Dallas Cowboys: Four Senior Bowl prospects to keep an eye on
The 2021 NFL Draft process will be unlike any other for the Dallas Cowboys and the rest of the league. With the NFL Combine up in the air and workouts put on pause, there are less opportunities for prospects to improve their stock and rise up draft boards. That puts more of an emphasis on […]
The 2021 NFL Draft process will be unlike any other for the Dallas Cowboys and the rest of the league. With the NFL Combine up in the air and workouts put on pause, there are less opportunities for prospects to improve their stock and rise up draft boards.
That puts more of an emphasis on the 2021 Reese's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Several of the top senior prospects across the country — including the likes of Devonta Smith, Mac Jones, and others — will gather this week in southern Alabama to practice, meet with different teams, and perform in front of scouts.
Dallas will obviously have its eyes glued throughout the week. Their quarterback, Dak Prescott, was the MVP of the Senior Bowl back in 2016, so the Cowboys are very familiar with the event.
With needs seemingly all over the roster, some are wondering which direction the Dallas Cowboys will take in the draft. We identified a few different prospects that should be on the Cowboys' radar this week.
Ifeatu Melifonwu, cornerback, Syracuse
Perhaps the biggest need for the Dallas Cowboys is in the secondary — whether that be at cornerback or at safety. With Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, and Xavier Woods all set to hit free agency, the Cowboys desperately need an influx of talent in the back-end of the defense.
2020 second-rounder Trevon Diggs flashed at times during his rookie campaign, but he also had his share of first-year struggles. The hope is that the Alabama product continues on the trajectory of becoming a reliable starting corner in the league, but the Cowboys need to pair him with another quality defensive back.
Syracuse's Ifeatu Melifonwu is a name to know for the Cowboys on the second day of the NFL Draft. The younger brother of San Francisco 49ers defender Obi Melifonwu, the Syracuse product has a chance to rise up draft boards in the pre-draft process, beginning with the Senior Bowl.
Melifonwu has intriguing length and speed that will be attractive to a number of different teams around the league. He matched up well versus high-quality competition in North Carolina and Clemson.
If you are looking for a potential second-round target for Dallas, Melifonwu could be your guy.
Marvin Wilson, defensive tackle, Florida State
Defensive line is yet another need on the defense that the Dallas Cowboys must address this offseason. Beefing up the trenches could go a long way in helping newly-hired defensive coordinator Dan Quinn turn around that side of the ball.
There does not appear to be a clear-cut top prospect at defensive tackle in this year's class. Alabama's Christian Barmore is a popular name, but he does not appear to be the consensus top player at this point in the process. Therefore, it may make some sense for the Cowboys to target the position later in the draft.
Florida State's Marvin Wilson is a name that many believed was on track to be a first-rounder after his start to his collegiate career where he recorded 85 tackles, 12.5 tackles-for-loss, and 8.5 sacks over his sophomore and junior seasons in Tallahassee.
Unfortunately, Wilson did not end his collegiate career on a strong note, and that has many left wondering where he will be selected in April. The Senior Bowl provides the Florida State product an opportunity to remind NFL evaluators why he was so highly thought of prior to the 2020 season.
The Cowboys need a big body in the middle of the defense; therefore, Wilson is a name to at least keep tabs on throughout the Senior Bowl week and the remainder of the pre-draft process.
Aaron Robinson, cornerback, UCF
As mentioned earlier, cornerback is a big need for the Dallas Cowboys in 2021. Dallas will likely target Virginia Tech's Caleb Farley or Alabama's Patrick Surtain II in round-one, but it is so hard to predict how the board will fall.
South Carolina's Jaycee Horn is another prospect that has received first-round hype, but the Cowboys may have more than a handful of cornerback prospects to choose from early in the draft.
UCF's Aaron Robinson is a name that Cowboys fans should be familiar with. The Athletic's Dane Brugler named Robinson as a prospect with the potential to rise up boards following the Senior Bowl week in Mobile:
An Alabama transfer, Robinson had 20 passes defended in 22 games the past two seasons. He is quick-footed with the turn-and-run skills to stay in phase and make plays downfield. His toughness, athleticism and inside/outside versatility is an attractive combination that will have teams considering him in the top 50 picks.
UCF has become one of the best Group of 5 programs across the country, and Robinson thrived in Orlando after transferring away from the Southeastern Conference. He is a physical corner with the ability to match up and defend different style of receivers.
According to NFL Draft insider Matt Miller, Robinson has the chance to climb into the first-round consideration. With his versatility and the need to add talent in the secondary, Robinson has a lot to gain this week in Mobile.
The Senior Bowl will be a huge chance for Robinson to impress scouts during an abnormal offseason and elevate his stock in a big way. On the same note, his teammate and UCF safety Richie Grant is another name to get familiar with.
D’Wayne Eskridge, wide receiver, Western Michigan
While watching the Kansas City Chiefs, one thing is blatantly obvious: speed kills.
The need for speed is evident as teams look to become more explosive in the passing game. The Dallas Cowboys already possess a strong passing attack, but a burner would have the potential to elevate the offense to another level. That brings us to Western Michigan's D'Waune Eskridge, who we wrote on recently.
Eskridge played five seasons on the collegiate level from 2016 to 2020 — though he played in just 10 total games in 2019 and 2020. The Indiana native posted more than 500 yards in three of those seasons: 506 as a sophomore in 2017, 776 the next year as a junior, and then 768 — and eight touchdowns — in just six games in 2020.
Eskridge is an electric prospect that has the chance to turn heads while in Mobile. He is nowhere near the biggest player in the world, but he has the ability to score from just about anywhere on the football field.
Brugler wrote that the former Western Michigan playmaker "would be talked about as a top-50 draft pick if he played at Alabama or Ohio State", pretty significant praise from one of the best in the industry. With needs elsewhere, the Cowboys will likley wait until later to add a wideout, but Eskridge would be fun next to Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and Michael Gallup.
All four of these prospects have a lot to gain this week in Mobile at the 2021 Senior Bowl. Depending on how this week and the rest of the pre-draft process goes, at least one of these players could potentially be suiting up for the Dallas Cowboys in the fall.
Featured image via Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
