Cowboys 2023 Draft: Early look at potential candidates for No. 26 pick

The Dallas Cowboys season brought us a lot of highs and lows this season with it once again coming to a disappointing end.

As the players begin their final meetings with the coaches, VP of player personnel Will McClay and his scouting department are getting ready to once again show why they are one of the best groups of talent evaluators in the NFL. They are going to have their work cut out for them again this season after the Cowboys were able to make it to the divisional round of the playoffs and eventually leaving them with No. 26 pick in this year’s upcoming draft.

With holes to fill on both sides of the football, they are going to need to once again work their magic in order to find players that fit what the Cowboys are looking for in terms of physical attributes and football IQ. Right now it’s way too early to assume they’ve narrowed down what they are looking for in the draft but after the loss to the San Fransisco 49ers, we can assume that they have an understanding of what positions they will need to make improvements via free agency and the draft.

Today let’s take a look at some potential candidates the Cowboys might like enough to use a first-round pick on. Some of these players’ stocks are going to rise and fall during the pre-draft process, so where they could end up at the end of this is still to be determined. In the meantime, let’s just assume these players are all in the range of the Cowboys’ 26th pick.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba – WR – Ohio St.

Height: 6’0

Weight: 197lbs

Career Stat Line: 110 receptions, 1,698 yards receiving, 15.4 yards per reception, 10 touchdowns

Evaluation: The Cowboys are in desperate need of a wide receiver that can threaten a defense opposite number one receiver, CeeDee Lamb. What better place to look than Ohio State, a team that has been able to churn out productive receivers over the past few years.

This year Smith-Njigba could be someone the Cowboys are interested in. His quickness off the line and being an outstanding route-runner as well makes him a perfect fit for what Cowboys receivers coach Robert Prince wants in a receiver. Smith-Njigba also has a knack for finding soft spots in zone coverage and working his way back to the quarterback if plays break down making him a very quarterback-friendly receiver for a quarterback that needs all the help he can get out of the position.

There are going to be questions about his durability after dealing with a hamstring injury that led him to only play in three games in 2022. While teams may have questions about that but the Cowboys shouldn’t, pairing him with Lamb and Michael Gallup who will be a year removed from his ACL injury should give the Cowboys a nice trio of receivers to work with.

Kayshon Boutte – WR – LSU

Height: 6’0

Weight: 190lbs

Career Stat Line: 131 receptions, 1,782 yards receiving, 13.6 yards per reception, 16 touchdowns

Evaluation: If the Cowboys are looking for a receiver just as physical and elusive as Deebo Samuel, well, look no further than Boutte. It doesn’t matter if you split him out wide, he’s going to be able to run past defenders. If you put him in the slot he’s going to be elusive enough to make defenders miss in space and if he can’t he’ll lower his shoulder pads and force his way up the field.

Teams took notice of Boutte early in his collegiate career after lighting up Ole Miss with 308 receiving yards back in 2020 setting an SEC single-game receiving record in the process. He’s been unable to replicate that first season after a season-ending injury in 2021 and issues at quarterback. Those issues shouldn’t stop the Cowboys from looking hard at him if they really want to bring in another receiver for Prescott. This receiver’s class is deep but it really is a crap shoot once you get out of the first round, just look at how third-round pick Jalen Tolbert has worked out so far for Dallas. It’s better to take one early and Boutte would be a good choice.

Jahmyr Gibbs – RB – Alabama

Height: 5’11

Weight: 200lbs

Career Stat Line: 2,132 rushing yards, 5.6 yards per carry, 103 receptions, 1,212 yards receiving, 11.8 yards per reception, 23 total touchdowns

Evaluation: Running back is another area the Cowboys could potentially look towards the end of the first round depending on how things go with Ezekiel Elliott and soon-to-be free agent Tony Pollard. Gibbs comes from a long line of Alabama running backs with the ability to be a weapon on the field in the passing game and running game. He has great vision and can accelerate through holes quickly to get to the second and third levels of the defense.

Teams may knock him for his size but he will have time to bulk up if needed in order to be a better pass protector. The Cowboys could take a look at him if they are unable to work something out with Elliott and or Pollard this offseason. Imagine pairing Pollard and Gibbs, two running backs with the same skill set that can be put on the field at the same time and rotated in and out wearing a defense down.

Christian Gonzalez – CB – Oregon

Height: 6’2

Weight: 200lbs

Career Stat Line: 128 total tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 4 interceptions, 17 passes defended

Evaluation: After the loss of Anthony Brown this season, the Cowboys struggled to find someone who could fill in opposite Trevon Diggs. If the Cowboys were to go after a cornerback, Gonzalez would be someone worth keeping an eye on thanks to his size and production on the field. He has fluid hips which allow him to open his stance and run with receivers downfield and with his ball skills and speed he’s able to make plays on the football.

He has the ability to play either press man coverage or zone coverage but does seem to play better when plays in man coverage. The Cowboys feel good about Diggs and the rookie cornerback Daron Bland but they need to figure out who that third cornerback is going to be, Gonzalez could be that cornerback if he’s available at 26.

Siaki Ika – DT – Baylor

Height: 6’4

Weight: 350lbs

Career Stat Line: 70 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 3 passes defended

Evaluation: We saw just how effective a big-bodied defensive tackle in the middle of this Cowboys defense can be in the running game, so why not draft one this time? Ika is one of the biggest defensive tackles in this draft but what separates him from the rest is you can’t block him one on one. His ability to beat single-man blocks forces teams to double him, but he’s also strong enough to hold the point of attack allowing linebackers and safeties to come in behind him and make plays in the backfield.

The Cowboys have done a nice job finding players off the street and in the draft when they’ve actually done the research on a player. If they do it on Ika, it’s going to be hard for them to pass up a player that could very well have the same impact on a game as the Eagles’ first-round pick in Jordan Davis last year.

Eli Ricks – CB – Alabama

Height: 6’2

Weight: 196lbs

Career Stat Line: 44 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 5 interceptions, 10 passes defended

Evaluation: We’ve been disappointed whenever we believed the Cowboys were going to take a cornerback only to see them pass on the opportunity or see a team swoop in and take them ahead of the Cowboys. The good thing for the Cowboys is that once again this year’s class at cornerback is deep and Ricks is a player who most definitely will be on their radar. They’ve had success taking one Nick Saban cornerback so why not do it again by taking Ricks who will bring his instincts and attitude to the Cowboys secondary.

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During his time at Alabama Ricks turned into one of the best cornerbacks with his wing span and ability to accelerate and keep up with some of the fastest receivers in the nation. The Cowboys need another alpha mentality in that secondary to go with Diggs and Bland, who have established themselves on this football team. Ricks if given the chance could give the Cowboys a third if around at 26.

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