Dallas Cowboys 7-Round 2023 Mock Draft 3.0
By Cassidy Cook
Dallas Cowboys – Round 4 – Cory Trice Jr. – Cornerback – Purdue
Height: 6'3" Weight: 206lbs. Forty: 4.47 Wingspan: 77.00"
Cory Trice Jr. is what Dan Quinn’s dreams are made of! Quinn goes to sleep at night dreaming of defensive backs with a great blend of height, weight, length, and speed. Trice just so happens to be the perfect mixture. To top it all off, he has that competitive corner you look for on the outside.
Corey Trice is a little bit of a sleeper as he ranks outside of the consensus top 10 at his position. Dane Brugler has him ranked as his 14th cornerback and has a round-3 grade. I personally have a round-4 grade on him but it’s hard to argue with a draft guru like Brugler. Trice is an imposing, aggressive tackler who excels in man coverage and doesn’t back down in the run game. He excels in press coverage as he allowed just one catch on eighty-eight snaps in press coverage this past season. Overall, he surrendered an eye-popping 51.3 quarterback rating when targeted in 2022. Trice could be one of the biggest steals in the for whoever lands him in rounds 3 or 4 as he has the potential to be one of the best defensive backs in this draft as he shows he is very coachable when it comes to his technique and play.
The reason Trice has flown a bit under the radar is he had a long road in recovery due to a 2021 knee injury (Torn ACL) with some lingering issues. He started his 2022 season off looking a little rusty sporting a brace on his left knee which caused a groin injury. Also, Trice is a tweener at the cornerback and safety positions. That may not be a bad thing as he use to play safety as well but could hurt his draft stock as coaches may not know exactly where he would fit best.
Where he fits in Dallas: I believe Cory Trice Jr. projects best as a depth piece at cornerback and a special teams contributor. Trice excels in press coverage and Dan Quinn loves the type of traits Trice brings to the playing field with his blend of size, speed, and temperament. In a pinch, they could use him as a safety and reevaluate down the road once contracts start to expire.