Two Former 1st-Round Picks Among Cowboys' Minicamp Tryouts

The Dallas Cowboys' offseason has picked up momentum now that their mandatory minicamp session is in the rearview mirror. The focus of America's Team is now repositioned to this year's training camp, which takes place in Oxnard, CA in just over a month.

Although management insists that Dallas is "all in" when it comes to chasing a Super Bowl, there's still room for improvement. The 90-man roster is far from finalized and there's still plenty of time to add outside help to foster competition during camp, ensuring that the Cowboys are left with the best group possible once training camp begins.

In an attempt to add more defensive depth. the Cowboys reportedly worked out four United Football League players this week.

Cowboys News: Dallas Works Out 4 UFL Players, 2 Former 1st-Round Picks

Dallas Morning News' Michael Gehlken reports that the Cowboys held workouts for the following four UFL players on Tuesday: cornerbacks Gareon Conley and Deandre Baker, as well as linebackers Noah Dawkins and Willie Harvey.

While the quartet has potential, it's Conley and Baker that have Cowboys fans curious. Both cornerbacks are former first-round draft picks as Conley was taken 24th overall by the then-Oakland Raiders in 2017 while Baker was taken at No. 30 by the New York Giants in 2019.

Conley played a total of 31 games between the Raiders and Houston Texans from 2017 to 2019, tallying 65 solo tackles, 29 broken-up passes, four interceptions, and one Pick-6. Injuries prevented him from holding onto a roster spot after that, though, resulting in his eventually joining the DC Defenders and recording 20 solo tackles, two INTs, and 0.5 sacks.

Meanwhile, Baker attempts to make his NFL return after last playing for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021. After tallying 82 total tackles and 10 defended passes in 26 career games, the ex-Georgia Bulldog also joined the Defenders for the 2024 season. It move paid off as Baker registered 19 solo tackles en route to being named to the All-UFL Team.

As for Dawkins and Harvey, their past NFL experience isn't nearly as exciting as the CB pair. While the linebacker duo has a combined 21 games of NFL experience between them, they only generated five solo tackles with their limited opportunities.

Nevertheless, both men did find UFL success. Dawkins racked up 45 solo tackles and an interception in the last two seasons with the Michigan Panthers while Harvey just led the league with 79 total tackles last season, leading to his receiving All-UFL honors.

The Cowboys currently have two spots remaining on the 90-man roster, leaving time to tell if any of the UFL quartet has what it takes to earn a training camp invite. With key players like CB Stephon Gilmore and LB Leighton Vander Esch not returning this fall, we'll see if any of the aforementioned players can seize the opportunity.

The Cowboys head towards next month's training camp with the eighth-best Super Bowl LIX odds (+1500) on FanDuel Sportsbook.

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