Getting to know the players the Cowboys have met at the NFL Scouting Combine
The Dallas Cowboys are already making their presence known at this year's NFL scouting combine. Whether it's about Dak Prescott's health, or the possibility of hosting future combines, Dallas is getting plenty of attention. It's no wonder why. For better or worse, the Cowboys control the spotlight of the NFL universe. Despite a lack of […]
The Dallas Cowboys are already making their presence known at this year's NFL scouting combine. Whether it's about Dak Prescott's health, or the possibility of hosting future combines, Dallas is getting plenty of attention.
It's no wonder why. For better or worse, the Cowboys control the spotlight of the NFL universe.
Despite a lack of preferred results, the team continues its preferred approach to team-building. Re-signing their own guys, finding cheap veteran deals and focusing heavily on the NFL Draft is the modus operandi.
In order to do that, the steps to the draft follow the order: college football season, then bowl season, then the senior bowl, then the combine, pro days, official meetings and finally – the draft itself.
Now, the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine is the main focus for the league. It's not only a chance to see these players' athleticism on display, it's also a chance to meet with prospects, talk with agents and deal face-to-face with other teams.
The Cowboys have begun their process and have already started meeting with the following players at the combine:
TE Cade Otton
Cade Otton is a redshirt senior tight end from the University of Washington. He gabbed nine career touchdowns, earning All-Pac-12 honors in 2020.
Otton is already one of the better blocking tight ends in the draft, with upside as a receiver. He doesn't create a lot of separation on routes, but he has strong hands and he's a reliable pass catcher.
Given the uncertainty around the tight end position as it pertains to Dalton Schultz's deal and Blake Jarwin's health, tight end will be a position worth looking at. Especially as we go down this list.
TE Grant Calcaterra
Once again, tight end will be a position worth looking at. Even if Schultz gets a new deal with the team, this year's tight end group is too good to overlook. This Pony who played college ball not too far from the stadium has one of the more interesting stories.
A high school All-American, Calcaterra played three seasons at Oklahoma. Presumed to be the school's next Mark Andrew, he retired after the 2019 season due to multiple concussions.
After sitting out all of 2020, he originally announced his decision to play at Auburn before opting instead to play for SMU. In his one season, Calcaterra caught 38 passes for 465 yards and four touchdowns, earning second team All-AAC honors.
The talent is there. Calcaterra would bring the Dallas Cowboys another Blake Jarwin-type tight end, but concerns around his concussion history and how it affects his future are going to be raised.
QB Bailey Zappe
A Texas native, Bailey Zappe played 2017-20 for Houston Baptist before playing one historic season for Western Kentucky. Named the C-USA MVP and is now the all-time FBS/FCS single-season passing touchdowns leader.
The Dallas Cowboys already have their franchise QB in Dak Prescott but the position is at a premium. Team's always want to find the next potential Jimmy Garoppollo. A QB that a team can develop into a potential starter one day and flip for high draft capital. Assuming they can't become the franchise QB themselves.
Ben DiNucci and Mike White are recent examples of this attempt and why Zappe would make sense as a day three pick. Maybe even give Cooper Rush competition for the QB2 spot.
OL Bernhard Raimann
Bernhard Raimann is an Austrian-born giant of a man. He didn't start playing football until he was 14, yet he was measured at 6-foot-7, 305-pounds at the age of 24.
Raimann is considered one of the best athletes among the offensive linemen in this year's draft. He played tight end during his first two seasons at Central Michigan before switching to offensive tackle due to injuries. It worked out well as he earned first team All-MAC honors in 2021 and was named a second-team All-American by Sporting News.
The Dallas Cowboys offensive line is in flux. Outside of Zack Martin, there's questions considering the present and future of the group. Raimann already has potential first-round buzz surrounding him, meaning he could be a target at No. 24 or No. 56 overall.
TE Jalen Wydermeyer
Jalen Wydermeyer was a playmaking tight end during all three seasons at Texas A&M. A three-time All-SEC player, Wydermeyer has been receiving buzz since halfway through his Aggie career. Some have even named him the best tight end in the draft.
Wydermyer would immediately upgrade the Cowboys' tight end position. Not just as a down-field threat as a receiver, but as a blocker. Despite being an average blocker at the college level, he's still be a step up in both regards to where Dallas currently sits at the position. However, Dallas might have to take him with one of its first two picks.
WR Josh Johnson
To be fair, Johnson first met with the Dallas Cowboys last month, but has reconnected. Tulsa's most target wide receiver, Johnson had a breakout year in 2021, with 82 catches and 1,087 yards. He's not a very big receiver, standing at 5-foot-11, 180-pounds, but he has the upside of starting receiver in the slot.
Starting his career at Iowa State, Johnson eventually became a part of the Golden Hurricane and enjoyed steady success before making his mark his final year. Playing bigger than his frame, on land and up in the air.
Playing with great hands and versatility in on offense, he's a bit of project player. Think of him as somewhere between Cole Beasley and Cedrick Wilson in terms of upside and potential. With the state of the wide receiver room the way it is, a player like Johnson could pay off down the line.
OL Cade Mays
Cade Mays has experience around big names and he's blocked for big programs. He played his first two seasons at the University of Georgia before transferring to Tennessee.
Mays has prototypical size for a guard at 6-foot-5, 330-pounds, and has been a full-time starter his entire career. He won't be a plug-and-play guard the Dallas Cowboys will likely need, but he has the experience teams like and the skill to be a starter.
The Cowboys have a history of taking offensive linemen in the draft and developing them. Players like Terence Steele (undrafted) and Connor McGovern have both played early in their careers, with positive and negative results. Mays could be in the same boat, should Dallas opt for a developmental player, instead.
RB Isaiah Spiller
Spiller is the most electrifying player on this list, hands down. If you saw Wydermeyer play at some point the last three seasons, you definitely saw Isaiah Spiller. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound two-time All-SEC running back led the Aggies with just under 3,000 career rushing yards and 25 touchdowns in 35 games.
Spiller and Devon Achane were reminiscent of Javorski Lane and Michael Goodson, as a Thunder and Lightning-type backfield. Despite Achane being the obvious burner, Spiller has plenty of lightning to go with his thunder. He shows good power, patience and burst out of the backfield.
The Dallas Cowboys are in a pickle when it comes to the running back position. Tony Pollard was the better running back last season, and the team is married to Ezekiel Elliott's contract through the 2022 season. Given that both backs dealt with health issues in 2021, combined with the shorter shelf life of NFL running backs, Spiller could be seen as an investment.
An investment that in 2023 could see a deadly fresh duo of Pollard and the young rookie. Running backs in the draft have no consistent value, but Spiller might be the best one.
Featured image via-Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
