3 Future Starters the Cowboys Could Draft on Day 3

With several holes on their roster and a limited number of draft picks, the Dallas Cowboys need to find ways to maximize each selection. They also have to find players on Day 3 that they believe can develop into starters down the road.

The new model in Dallas seems to be to let everyone walk in free agency, so they’re always going to need to have someone working their way into a starting role. With that being said, here are three late-round prospects that could turn into starters.

3. Evan Anderson, NT, Florida Atlantic

Listed at 6-foot-3 and roughly 325 pounds, Evan Anderson is a massive human. He spent four seasons at FAU and had 148 tackles, with 20 of those going for a loss. He’s not expected to translate into a pass rusher in the NFL but he did still record seven sacks for the Owls with 3.5 coming in 2023.

As good as he was against the run for FAU, Anderson still has questions — due mostly to the level of competition his team faced. That’s one reason he wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine but has been making the rounds with pre-draft visits. One of those teams is the San Francisco 49ers, and they know how to scout defensive talent. So if they’re interested, it’s not a bad idea to pay attention.

There’s a chance he could be undrafted but it also could be smart to use a seventh-rounder on Anderson and groom him to be an early-down run-stuffing nose tackle. Dallas has struggled for years to find such a player and should leave no stone unturned.