TCU’s Jeff Gladney meets with Dallas Cowboys, but this defensive back has options
Count TCU cornerback Jeff Gladney among the defensive backs the Dallas Cowboys may select in the first round of next week’s NFL draft.
The Cowboys have done a virtual pre-draft interview with Gladney, according to a source. The team has also conducted similar meetings with other possible selections, including Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson, Clemson cornerback A.J. Terrell, LSU cornerback Kristian Fulton, Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs, LSU safety Grant Delpit and Alabama safety Xavier McKinney.
The Cowboys have one first-round selection, at No. 17, on April 23, the first day of the three-day event. The draft, which was supposed to take place in Las Vegas, will now be a virtual affair due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Henderson is the only one who is likely to go at 17 or higher. The Cowboys’ other considerations are options at 17, or they could be acquired later in the first or second rounds if the team elects to trade the pick down.
However, the need at cornerback is acute because of the loss of Pro Bowl standout Byron Jones to the Miami Dolphins in free agency.
The Cowboys added Maurice Canady and Saivion Smith as developmental prospects in free agency to go with holdovers Jourdan Lewis, Chido Awuzie and Anthony Brown, although none are considered to be No. 1 cornerbacks.
The team signed safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in free agency to replace Jeff Heath, who’s now with the Las Vegas Raiders. But Clinton-Dix is on a one-year deal and fellow starter Xavier Woods is in the final year of his contract.
Gladney, a native of New Boston who played at TCU, would love to be chosen by the Cowboys and stay in Texas.
But he has options. Gladney has met with the Cowboys and nine other teams, including the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, which just so happens to be his destination in the Star-Telegram’s latest mock draft.
This story was originally published April 15, 2020 at 7:12 PM.
