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NFL Draft: Discussing the Dallas Cowboys’ Scouting Combine Interviews

By Adithya Prabakaran

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 01: Coaches and scouts from NFL teams time Damien Harris of Alabama as he runs the 40-yard dash during day two of the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 1, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 01: Coaches and scouts from NFL teams time Damien Harris of Alabama as he runs the 40-yard dash during day two of the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 1, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 23: Darnay Holmes #1 of the UCLA Bruins defends as Michael Pittman Jr. #6 of the USC Trojans Dallas cowboys (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

USC WR Michael Pittman Jr

The senior has had an outstanding draft process. At the senior bowl, he showcased his excellent route running and size against a solid senior cornerback class. After promising he’d run “faster than you think” at the combine, he did just that with a 4.52 second 40-yard dash. (The expectations were he would run it in 4.6 seconds) This put his long speed athleticism questions to rest.

Pittman stands out as an interview not only because he is a receiver, but also because his frame is vastly different than what the Cowboys have traditionally liked at the wide receiver position. Listed at 6-foot-4, Pittman would be the tallest receiver on the Cowboys roster by 3 inches and he would be the second receiver on the roster who weighs over 220 pounds.

In a previous article detailing some Senior Bowl prospects to watch , Pittman was a name I pointed out not only because of his “Dak-Friendly” skill set and catch radius, but also because he has the type of build that head coach Mike McCarthy and his staff seem to like quite a bit.

In McCarthy’s tenure as the Green Bay Packers head coach, he drafted 19 receivers. 16 of those receivers were taller than 6-foot-1 and six of them were taller than 6-foot-2. McCarthy’s drafting history is also a bit unorthodox considering the direction of the NFL.

In today’s NFL, smaller receivers are becoming increasingly popular in the league because of their agility and route-running ability. In some instances, it feels like the big receiver is becoming a niche role, unless they know how to separate and separate well. (Michael Thomas, Julio Jones, Chris Godwin are great examples)

This is something Pittman is good at and something I’m sure McCarthy is in awe about. In a draft with so many big receivers, the Cowboys have had their eyes on several. Pittman might be the best of them.

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