3 Top Prospects Who Could Surprisingly Fall to the Cowboys at No. 24
The NFL Draft never goes as planned. Who has a chance to slide into the back half of the first round?
The 2024 NFL Draft is just over a week away from officially starting. The Dallas Cowboys have seen plenty of quality starters in Tyron Smith, Tony Pollard, Leighton Vander Esch, and Stephon Gilmore all leave town for a variety of different reasons.
Dallas also didn't make an effort to improve the roster through free agency, so all the pressure now falls onto the NFL Draft.
The Cowboys are sitting at No. 24 overall in the first round and are looking to add a serious playmaker to either side of the ball.
Below we'll discuss three players who could surprisingly still be on the board when the Cowboys get on the clock.
1. Byron Murphy II, DT
Getting a bully and mauler along the interior of your defensive line transforms your defense. The Cowboys have Micah Parsons screaming off the edge but they need a nice force inside.
The Cowboys gave up 112.4 rushing yards per game in 2023 which was ranked 16th in the league. Things got off the rails in the Wild Card loss to the Green Bay Packers when they gave up 143 yards on the ground.
Someone who could slide down the board and fall into the Cowboys' lap is Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II.
Murphy II owns an explosive first step and the quickness to swiftly get into the backfield. He's very instinctive as a run-defender.
In three seasons at Texas, Murphy II recorded 70 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and eight sacks.
The Texas native has consistently been mocked for being a Top-20 selection but there's a chance to slips down the board a bit.