As rumors swirl around who Dallas will draft with its two valuable first-round selections, there may be one NFL Draft analyst to keep an especially close eye on.
For those curious about who the Dallas Cowboys will take with their first-round selections in the upcoming NFL Draft, there may be one analyst to keep an eye on in particular.
ESPN's Peter Schrager has had the uncanny ability to perfectly predict the last two opening round selections for Dallas. Last season, he correctly tabbed guard Tyler Booker to join the Cowboys at No. 12 and called tackle Tyler Guyton to come off the board with Dallas' 24th overall pick in 2024.
This season's draft poses a challenge to Schrager's spotless record, as the Cowboys hold not one, but two picks in the first round. Sitting at No. 12 and No. 20 overall, there are several combinations of prospects that Dallas could choose in their draft debut.
After a historically poor season on defense, Dallas has been reported to have a heavy interest in reloading on that side of the ball under first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker. Schrager is no exception to the many pundits projecting the emphasis on defense in his latest mock draft.
According to Schrager, Dallas' first selection in the opening round will be none other than Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. The admiration from the Cowboys toward Downs has been a well-known secret and it's easy to see why. The former Buckeye is one of the most-touted talents and has been tabbed as a top-five prospect by many mock drafts.
That begs the question, how can Dallas bring him home all the way at 12th overall? It remains to be seen and has been one of the biggest hangups with others predicting the move, in spite of the open interest from the team.
Schrager agrees it seems like a fairytale scenario in all likelihood, but if Downs is sitting there when Dallas is on the clock, there is no doubt that the Cowboys will take him off the board.
Next up at No. 20, Schrager has Dallas taking Miami edge rusher Akheem Mesidor. In the absence of Micah Parsons, which ironically netted this pick from Green Bay, the Cowboys definitely need reinforcements up front. It is not the top priority but after locking up Downs earlier in the round it makes sense to focus on another area.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer was in attendance for the Hurricanes' Pro Day and one former Cowboy and Hurricane, Michael Irvin, has urged the team to bring in talents from Miami. If Schrager hits again and Mesidor joins up with the Cowboys, he'll have a serious opportunity to make a lot more fans than just Irvin happy with his talents along the defensive front.
While he has twice the chance to finally be wrong, Schrager seems to be pretty spot-on with what Dallas has stated it is desiring to get out of this year's draft. He'll find out alongside everyone else what exactly Dallas will do in a few weeks at the NFL Draft.