5 Under-the-Radar Draft Prospects for the Dallas Cowboys

B.J. Thompson,

DE,

Stephen F. Austin University

In my recent mock draft, this was my sixth-round draft pick for the Dallas Cowboys. BJ Thompson is a talented pass rusher who played his last three seasons at Stephen F. Austin after transferring from Baylor. He wasn’t a stat stuffer by any means, but he wouldn’t be the first prospect to arrive on the scene with minimal production.

Standing at 6’6″ 240lbs, Thompson is a good-to-great athlete with the physical attributes that makes him at the very least a draftable player. If Dan Quinn wasn’t the defensive coordinator with Dallas, I may not include Thompson on the list. However, with DQ, anything is possible and hitting on the potential of a player like this is much more enticing.

At the 2023 Shrine Bowl, he confirmed his athleticism to some degree with a sub 4.5 in the 40-yard dash, 40 inch vertical and an 11’3″ broad jump. Let’s be honest, if he played for Georgia or Alabama, his name would be tossed around with the likes of Nolan Smith. The NFL draft is a tricky thing. While it is almost impossible that he hits the first round, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility that he lands as a top-100 pick.

If anything holds him back, it’s going to be the small school and small production. Demarcus Ware came from a small school (Troy University) years again, but he came with production. 27.5 sacks and 55.5 tackles for loss sets Ware apart from Thompson. The stats may set them apart, but they will both have gotten starts with defensive geniuses. Ware had Bill Parcells and Thompson will get Coach Quinn.

For the record, I’m not saying Thompson will be Ware or even have the potential to be Ware. What I am saying is he is a heck of a prospect to be an under the radar candidate.