Jalen Tolbert had hints (one from Dak Prescott) that Cowboys might draft him

South Alabama wide receiver Jalen Tolbert may not have been on the Dallas Cowboys‘ list of 30 official pre-draft visits. He may not have been the best wide receiver or player available on the board when he was drafted in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He may have been a surprise to some Cowboys fans. However, when talking to reporters after he was selected on Day 2, it seems that Tolbert may not have been all that shocked about being selected by Dallas.

The phone call on Friday evening from Jerry Jones and Co. wasn’t the only call the wide receiver got from the Cowboys organization the week of the draft. Tolbert revealed that a couple of days before the draft, he received a call from quarterback Dak Prescott.

"“I actually thought it was a call, like, ‘Hey, is this your draft pick number?’ I answered, and he was like, ‘Jalen!’ and I was like, ‘What’s up?’ and he was like, ‘It’s Dak Prescott, man. How are you doing?’ For a minute, it was a surreal moment, because I never knew quarterbacks would call prospects, but it was awesome. I think we immediately vibed on the phone, connected right there.”"

The draftee said that he talked with Prescott about his previous relationships with quarterbacks, his strengths as a receiver, his life off the field, challenges he’s faced, and what he would bring to the Cowboys organization. They also talked about how Tolbert could fit in alongside current receivers CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup.

Will McClay shared that he wasn’t sure if other teams have their current players talk to prospects they are interested in, but he knew that having the team’s leader reach out to some of their favorite prospects was a good idea. McClay even told the press it was probably nice for the collegiate players to not have to talk to a bunch “of 50-plus-year-olds.”

"“I just felt that it was important to get Dak involved in it, and we’ve talked about the importance that he has for the organization and the way that he connects with everybody.  It was important for a great person like him to reach out to these guys and give us some feedback. We have an impression and a feeling about [Tolbert], and the guys that are in the locker room also pick up tendencies and things.” – Will McClay"

According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, this isn’t the first time a Cowboys quarterback has gotten involved in the draft process. Archer reported that Troy Aikman was involved in workouts with both David LaFleur and Tony Gonzalez in 1997, and Tony Romo also helped with looking into names like Gavin Escobar and Terrance Williams.

South Alabama WR Jalen Tolbert had a feeling he was going to the Cowboys after a private workout with Robert Prince and a phone call from Dak Prescott

The phone call with Prescott wasn’t even the only hint Tolbert got. Cowboys fans also found out in post-draft coverage that the wide receiver received a private workout invite with new Cowboys WR coach Robert Prince. After his Pro Day at South Alabama, the prospect had a solo workout with Prince. The coach said the receiver is the type of guy who will work so hard that staff members will have to kick him out of the building. Quite the compliment.

Here’s what Tolbert had to say about the workout:

"“The workout was a great workout, and we both enjoyed it. I showed that I can retain information and be able to run routes in the system of the Cowboys. After, I remember asking Coach, ‘Hey Coach, what can I work on?’ and he was like,  ‘I’ll tell you that when we make you a Cowboy,’ so I kind of got a little heads- up there.”"

Roger Goodell might as well have announced Tolbert’s name right then and there. The 6-1 wideout, who had 82 receptions and 1,474 receiving yards (a school record) in 2021, clearly impressed many members of the organization well before the draft began. Prince’s comment about the draftee’s eagerness and work effort was proven by one of Tolbert’s final quotes. The 23-year-old was ready to get to work an hour after his name was called:

"“[Prescott] told me to hit him up if I needed anything. I’m definitely calling him tonight and letting him know that I’m ready to get all the plays. I need the playbook.”"