Who will the Cowboys select in the 2023 NFL Draft: National experts make their predictions 2.0
The Dallas Cowboys season came to a conclusion in the second round of the NFL playoffs with a 19-12 loss at the hand of the San Francisco 49ers.
Now officially in the off-season, who do experts believe the Cowboys should draft to improve their roster?
The most popular initial selections among pundits were Joey Porter Jr, a cornerback out of Penn State, and Bijan Robinson, a running back from Texas.
Following the NFL combine tight end Dalton Kincaid and linebacker Drew Sanders have become new favorites for pundits.
Here’s the second of our regular checks on the national projections, leading up to the draft on April 27-29 in Kansas City.
John Owning, Pro Football Focus
Selection: CB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
Porter, by most accounts, is one of the top talents this year, so the Cowboys would likely be ecstatic if able to grab the Penn State product at the end of the first round. At 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds, Porter possesses the ideal frame that Dallas looks for in an outside cornerback. Additionally, Porter thrives in press-man coverage and does an excellent job defending his vertical silo, which is a big reason why he’s a great fit in Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn’s scheme.
Daniel Ruppert, Fansided
Selection: CB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
Porter is a really long and rangy cornerback who can cover ground with just about anyone. He does well using the sideline to his advantage and sees routes quickly. However, where Porter will really jump out is at the snap with his ability to get a strong jam on receivers, rarely offering clean releases. His footwork and ball skills are ready for the NFL day one and would allow Diggs to play a little more off if needed to take advantage of matchups.
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News
Selection: RB Bijan Robinson, Texas
With the possibilities of Tony Pollard exploring free agency after his breakout season and Ezekiel Elliott being cut for salary-cap purposes, Jerry Jones might be interested in replacing them with a potential superstar from down the road in Austin. Robinson is a three-down back with explosive qualities including vision, quickness, determination and open-field burst as a runner and receiver.
Ian Cummings, Pro Football Network
Selection: RB Bijan Robinson, Texas
Running backs are often deemed as luxury picks in the early rounds — a derogatory term in relation to other premier positions like offensive tackle and edge rusher. Robinson, however, is a true blue-chip talent with the ability to elevate an offense. With the futures of both Elliott and Tony Pollard uncertain, this is a perfect storm of BPA and need.
Tim Lettiero, Cowboys Wire
Selection: CB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
He plays much more physical and aggressive than his lean 6-foot, 180 pound frame would suggest which allows him to have inside-out versatility. In man coverage, he is sticky with great eyes and a knack for finding the ball. He is a more than capable zone defender but his skillset shines more in man coverage. As a run defender he is intense with his pursuit and technically sound as a tackler, bringing a physicality one would see from a box safety.
Bucky Brooks, NFL.com
Selection: CB Deonte Banks, Maryland
Finding a partner for two-time Pro Bowler Trevon Diggs is imperative after watching Dallas CB2s struggle this season.
Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports
Selection: LB Drew Sanders, Arkansas
The Cowboys could be extremely multiple with Sanders on the defense next to Micah Parsons. Sanders is a long, athletic off-ball/edge hybrid.
Rob Rang, Fox Sports
Selection: RB Bijan Robinson, Texas
The Cowboys may currently boast one of the NFL’s most dynamic 1-2 punches at running back, but with Ezekiel Elliott aging and Tony Pollard set to hit free agency, it’s easy to imagine Jerry Jones jumping on an opportunity to boost his club’s backfield should a superstar like Robinson somehow still be on the board. Robinson reportedly visited the Cowboys’ practice facility earlier this week.
Danny Kelly, The Ringer
Selection: CB Clark Phillips III, Utah
The Cowboys have a playmaking star in cornerback Trevon Diggs, but are still looking for the long-term answer on the opposite side of the field. Phillips has twitched up quickness and plays with excellent anticipation, reading the eyes of opposing quarterbacks to jump into passing lanes. He brings the versatility to play both on the outside and over the slot.
Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com
Selection: EDGE Keion White, Georgia Tech
White has inside/outside versatility, and I think he’ll be one of the stars of next week’s combine.
Garrett Podell, CBS Sports
Selection: EDGE Lukas Van Ness, Iowa
Adding another young, potent pass rusher across from Micah Parsons is only a good thing. Like Parsons, he can line up on the edge or move inside and line up across from interior offensive linemen. If there’s any defensive coordinator who can maximize Van Ness’ athletic talents, it’s Dan Quinn. This pick also provides long-term insurance for soon-to-be 31-year-old DeMarcus Lawrence.
Kevin Hanson, Sports Illustrated
Selection: CB Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State
Another major need is shoring up the team’s corner spot opposite Trevon Diggs, as that position was a rotating door after the injury to Anthony Brown, an impending free agent. Forbes is a slender cornerback with good length, speed, instincts and ball skills. He finished his collegiate career with more pick-sixes (six) than most corners had regular interceptions.
Nate Davis, USA TODAY
Selection: DB Cam Smith, South Carolina
A big corner (6 feet, 188 pounds) who can play wide or in the slot and should definitely flourish while improving coverage opposite Trevon Diggs if he takes No. 1 receivers.
Dave Zangaro, NBC Sports
Selection: EDGE Lukas Van Ness, Iowa
The Cowboys are in a pretty good position as a pass rushing team but they won’t be able to pass up Van Ness. Plus, DeMarcus Lawrence isn’t getting any younger and Dorance Armstrong is entering a contract season. So nabbing an edge rusher like Van Ness to pair with Micah Parsons long-term would be a wise decision. Van Ness wasn’t a starter at Iowa and he’s a little raw but the upside is huge and he would be a rotational player in Dallas to start.
Kent Platte, Pro Football Network
Selection: CB Kelee Ringo, University of Georgia
While the Combine is likely to give teams a glimpse into why Kelee Ringo is such an enticing player from an athletic standpoint, it’s also likely to let people know why he’s been falling in recent projections.
Ringo is an incredible athlete, but he’s a bit stiff hipped at times, and some even consider him a safety rather than corner. Regardless of where you project him, the Dallas Cowboys could use an athlete of his caliber who has shown consistent production in a top program.
Todd McShay, ESPN
Selection: TE Dalton Kincaid, Utah
This is a value pick, but tight end Dalton Schultz is also a free agent and might be gone. With the top receivers all off the board -- I’d love to get another one opposite CeeDee Lamb -- Dallas can look to Kincaid as another pass-catcher for quarterback Dak Prescott. We didn’t see Kincaid work out at the combine, but he has enough speed to make plays down the seam and can go up and get 50-50 balls. He is coming off a 70-catch, 890-yard, eight-TD campaign with the Utes and has the versatility to move around the formation.
Mel Kiper, ESPN
Selection: TE Dalton Kincaid, Utah
Let’s replace Dalton Schultz with another Dalton. Schultz, who played on the franchise tag in Dallas last season, could leave in free agency, in which case the Cowboys must find a replacement. Kincaid, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound player with great hands, could step in and be a comparable pass-catcher from Day 1. He caught 106 passes and had 16 scores for the Utes over the past two seasons, and he makes tough catches look simple. He torched defenses down the middle of the field, and he has improved as a blocker. Dak Prescott would love Kincaid’s ability to find space. Kincaid might even be the first tight end off the board.
Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports
Selection: Drew Sanders, Arkansas
Drew Sanders is a former five-star who transferred from Alabama after the 2021 season, and all he did was show out for the Razorbacks. He was an edge rusher for the Crimson Tide, but he lined up all over the defense for Arkansas. He’s a one-man wrecking crew when he’s on the field.
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
Selection: Drew Sanders, Arkansas
I’m sorry, did you say he played for Arkansas, looks like Leighton Vander Esch on the field and is a linebacker who can rush the passer? Feels like an automatic selection for Jerry Jones.
Bleacher Report NFL Scouting Department, Bleacher Report
Selection: Michael Mayer, Notre Dame
“B/R’s Scouting Department grades Mayer as a top-10 talent because he is a strong, fluid athlete who thrives working from 10 to 20 yards. Mayer is exceptionally comfortable sifting through traffic, boxing defenders away from the ball and making difficult catches. Combine those traits with his chops as a blocker, Dallas gets a perfect fit for its run-centric offense and someone who will complement Prescott quite well.”
Doug Farrar, Touchdown Wire
Selection: DL Bryan Bresee, Clemson
Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has long been a master of optimizing the multi-gap defensive lineman for success in his schemes, and even with that, Dallas’ interior defensive line was a bit slapdash in 2022. Micah Parsons can shade a lot of sins, but even he can only do so much. Bresee would provide a ton of value and improvement as a fierce, attack lineman who’s more about penetrating in one-gap stuff than as a pure-run-stopper, but he can also line up all over the formation with bad intentions.
Richie Bradshaw, All Cardinals
Selection: WR Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
Hyatt is the reigning Biletnikoff Award winner and was one of the premier deep threats in all of college football in 2022. He heads into this draft process as one of the most polarizing prospects and a true boom-or-bust player. Thankfully, the Cowboys already have their WR1 in CeeDee Lamb, so Hyatt can be a perfect complement with his speed and big-play ability to take this offense to new heights.
Trevor Sikkema and Connor Rogers, Pro Football Focus
Selection: WR Zay Flowers, Boston College
“Until free agency sorts itself out, I don’t think running back. I was tempted a little bit by Calijah Kancey — add to the D-line, get some juice in there. But ultimately, I think they really want a wide receiver.” — Sikkema
This story was originally published January 26, 2023 at 11:15 AM.
