The 2024 NFL Draft is just over a month away and fans from all over the country are patiently waiting to see which new players will join their favorite team. As for Dallas Cowboys draft targets, there are several, since Dallas has had a very quiet free agency so far.
Recent history shows the team is more reliant on Dallas Cowboys draft picks to build their team instead of adding via free agency. Cowboys fans have expressed their frustration with the front office’s lack of activity, but the Jones family continues to show us that they are not the biggest spenders during the free agency period. The sad reality is that the team is unable to spend more since they have yet to sign QB Dak Prescott to a contract extension, leaving the team to deal with his massive cap hit of $54,455,000.
Here is an updated tracker of players the Cowboys have acquired and let go:
| New Signings: | Returning Players: | Departing Players: |
| Eric Kendricks, LB | Rico Dowdle, RB | Tony Pollard, RB |
| Carl Davis, DT | Michael Gallup, WR | |
| Jourdan Lewis, CB | Tyler Biadasz, C | |
| C.J. Goodwin, CB | Tyron Smith, T | |
| Trent Sieg, LS | Jonathon Hankins, DT | |
| Neville Gallimore, DT | ||
| Dante Fowler, DE | ||
| Dorance Armstrong, DE | ||
| Leighton Vander Esch, LB | ||
| Noah Igbinoghene, CB |
3 Dallas Cowboys Draft Targets | 2024 NFL Draft
Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
The duo of Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb was one of if not the best QB-WR duos in the entire NFL last season. The passing game was too reliant on Lamb to produce, and the team lacked a true deep threat.
Brandin Cooks settled in during the second half of the season, catching five touchdown passes over a seven-game stretch. Cooks is a solid player in the slot who can use his speed and route-running ability to get open in the short-intermediate passing game. Lamb is a complete player who has the ability to excel playing outside, but had great production lining up in the slot last season
Brian Thomas Jr. could bring that deep threat in the passing game that the Cowboys have been desperately needing. The 6-3 WR out of LSU ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, showing he has elite speed that should translate to the NFL with the right coaching. Thomas has a great ability to track the ball when running routes downfield. He is a perfect fit in Mike McCarthy’s offense which had a ton of success last season.
There is a chance that Thomas gets drafted before pick 24. I wouldn’t be mad at all if the team decided to move up a few slots to ensure they get him. However, if Brian Thomas Jr. is gone by the time the Dallas Cowboys draft pick is up, other receivers possess similar value, such as Xavier Worthy out of Texas.
Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
The 2024 NFL Draft class has been widely viewed as one of the best offensive tackle classes we have ever seen. There will be a good number of tackles taken in the first round, so it’s difficult to project which players will fall to pick 24.
The hope is Amarius Mims from Georgia falls to the Dallas Cowboys draft pick, if they choose to draft offensive line in the first round. The 6-8, 340-pound tackle has the ideal size to be a long-term solution at the position. The departure of Tyron Smith, who recently signed with the New York Jets, leaves a hole in the position that the Cowboys haven’t worried about since Smith was drafted in 2011.
As previously stated, the 2024 NFL Draft is loaded at the offensive tackle position. There should be OT depth in the later rounds due to the number of quality players at the position. So, it also wouldn’t be surprising to see Dallas be patient and draft the position later on.
If Mims is taken before pick 24, keep your eye on these tackles: Tyler Guyton, Jordan Morgan and Roger Rosengarten.
Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State
A big part of why the Cowboys have had three consecutive 12-win seasons is the production on the defensive front. If you can constantly get pressure on an opposing team’s QB, you always have a chance to win in this league.
Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler were great role-players who played meaningful snaps over the past couple of seasons. With those guys now gone, the team could use another pass rusher to compliment Micah Parsons. DeMarcus Lawrence has been a stalwart of the defense and continues to produce- especially in the running game. Lawrence, who turns 32 in April, is getting up there in age and will need a replacement within the next few years.
Robinson has shown flashes of athleticism that parallel great athletic pass rushers such as Myles Garrett. He is a twitchy athlete who is explosive and has shown great ability to bend the edge. His athleticism gives him great potential to grow into a more refined pass rusher under new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.
My only concern is that Chop Robinson may not fall to the Dallas Cowboys’ draft pick at No. 24. However, he is a no-brainer pick if he is on the board.
