Texas Longhorns, (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) Sam Ehlinger, Texas Longhorns, (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fthelandryhat-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2018-2F08-2F1171802840-850x560-e549393a57be45d66772f1c2af74e6514fb1852cc136cf78e0304b3bae13b680.jpg)
5. Sam Ehlinger, QB (Texas)
The Dallas Cowboys kicked off their offseason by re-signing their starting quarterback Dak Prescott to a blockbuster deal. That moves allows the team to have stability at the most important position in football for the foreseeable future. However, as fans of America’s Team saw last season, that does not mean the organization can completely forget about the position moving forward.
The Cowboys’ current backup quarterback is projected to be Garrett Gilbert. The 29-year old played admirably in his lone start for Dallas last year and nearly led the team to an improbable upset victory over the then-undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers. However, Gilbert’s career completion rate of 52.3 and the fact that he has only thrown 44 passes in his NFL career should not inspire confidence in his ability to be the organizations’ sole competent backup at the most important position in the sport.
That should lead the organization to consider using a late-round draft pick to inject some competition for this important role. That is exactly what quarterback Sam Ehlinger could bring for the team.
The 22-year old played four years with the Texas Longhorns and managed to finish his collegiate career with an impressive 94 passing touchdowns while only throwing 27 interceptions. The young signal-caller also added 33 rushing scores to his resume, highlighting his ability as a potential dual-threat passer.
Ehlinger had what was arguably his most productive season last year with the Longhorns as he managed to post 34 total touchdowns (passing and rushing), which was the most in the Big 12 last year.
The quarterback position is by far the most important position in football. The team could inject some healthy competition for the key role of backup signal-caller with the late-round selection of Sam Ehlinger. The fact that this keeps the Texas product in the state is just another upside to this move.