Five quarterbacks the Dallas Cowboys could target in the 2025 NFL Draft
On Monday, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones made it known that the front office and personnel department will be seeking a quarterback in this year’s draft class to backup Dak Prescott.
With the expectation that Trey Lance will move on in free agency and that Cooper Rush will be too expensive to retain as the backup quarterback to Prescott, adding one or two signal-callers this offseason is imperative coming off a season where Prescott missed the final nine games with a torn hamstring.
In his time as a position coach and a coordinator, Schottenheimer has been involved with the drafting of 11 quarterbacks, most recently Trevor Lawrence while he was the Jaguars passing game coordinator in 2021. His other selections include Alex McGough (2018 seventh round), Garrett Gilbert (2014 sixth round), Greg McElroy (2011 seventh round), Mark Sanchez (2009 first round), Erik Ainge (2008 fifth round), Kellen Clemens (2006 second round), Brad Smith (2006 fourth round), Philip Rivers (2004 first round), Seth Burford (2002 seventh round) and Sage Rosenfels (2001 fourth round).
Now, the Cowboys have many more pressing needs at other areas that will need to be addressed in the earlier rounds. Does that make the fifth round the earliest possible time in the draft for the Cowboys to take a quarterback? Or would there be one late on day two that could entice the front office enough to swing on considering reliability behind Prescott is more important now than it’s been since he arrived in 2016?
With that in mind, here are five quarterbacks that could make sense for Dallas on draft weekend ahead of the NFL Combine this week.
Kyle McCord, Syracuse
A traditional pocket passer with experience at both Syracuse and Ohio State, McCord brings almost 2,000 snaps of college experience into the draft process and a 2024 season that stands alone statistically among his peers in this draft class. His 4,779 passing yards and 391 completions led the nation last season as he led Syracuse to its best season since 1992.
His size at 6-foot-3, 224 pounds can withstand hits in the pocket, especially with some added NFL weight. If the Cowboys are hunting down experience and production, McCord would be a solid option late on day two or early on day three if they are able to get back in the fourth round.
Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
With over 4,400 snaps from his college days at UCF, Oklahoma and Oregon, the diverse resume of Gabriel will have eyes on the left-handed gunslinger this week in Indianapolis. While he is undersized at 5-foot-10, 202 pounds, Gabriel has won big games at every stop he’s been at, has taken care of the football and has displayed one of the stronger IQs of any signal-caller in the class with his pre-snap diagnosing and his quick post-snap processing.
The Cowboys do have a connection to Gabriel, as new wide receivers coach Junior Adams came from Oregon where Gabriel played his final season. While Gabriel’s draft range remains wide heading into the combine, expect his stock to hover right around the third and fourth rounds on draft weekend.
Kurtis Rourke, Indiana
When you combine NFL size at 6-foot-5, 231 pounds, toughness from playing through a partially torn ACL in 2024 and a knack for winning after leading Indiana to its first College Football Playoff appearance, you get Rourke. After transferring from Ohio where he rewrote the program’s record books in his five seasons with the Bobcats, Rourke shined in Bloomington where he completed nearly 70-percent of his passes, threw for over 3,000 yards and accounted for just five interceptions as a senior.
Expected to be on the board when the Cowboys finally pick in the fifth round after not owning a fourth round selection, Rourke could be the reliable and experienced signal-caller they covet on day three.
Tyler Shough, Louisville
Speaking of experience, no quarterback in the class has a more complicated college resume than Shough who played seven seasons with stops at Oregon, Texas Tech and Louisville. His big frame at 6-foot-5, 230 pounds comes with a big arm that can drive the ball to all parts of the field with ease. Expected to be one of the more impressive throwers at the combine, Shough will have a lot of eyes on his medical reports coming out of the week after suffering a broken collarbone and a broken fibula during his time in college.
Expected to be a firm day three selection, Shough could be an enticing option for the Cowboys if he is available in the later rounds.
Seth Henigan, Memphis
A coach’s kid with local ties to Denton Ryan High School, Henigan is a player that coaches would love to have in the building with his deep understanding of the game and his ability to improve a team from the meeting room to the football field. Calm and collected in the pocket, Henigan makes difficult on-a-dime decisions look routine with his great feel and composure under diress.
While he may not be able to drive the ball down the field with consistency or make routinely accurate throws, his value as a late day three selection could be worth using for Dallas to bring a local product home.
