Cowboys round 5, pick 160: McKinnley Jackson
Dallas sends a sixth and seventh rounder to move up 14 spots so they can select and important cog in their defensive machine. As the roster stands today, the Cowboys are without a proven run-stuffer in the middle. With weight gain Mazi Smith could be the answer but banking on him jumping into that role in 2024 may be reckless.
Jackson, 6-foot-1, 326-pounds, will help add size to the Dallas interior. LBs don’t matter much if the big guys up front can’t keep blockers off them so it’s imperative the Cowboys find a girthy 1-tech at some point in the draft.
Jackson is a one-dimensional DT who has a quick first step and long reach. He’s technically unrefined and will need coaching to reach his potential but could be a rotational piece early.
Cowboys round 7, pick 233: CB Chigozie Anusiem
Teams are drafting traits late on Day 3 and Anusiem has traits coming out of his ears. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound CB from Colorado State has 32-inch arms, 79-inch wingspan and 4.39 speed. What he doesn’t have is actual ball production.
Anusiem is seventh round pick for a reason. The 24-year-prospect has never been able to apply his physical tools with on field production. He lacks a feel for game in space and struggles locating the ball. He’s a physical player with tackling skills and press ability but he struggles in off coverage.
On the Cowboys he’ll likely be used situationally as a boundary CB or possibly cross trained at safety while he plays special teams.
Chigozie Anusiem is a CB prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored a 8.86 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 277 out of 2422 CB from 1987 to 2024.https://t.co/fLTVGFXdVH pic.twitter.com/0dPdDJ6MYk
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 5, 2024
Tools for the rebuild
The Cowboys cut salary from the books and acquired multiple top picks in 2025 to facilitate a potential trade up in 2025. If Trey Lance surprises and looks like a legit franchise QB in 2024, the Cowboys could re-sign him or flip him for more picks just like they did with Prescott.
Prescott would have to approve a trade but as long as the new team meets his salary demands there's no reason to think he wouldn't.
None of this is ideal but it's making the best of a bad situation. If the Cowboys don't intend on paying Prescott before the season, trade options should be explored or else they risk losing him for nothing on the open market.