2023 NFL draft preview: The Dallas Cowboys dream big on draft day

FRISCO (CBSNewsTexas.com) – Straight out of the often envied, never duplicated Big Green NFL Draft Scouting Notebook, the Cowboys have a chance to add some of the most unique and promising impact players in this year's NFL draft.

Of course, the eyes of Texas are on Longhorn running back Bijan Robinson. He is one of the top ranked prospects in this draft. With the release of Zeke Elliott last month, Dallas has a big need at running back. But the odds of Robinson falling all the way to the Cowboys pick at No. 26 are about as great as the Cowboys' chances of making it to the Super Bowl the last 26 years.

Last month, the Cowboys did a good job of filling needs by spending two of their 5th round picks on dynamic, playmaking veterans — CB Stephon Gilmore and WR Brandin Cooks.

By accomplishing what they did last month in free agency and the trade market, the Cowboys can stay true to their draft board and not reach on players to fill positions of need. 

Conversely, a close look at the contract status of players on the roster reveals that the Cowboys actually have needs at every position on the team. No less than 40% of the players on the roster (21 of the top 53 players) are entering the final year of their contracts.

Both the offensive and defensive play callers, Mike McCarthy and Dan Quinn, love big players with length. McCarthy points to the Cowboys of the 90's as the model for their drafting philosophy.

"We talk about the 90's. We talk about the defensive line and the offensive line, just the body type," McCarthy said. "Frankly, that's what we're trying to emulate on both sides of the ball. I've never had this many 6-foot-5, 6-foot-6, 6-foot-7 offensive linemen. It's definitely my preference."

It's top of mind for Cowboys COO Stephen Jones when acquiring talent. "You talk about how do you improve that run game. You've just got to keep beefing up in there and have those type bodies."

So, with that, here it is! The 2023 Big Green Notebook Dallas Dream Draft:

1st Round — No. 29

Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia

Cowboys trade down from No. 26 and pick up an extra 4th round pick (No. 115) from New Orleans.

Absolutely love this player! A five-star recruit, Washington was ranked as the No. 1 athlete in the nation coming out of Las Vegas Desert Pines HS. He's nearly 6-foot-7, 272 pounds and runs a 4.64 forty. Washington was timed in 4.09 seconds in the 20-yard short shuttle, which would be a good time if Washington was a cornerback. He's not. He may be a biscuit or two away from being an offensive tackle. Instead, he looks lean, chiseled, rangy, and ultra competitive. He has 11 inch hands, 34.5 inch arms and an 84 inch wingspan. Playing alongside Brock Bowers, who will be a top 10 pick next year, Washington averaged 16 yards per reception on 28 catches.

The Cowboys are looking to replace Dalton Schultz and have two promising tight ends in 2nd year players Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot. Washington's skill set is the perfect complement to them. There are roles for all three tight ends.

After OT Terence Steele went down with a knee injury in Week 12 last season, Elliott and Tony Pollard both averaged less than three yards per carry the rest of the season. In the postseason, Dallas was so desperate to jump start the run game that it was regularly using offensive linemen Connor McGovern and Aviante Collins at fullback and tight end.

The best blocking tight end in this draft, Washington is ready to play right now. He will upgrade the run game immediately, greatly enhancing the Cowboys two-tight end formation, enabling the offense to dictate run or pass and keeping defensive coordinators off balance in terms of how to match up.

Washington is being compared to Marcedes Lewis, who was a 1st round pick (No. 28) in 2006 and is now entering his 17th season in the NFL. This is a deep tight end class but this player has the most upside of any of them.

2nd Round — No. 63

Zach Harrison, DE, Ohio State

Cowboys trade down from No. 58 and pick up an extra 5th round pick (No. 166) from New Orleans.

This one has me baffled. I can't understand why this versatile 6-foot-5.5, 269 pound edge rusher with 36.25 inch arms and an 85.5 inch wing span, is not being widely considered as a 1st round prospect. Most of the so-called experts have him rated as a 3rd rounder.

Harrison was the No. 1 ranked defensive end recruit in the nation coming out of high school. As a 243 pounder, he ran a 4.47 forty, 10.7 100 meters, and 21.5 200 meters in high school. Having put on 25 pounds since then, Harrison put up 25 bench reps at the combine with a 34.5 vertical and 10-3 broad jump.

Watching the tape, Harrison has great explosion off the snap, easily converting speed to power. He plays hard and appears to very coachable. Voted a team captain, Harrison was named an OSU Scholar-Athlete and earned a degree in criminology.

The knock on Harrison is that his sack totals (13.5) did not live up to the hype coming out of high school. But he had 33 QB pressures last season and accounted for 5 forced fumbles and 11 passes batted down in his career. His athleticism and production rank right up there with Texas Tech's Tyree Wilson, who is considered a top five pick in the draft. Wilson (6-foot-5.5, 271, 35.5 arms) had 17 sacks in his career with only one forced fumble and one pass defensed.

When Washington was asked who the best defensive player he faced this season, he said, "No. 9, Ohio State."

As Harrison explained, "Athletically, I'm not normal, that explosive, that fast, that twitchy, that long, that strong. I have that drive to go get it."

3rd Round — No. 90

Sean Tucker, RB, Syracuse

This is one of the the top running backs in this draft, who has been flying under the radar due to a reported medical situation that arose during the draft process.

Sean Tucker was finally cleared to have his Pro Day this week and knocked it out of the park with 29 bench reps and a 38 vertical.

This 5-foot-9.5, 209 pounder is a stud, with two straight 1,000 yard seasons and 64 career receptions and 31 TDs. He's a very decisive one cut runner with great quickness ... high school 55 meter champ ... he's not Thurman Thomas but his No. 34 makes you think Thurman Thomas.

If he's not cleared medically, this would still be the sweet spot to take a running back. TCU's Kendre Miller, former Horned Frog Zach Evans (Ole Miss), Roschon Johnson (Texas), Zach Charbonnet (UCLA), and Chris Rodriguez (Kentucky) are other possibilities.

4th Round — No. 115

Jaquelin Roy, DT, LSU

Cowboys need to shore up the run defense and this stout, tough, strong (30 bench reps) 6-foot-3, 305 pounder would be a great addition. He's quick off the snap, plays with tenacity and can shed blockers and stop the run.

4th Round — No. 129

Clayton Tune, QB, Houston

After seeing Brock Purdy's success, Jerry Jones has said that maybe he should start drafting a quarterback every year. He doesn't have to look far to find one.

Tune starred at nearby Hebron High School before becoming a four-year starter at Houston. He has good size (6-foot-2.5, 220) and athleticism (4.6 forty, 37.5 vertical), was a three-year team captain who started 39 games. Tune threw for 4,074 yards last season with 40 TDs and 10 interceptions. He also ran for 1298 yards and 15 TDs in his career.

By trading down in the 1st round and adding a 4th round pick, Jerry gets the ammunition to draft one of the best sleeper QB prospects in this draft.

5th Round — No. 166 

Atonio Mafi, OG, UCLA

Need a road grader at left guard? Meet 6-foot-2.5, 329 pound Atonio Mafi. A converted defensive tackle, Mafi started 13 games at left guard last season and packs a powerful punch. A high school rugby player, he had planned to move to Tonga and play professional rugby before the sport of football found him.

5th Round — No. 169

Chamarri Conner, DB, Virginia Tech

Special Teams rule the day on the third day of the draft, and no one loved special teams like the legendary former Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer.

As a true freshman, Chamarri Conner earned the honor of wearing the coveted Frank Beamer No. 25 jersey. Four years later, when the Hokies decided to bring back their renowned Lunch Pail Award, they presented it to Conner, who split time between cornerback, nickel back and safety in his 48 collegiate starts.

6th Round — No. 212

Malik Knowles, WR, Kansas State

Mansfield Lake Ridge HS grad wasn't able to test at the Combine due to a PCL injury but the tape doesn't lie. As a receiver, kick returner, and occasional running back, Malik Knowles (6-foot-2, 196) has a real CeeDee Lamb look to his game.

7th Round — No. 244

Bumper Pool, LB, Arkansas

With a name like Bumper Pool and being from Arkansas, you just know Jerry Jones is itching to select the leading tackler in Arkansas Razorbacks history. A four-star recruit out of Lucas Lovejoy High School, Pool would have a chance to take the departed Luke Gifford's spot on the roster as a core special teams player. 

The 2023 NFL draft takes place April 27-29 in Kansas City. 

Having grown up in Irving, Bill Jones has deep roots in the DFW area. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, he has spent his entire sportscasting career in the state of Texas, working in Lubbock, San Antonio, and Dallas-Fort Worth.