Cowboys focus on receivers intensifies with Courtland Sutton's pre-draft visit
That the Dallas Cowboys were focused on taken a wide receiver at the top of the upcoming NFL Draft, set for April 26-28 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, has never been a secret.
But for those in the back of the room who remain hard of hearing, they are now screaming it from rooftops following the release of receiver Dez Bryant last week.
Vice president Stephen Jones said recently that the team could take a couple of receivers in the draft.
The Cowboys continued their due diligence at the position at Wednesday with a pre-draft visit from SMU receiver Courtland Sutton, who is projected to go in the first or early in the second round.
The visit from Sutton follows an up-close look at him at his pro day last month where head coach Jason Garrett and receivers coach Sanjay Lal personally took him through drills.
He is the fifth top receiver to come in for a pre-draft visit, joining Alabama’s Calvin Ridley, Maryland’s D.J. Moore, Florida's Antonio Callaway and Oklahoma State’s James Washington.
The Cowboys also spent time with Texas A&M’s Christian Kirk at his respective pro days and reportedly had a private workout with LSU's D.J. Chark.
Sutton, who is 6-foot-3 and 218 pounds, had a standout college career at SMU. In his final two years, he had 1,000-yard receiving seasons with at least 10 touchdowns.
Some scouts believe he has the biggest upside of all the prospects to be a No. 1 receiver in NFL.
“I personally believe that I’m the best receiver on the board,” Sutton said after his pro day last month. “Whoever takes me is going to get a guy who is going to come in and show that … I’d say that I’m a dominant receiver, a big body, fast, dominant receiver. A guy who when he’s on the field everybody knows where he is. I’m going to make plays. When the ball is coming my way, I’m going to make a play. Or if I’ve got to block for a running back, I’m going to make that play.
“Whatever my job is, I’m a guy who is going to be there and doing his job.”
Sutton left a favorable impression on the Cowboys coaches.
Along with Garrett and Lal, there were representatives from 25 teams, including four wide receiver coaches.
“He can catch the ball like no other,” Lal said of Sutton. “He’s got a huge catch radius. Strong hands. So that’s a start. If a receiver can catch, obviously that’s key. Then, he’s coachable. We were giving him, on the fly, some coaching points and kind of coaching him a little hard, seeing how he would respond, and he responded. He’s not polished like most of these guys coming out, but a great athlete, and he’s a moldable piece of clay.”
This story was originally published April 18, 2018 at 6:41 PM with the headline "Cowboys focus on receivers intensifies with Courtland Sutton's pre-draft visit."