The Dallas Cowboys were rumored to have interest in taking a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft. They traded for Patriots 2024 sixth-round pick Joe Milton in March, but insiders and analysts continued to hint Dallas could use a Day 3 pick on a QB.
Colorado star Shedeur Sanders shockingly fell to the fifth round, but Jerry Jones commendably nipped any Shedeur speculation in the bud immediately following Day 2.
Former Texas star Quinn Ewers felt like the only realistic option. Not only did Ewers take a Dallas Day visit with the team, but former head coach Mike McCarthy mentored him during the pre-draft process. When push came to shove, though, the Cowboys passed on the former Longhorn, who went to the Dolphins in the seventh round.
Well, it didn't take long for the Cowboys to circle back on the position in the draft's aftermath. Per ESPN's Todd Archer, former Houston and Texas Tech quarterback Donovan Smith will be in town for a tryout during rookie minicamp this weekend.
The Cowboys will have former Houston and Texas Tech quarterback Donovan Smith work their rookie minicamp this weekend on a tryout basis. The two practices open to the media on Friday, Saturday will only be about an hour each to serve as introduction for the rookies.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) April 30, 2025
Cowboys to workout QB Donovan Smith after 2025 NFL Draft
It was not a surprise that Smith went undrafted. He checked in as the No. 20 quarterback according to the consensus rankings in a weak class following a college career in which he split time at Texas Tech and Houston.
Like the Milton trade, this might be a case of the Cowboys betting on physical traits rather than production.
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At 6-foot-6 and 238 pounds, Smith has excellent size for the position. He ran a blazing 4.63 40-yard dash and posted a 122-inch broad jump and 37-inch vertical. Smith was not a Combine invite, but his 40 time would have tied for the second-fastest at the position.
Those are objectively freakish numbers for a quarterback. In fact, Smith's 9.75 RAS (Relative Athletic Score) ranked 27th out of 1,045 quarterbacks that have tested since 1987.
Unfortunately, those attributes did not lead to a prolific college career.
While Smith impressed as a junior in 2023 with 2,802 passing yards and 22 touchdowns, he did not cover himself in glory with the Cougars last season. He averaged just 96.3 passing yards per game and threw more interceptions (eight) than TDs (four). His 6.5 yards per attempt was also the lowest of his career.
At the end of the day, there is no downside to bringing Smith in for a tryout. If he impresses, perhaps the two sides work out a deal to add him to the 90-man roster. If he falters, Dallas moves forward with Dak Prescott, Joe Milton and Will Grier and maybe gives another QB a look.