Cowboys may have found another UDFA defensive weapon
The Dallas Cowboys have once again made a splash after the draft, taking in the top undrafted free agency class in 2022, according to NBC Sports Edge. This isn’t uncommon for Dallas, as they have been one of the best teams in the league in signing these players, thanks to their ability to find roles for said players and get them on the field relatively quickly, compared to other teams.
One player, in particular, has been turning heads since his arrival and through the early part of practices: defensive back Isaac Taylor-Stuart out of USC.
Coming in at 6-1 and 201 pounds, Taylor-Stuart looks the part of a player who should be ready to come in and help this team on special teams and possibly work his way into the defensive secondary rotation in time. His length and physical play at the line of scrimmage are clearly coveted by this Cowboys defensive staff, and so far he’s shown that he’s going to be a player that could be hard to cut if his impressive start continues.
That impressive start is thanks to his willingness and ability to play cornerback and safety in this defense, something the Cowboys coaching staff has been doing with him early on in rookie camp practices.
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Cowboys’ Isaac Taylor-Stuart’s path to 53-man roster
That flexibility puts him into direct competition with last year’s sixth-round pick Israel Mukuamu, who was a cornerback coming out of South Carolina that the Cowboys were transitioning to play safety. Both will have to be at the top of their game, because only one will possibly make this roster. Mukuamu has the upper hand, with his experience after a season on the team, but that doesn’t count out Taylor-Stuart, whose tenacity and effort along with his skillset will make this a competition.
Taylor-Stuart as a cornerback compares favorably to former New York Giants first-round pick Eli Apple based on his measurements and testing at the combine. If you compare him to safeties in the league, though, he compares favorably to the Miami Dolphins’ second-round pick last season, Jevon Holland (who the Cowboys showed interest in leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft). Both are very athletic players in their own rights, and for the Cowboys to find a player with that athletic ability is impressive. More importantly, they could have found another diamond in UDFA.
It will be interesting to see how Taylor-Stuart does against the veterans once the entire team comes together for OTAs, but if he starts off the way he has in rookie camp and can continue that momentum, he’s going to work his way into a rotation and become one of the more versatile weapons in the Cowboys secondary.
