The Dallas Cowboys' 2026 draft class is finalized, and it oozes excitement.
First-round pick Caleb Downs could go down as a franchise-altering addition, while second and third-rounders Malachi Lawrence and Jaishawn Barham project as immediate contributors.
Before Cowboys fans could blink after the conclusion of Round 7 on Saturday, the team was already signing undrafted free agents. It already has the look of a strong UDFA class, but it would look a lot better had Dallas signed the sign of franchise legend Emmitt Smith.
That's right. E.J. Smith went undrafted and signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an UDFA. What makes the missed opportunity even more frustrating is that Dallas reportedly agreed to terms with Tulsa running back Dominic Richardson.
The Dallas Cowboys blew a chance to sign Emmitt Smith's son, E.J. Smith, as an UDFA
That's not to say that Richardson, who rushed for 1,000 yards last season, isn't worthy of a spot on the offseason roster. But the Cowboys not signing Emmitt Smith's son feels wrong, even if it wasn't done with malicious intent.
A former Stanford transfer, Smith couldn't quite earn a bell-cow role in college. He never rushed for more than 218 yards with the Cardinal and only managed 205 yards on 44 carries as a sixth-year senior at Texas A&M this past season.
Those stats do anything but jump off the screen, but doesn't that make Smith landing a gig with Andy Reid's Chiefs all the more impressive? He must have impressed in pre-draft workouts.
Why not at least extend Smith an invite to rookie minicamp? After all, Dallas did exactly that with Presbyterian College running back Zach Switzer. The last name likely gave it away, but he is the grandson of former Cowboys head coach Barry Switzer.
If it's any silver lining, Smith was among those in attendance at the Cowboys' annual Dallas Day for local draft prospects.
Brian Schottenheimer made sure not to reveal Dallas' interest in Smith, or lack thereof, when asked about working out the son of one of the best players in franchise history.
“You know me, man, I’m family. I’m all family. And you watch his film, and he was an incredible short-yardage runner, powerful. But, yeah, just watching him move, seeing him in person, the type of young man he is, it’s cool," Schottenheimer said.
If not signing Emmitt Smith's son as an undrafted free agent is the biggest negative from the weekend, that's a pretty clear sign that Dallas did a great job.
Add us as a preferred source on Google