Cowboys draft position preview: What are the odds of adding a new face at quarterback?

The Dallas Morning News

11 April 2023

Cowboys draft position preview: What are the odds of adding a new face at quarterback?

The NFL draft is a well-known crapshoot, but here in Dallas a predictable trend has developed: if the Cowboys select a player, they’ll likely play a lot.

Dallas, according to NFL analyst Warren Sharp, leads the league in a unique statistic. Players selected by the Cowboys have played over 91,000 snaps for Dallas the last five years. There have been exceptions along the way, including former first round pick Taco Charlton, but for the most part the Cowboys have gotten the most out of their draft picks.

This year, the Cowboys enter the draft with seven selections, including the 26th overall pick. Who could Dallas target in the draft? In the leadup to it, The Dallas Morning News will be doing a breakdown of some players that could fill certain positions of need.

Today, let’s examine potential quarterback prospects for the Cowboys.

Current Cowboys quarterback situation

Simply put: it’s a pretty good quarterback situation at the moment. And there are a lot of other teams that wish they had a situation like the Cowboys’. Dak Prescott is entering his eighth season as the team’s starter. In that time he has 193 total touchdowns compared to 65 interceptions. Cooper Rush signed a two-year deal to come back to Dallas. His 4-1 record while Prescott was out this season is worth noting. Will Grier is on a one-year deal.

Prescott and Rush both turn 30 this year. So even though it’s not likely the Cowboys draft a quarterback early, the odds are high that they’ll select a quarterback at some point.

Day 1 prospects to watch

Barring a meteoric drop from one of the top-four quarterback prospects, a quarterback won’t be the selection on Day 1.

Day 2 prospects to watch

Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker (6-3, 217)

If not for a torn ACL, Hooker might’ve won the Heisman Trophy a year ago. Therein lies the dilemma with Hooker as a potential draft selection. He completed nearly 70% of his passes a year ago for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions in 11 games. He also ran for 25 touchdowns during his career.

Hooker, though, is not only coming off an ACL tear, but he’s also already 25 years old. The age could diminish his projectability, as could the injury. With a quarterback selection this year, the Cowboys would likely look for someone they could develop as a potential starter down the road. Hooker also spoke to Cowboys team officials via zoom.

Reigning SEC offensive player of the year, QB Hendon Hooker, taking some warmup throws at Tennessee Pro Day. He’s coming back from a torn ACL, an injury suffered in November, & projected by some to be picked in the 1st round. pic.twitter.com/WrqMNEAFoi
— Omar Ruiz (@OmarDRuiz) March 30, 2023

Hooker’s decision-making, production and athleticism fits the bill of what Dallas could want, but a Day 2 selection on an injured, older quarterback might be too rich for their taste.

Day 3 prospects to watch

Houston QB Clayton Tune (6-2.5, 220)

Tune checks a lot of boxes as a developmental quarterback option for the Cowboys. He was productive at Houston, starting four years for the Cougars and throwing for nearly 12,000 yards. He has good size and good athleticism, as well. At the NFL Combine he ran a 4.64 40-yard dash and jumped 37.5 inches. Plus, he graduated from Hebron High School, so he has the local ties. Tune did a pre-draft workout with the Cowboys.

Scouts point to his 30 combined interceptions the last three seasons as a sign his decision-making could be improved.

Tune could go off the board between rounds four and six.

TCU QB Max Duggan (6-1.5, 207)

What a year Duggan just had for the Horned Frogs. Despite having the most starting experience, Duggan began last season as TCU’s backup quarterback. An injury to Chandler Morris propelled Duggan back under center. Duggan then propelled TCU all the way to the national championship. He finished as the Heisman runner-up.

Duggan, an Iowa native, validated his dual-threat reputation with a 4.52 40-yard dash. He also showed his toughness game in and game out this season, also earning him the reputation of an elite competitor.

Also going in Duggan’s favor is the fact that he just turned 22, which is young for this quarterback class once you get out of the top options. He could have time to develop as a passer.

Duggan, like Tune, has also worked out for the Cowboys.

UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson (6-2, 203)

Thompson-Robinson was a five-year starter at UCLA, who set a school record with 48 career starts. Over that span, scouts saw a quarterback who improved each season, culminating with his best season in 2022. He threw for a career-high 3,169 yards, 27 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 645 yards and 12 touchdowns.

At the NFL Combine, Thompson-Robinson ran a 4.56 40-yard dash. Scouts point to some mechanical problems with his release that could take time to fix. He could be someone worth considering near the end of the draft or as a priority free agent.