- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 399,596
- Reaction score
- 43
Slowly but surely, the Dallas Cowboys are giving fans a peak behind the curtain and a glimpse into their draft playbook this year. The ultra collaborative effort is a blend of ownership, scouting department and coaching staff input. Over the years the front office and scouting department have remained largely stable, leaving first-time head coach Brian Schottenheimer as the only new kid on the block.
Schottenheimer hasn’t minced words when describing what the Cowboys offense will look like with him at the helm. Now less than a month away from the 2025 NFL draft, Schottenheimer is speaking plainly about Dallas' expectations for the No. 12 overall pick.
“You’re always looking for gamechangers when you’re picking 12…” Schottenheimer explained. “You’re looking for guys who influence the game. How do you influence the game? You rush the quarterback, and you get sacks, strip sacks, fumbles, whatever it is, you score touchdowns… I look at this way, you build it from the outside, in.”
Schottenheimer’s desire to build from the outside-in coupled with his immediate reference to sacks and the byproduct of said sacks implies defensive ends and edge players sit at the top of his list in the first round. The 2025 draft class just happens to feature a handful of edge pass rushers who have superstar star potential. It would make perfect sense if the Cowboys were thinking of going with an edge player at pick No. 12, especially when one considers Dallas’ DE situation beyond this season.
“You got corners and receivers, because they get isolated one-on-one,” the head coach explained. “Pass-rushers and tackles, they get isolated one-on-one.”
It seems the Cowboys have placed a premium on one-on-one situations this year. Populating the roster with players who can win in such situations, players like Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb, are the kind of gamechangers they’re looking for in the first round.
Luckily for the Cowboys, there are a number of prospects who qualify as outside gamechangers who will likely be on the board when Dallas goes on the clock on April 24. They’re names every Cowboys fan should get familiar with.
The 6-foot-4 Arizona WR is the most commonly linked player to Dallas on mock draft consensus boards presently. Playing the X receiver spot, McMillan frees Lamb to bounce between Z and the slot in Schottenheimer’s scheme. He’s an enormous player with an enormous catch radius who should fit perfectly with the rest of the Cowboys WR corps.
McMillan isn’t a blazer, but he’s fast enough and talented enough to make an instant impact at the next level. He can win in contested situations and understands how to find soft spots in zones which have traditionally given the Cowboys' passing offense fits.
Largely considered the best CB in the class not named “Travis Hunter,” Johnson is consistently ranked in the top 12 on consensus boards and is universally beloved for his 2023 film. Injuries hurt him last season causing some to sour on the Michigan standout, but Johnson is a solid pick for the Cowboys at No. 12 and plays a position of obvious need.
The Cowboys recently stated Trevon Diggs will likely miss the beginning of the season as he recovers from surgery. With Jordan Lewis gone via free agency the Cowboys have two of their three starting spots to fill with no obvious replacement queued up in the pipeline.
Stewart, 6-foot-5, 267-pounds, is one of the most polarizing prospects in the class. The Texas A&M defensive lineman has elite size and traits that make him worthy of being the second DE taken this year but he doesn’t have the production.
Stewart is a polished run stopper but extremely green as a pass rusher so any team willing the pull the trigger early will have to be convinced he can maintain the former skill while quickly cultivating the latter. It’s telling Texas A&M was one of the few school Pro Days Schottenheimer has attended this year and that Stewart is one of the Cowboys 30 national visits.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: 2025 Draft: 3 Cowboys prospects who fit Coach Schottenheimer's plans
Continue reading...
Schottenheimer hasn’t minced words when describing what the Cowboys offense will look like with him at the helm. Now less than a month away from the 2025 NFL draft, Schottenheimer is speaking plainly about Dallas' expectations for the No. 12 overall pick.
“You’re always looking for gamechangers when you’re picking 12…” Schottenheimer explained. “You’re looking for guys who influence the game. How do you influence the game? You rush the quarterback, and you get sacks, strip sacks, fumbles, whatever it is, you score touchdowns… I look at this way, you build it from the outside, in.”
Schottenheimer’s desire to build from the outside-in coupled with his immediate reference to sacks and the byproduct of said sacks implies defensive ends and edge players sit at the top of his list in the first round. The 2025 draft class just happens to feature a handful of edge pass rushers who have superstar star potential. It would make perfect sense if the Cowboys were thinking of going with an edge player at pick No. 12, especially when one considers Dallas’ DE situation beyond this season.
“You got corners and receivers, because they get isolated one-on-one,” the head coach explained. “Pass-rushers and tackles, they get isolated one-on-one.”
It seems the Cowboys have placed a premium on one-on-one situations this year. Populating the roster with players who can win in such situations, players like Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb, are the kind of gamechangers they’re looking for in the first round.
Luckily for the Cowboys, there are a number of prospects who qualify as outside gamechangers who will likely be on the board when Dallas goes on the clock on April 24. They’re names every Cowboys fan should get familiar with.
Tetairoa McMillan, WR
The 6-foot-4 Arizona WR is the most commonly linked player to Dallas on mock draft consensus boards presently. Playing the X receiver spot, McMillan frees Lamb to bounce between Z and the slot in Schottenheimer’s scheme. He’s an enormous player with an enormous catch radius who should fit perfectly with the rest of the Cowboys WR corps.
McMillan isn’t a blazer, but he’s fast enough and talented enough to make an instant impact at the next level. He can win in contested situations and understands how to find soft spots in zones which have traditionally given the Cowboys' passing offense fits.
Will Johnson, CB
Largely considered the best CB in the class not named “Travis Hunter,” Johnson is consistently ranked in the top 12 on consensus boards and is universally beloved for his 2023 film. Injuries hurt him last season causing some to sour on the Michigan standout, but Johnson is a solid pick for the Cowboys at No. 12 and plays a position of obvious need.
The Cowboys recently stated Trevon Diggs will likely miss the beginning of the season as he recovers from surgery. With Jordan Lewis gone via free agency the Cowboys have two of their three starting spots to fill with no obvious replacement queued up in the pipeline.
Shemar Stewart, DE
Stewart, 6-foot-5, 267-pounds, is one of the most polarizing prospects in the class. The Texas A&M defensive lineman has elite size and traits that make him worthy of being the second DE taken this year but he doesn’t have the production.
Stewart is a polished run stopper but extremely green as a pass rusher so any team willing the pull the trigger early will have to be convinced he can maintain the former skill while quickly cultivating the latter. It’s telling Texas A&M was one of the few school Pro Days Schottenheimer has attended this year and that Stewart is one of the Cowboys 30 national visits.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: 2025 Draft: 3 Cowboys prospects who fit Coach Schottenheimer's plans
Continue reading...
