What do the Dallas Cowboys look for at the Senior Bowl? Here’s what Will McClay had to say
High above the playing field at Hancock Whitney Stadium, in the suite level, the Dallas Cowboys scouting department led by vice president of player personnel Will McClay set up their perch on Tuesday to evaluate some of the best the 2025 draft class has to offer.
While the work for McClay’s scouting department reaches as far back as when this current crop of players entered college, the process ramps into full speed with the beginning of Senior Bowl week.
It allows the entire department to get a full in-person look instead of just area scouts making 1-on-1 visits. For most, it’s the first impression.
“The first impression of who they are,” McClay said about what they get at the Senior Bowl. “We’ve gathered the information, now we can put our own flavor on it and see who’s telling us the truth or not. Also digging and finding out about the player. It’s our job to dig and find where the warts are and where the holes are.”
The initial report from the Senior Bowl is also derived from the in-person meetings that players are allowed to have with teams. While brief, the sit-down sessions allow teams to attach a person to the player.
“Seeing how they interact, it’s also important,” McClay said. “Carrying on a conversation, carrying on a school of thought…They’re not in the friendly confines of their university where they’ve been protected.”
For the Cowboys, a need for depth was highlighted this past season as injuries on both sides of the ball increased the positions of need.
“You think about all of the injuries we had this year, we played 10 corners in a year,” he said. “That’s the largest number I’ve ever played because of injuries. You can never cover yourself up all the way because you never know when they’re going to come, but the depth also increases competition.”
Fortunately for this draft class, McClay feels there is value. It’s now about placing the value in the right spots on draft weekend.
“I think there’s some good players,” McClay said. “I think there’s middle depth, we’ll see what that first round talent is and how deep that goes. There’s a lot of good players, it’s just finding the right value for them.”
This story was originally published January 29, 2025 at 8:58 AM.
