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Cowboys Pre-Draft Visits Underway
Rob Phillips
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
Tyron Smith, widely speculated as the top-rated OT, visited the Ranch.
IRVING, Texas - The lockout has quieted matters at Valley Ranch these days, with all league business frozen - except for the NFL Draft.
Teams are still allotted pre-draft visits with up to 30 national prospects before the April 28-30 draft weekend, and the Cowboys hosted 16 scheduled college standouts Tuesday at Valley Ranch, with more set up for Wednesday.
Among Tuesday's guests were several first- and second-round candidates: USC offensive tackle Tyron Smith, Wisconsin's J.J. Watt, Colorado offensive tackle Nate Solder, UCLA safety Rahim Moore, Texas cornerback Aaron Williams, Pittsburgh wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin, Illinois linebacker Martez Wilson, Mississippi State offensive tackle Derek Sherrod and Hampton safety Kendrick Ellis.
The Cowboys own the ninth overall pick with primary needs at offensive line, defensive line and defensive back.
Smith has become a popular No. 9 pick in recent mock drafts due to the need for tackle depth. Starting left tackle Doug Free will be a free agent under a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, and starting right tackle Marc Colombo has missed games due to injury in each of the last two seasons.
Smith, a 20-year-old junior, has the size and athleticism to eventually play left tackle if needed. With representatives from all 32 teams attending his USC Pro Day last week, Smith ran a 4.91 40-yard dash, had 31 reps on the 225-pound bench press, and perhaps most important, checked in at 310 pounds - 30 pounds heavier than his last college playing weight.
"This is my first visit," Smith said. "I really didn't know what to expect. But it's been fun. You get asked a lot of questions, but I think I've handled myself well. This is an important step in the process and I'm trying to have fun with it."
Drafting Smith or another offensive lineman would break a 30-year drought. Not since Howard Richards in 1981 have the Cowboys selected one in the first round.
Watt, too, is an underclassman with a first-round projection. Versatile enough to play defensive end in a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme, Watt thrived at Wisconsin after transferring from Central Michigan as a tight end in 2008.
"This has been our dream, all of us players since we were little kids," Watt said. "Everybody wants to play in the NFL and now it's a real possibility for us. You work even harder your whole life to get here and now it's like you're getting rewarded. But you also know that as soon as April 28 ends, you have to start working even that much harder to succeed in the NFL."
The players arrived Monday night and met with coaches and team officials at the Ranch on Tuesday morning. The same process is expected to continue Wednesday with up to 14 more players.
"This has been a fun process, but I've had to make sure that I'm at my best every day," said Moore, arguably the top-rated safety in this year's class. "Overall, I'm just trying to express myself and show teams what I'm really about."
Rob Phillips
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
Tyron Smith, widely speculated as the top-rated OT, visited the Ranch.
IRVING, Texas - The lockout has quieted matters at Valley Ranch these days, with all league business frozen - except for the NFL Draft.
Teams are still allotted pre-draft visits with up to 30 national prospects before the April 28-30 draft weekend, and the Cowboys hosted 16 scheduled college standouts Tuesday at Valley Ranch, with more set up for Wednesday.
Among Tuesday's guests were several first- and second-round candidates: USC offensive tackle Tyron Smith, Wisconsin's J.J. Watt, Colorado offensive tackle Nate Solder, UCLA safety Rahim Moore, Texas cornerback Aaron Williams, Pittsburgh wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin, Illinois linebacker Martez Wilson, Mississippi State offensive tackle Derek Sherrod and Hampton safety Kendrick Ellis.
The Cowboys own the ninth overall pick with primary needs at offensive line, defensive line and defensive back.
Smith has become a popular No. 9 pick in recent mock drafts due to the need for tackle depth. Starting left tackle Doug Free will be a free agent under a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, and starting right tackle Marc Colombo has missed games due to injury in each of the last two seasons.
Smith, a 20-year-old junior, has the size and athleticism to eventually play left tackle if needed. With representatives from all 32 teams attending his USC Pro Day last week, Smith ran a 4.91 40-yard dash, had 31 reps on the 225-pound bench press, and perhaps most important, checked in at 310 pounds - 30 pounds heavier than his last college playing weight.
"This is my first visit," Smith said. "I really didn't know what to expect. But it's been fun. You get asked a lot of questions, but I think I've handled myself well. This is an important step in the process and I'm trying to have fun with it."
Drafting Smith or another offensive lineman would break a 30-year drought. Not since Howard Richards in 1981 have the Cowboys selected one in the first round.
Watt, too, is an underclassman with a first-round projection. Versatile enough to play defensive end in a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme, Watt thrived at Wisconsin after transferring from Central Michigan as a tight end in 2008.
"This has been our dream, all of us players since we were little kids," Watt said. "Everybody wants to play in the NFL and now it's a real possibility for us. You work even harder your whole life to get here and now it's like you're getting rewarded. But you also know that as soon as April 28 ends, you have to start working even that much harder to succeed in the NFL."
The players arrived Monday night and met with coaches and team officials at the Ranch on Tuesday morning. The same process is expected to continue Wednesday with up to 14 more players.
"This has been a fun process, but I've had to make sure that I'm at my best every day," said Moore, arguably the top-rated safety in this year's class. "Overall, I'm just trying to express myself and show teams what I'm really about."
