Getty Curtis Weaver
The Dallas Cowboys are hot on Curtis Weaver’s trail.
Though not the most physically-imposing prospect in the 2020 NFL draft class, the Boise State linebacker is an extremely productive edge rusher who will have met Dallas officials twice this offseason.
According to SB Nation’s Justin Melo, the Cowboys scheduled an official top-30 visit with Weaver — this, after interviewing him at last month’s Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
A three-year contributor for the Broncos, the 6-foot-2, 265-pound pass-rusher totaled 128 tackles, 47.5 tackles-for-loss, 34 sacks and six pass breakups across 40 career games. He earned Freshman All-American honors in 2017 and was a first-team All-Mountain West selection in 2018 before exploding onto the national scene last season.
Weaver led Boise State with 13.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles-for-loss in 2019, en route to second-team Associated Press All-American and first-team All-Mountain West MWC titles. He was also named the MWC Defensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award, given annually to college football’s top defensive end.
Weaver did not run the 40-yard dash nor take part in the bench press at the Combine. But he did log a 32.5-inch vertical jump and 116-inch broad jump. He’s considered a mid-round prospect by NFL.com draft expert Lance Zierlein, whose scouting profile can be read below.
Stand-up end whose production as a pass rusher must be balanced out by his below-average ability and athleticism in stopping the run. Weaver is a naturally instinctive counter-rusher who uses synchronized hands/feet to attack both inside and outside edges as a rusher, but his lack of explosiveness and athletic traits could dull his rush production against NFL offensive tackles. He plays with football intelligence, but his level of NFL success could be determined by whether his skill can overcome below-average explosiveness.
Pro Football Network’s Joe Marino compared Weaver to Eagles edge Derek Barnett, listing hand technique as his best trait and quick-twitch ability (or lack thereof) as his worst. Marino believes he’s best suited to play 4-3 defensive end, rather than 3-4 outside linebacker, in the pros.
If you are looking for an explosive and fluid defender, then this won’t be your guy. With that said, he’s technically sound, deploys his hands well, has outstanding footwork and is slippery when working through gaps. His frame has room to develop and I can see him really taking a step forward in an NFL strength and conditioning program. He’s a bit of a projection, but Weaver has appealing developmental upside to become a solid starter.
With no pre-draft process to boost his stock, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, Weaver is likely to come off the board in the third-to-fifth-round range. The defensive-hungry Cowboys own the No. 82 pick in the third, No. 123 in the fourth, and Nos. 164 and 179 in the fifth, after the league awarded an extra compensatory choice.
But if Dallas truly wants him, they may have to pull the trigger a tad early. Melo reports the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals, and Atlanta Falcons are all showing similar interest in Weaver.
His addition would add to a formidable Cowboys front-seven which features $105 million DE DeMarcus Lawrence and $64 million OLB Jaylon Smith. The club is attempting to re-sign reigning sack leader Robert Quinn, an unrestricted free-agent DE, but he could price himself out of their range.
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Cowboys Reportedly to Interview Stud LB Before Draft
Oklahoma linebacker Kenneth Murray, widely expected to be a first-round pick in next month’s draft, is scheduled to hold a top-30 meeting with the Cowboys, NFL Network’s James Palmer reported Wednesday.
A game-changer from the moment he stepped foot in Norman, Murray was a three-year contributor for the Sooners, delivering 176 solo tackles, 36.5 tackles-for-loss, 9.5 sacks and six pass breakups across 40 career appearances from 2017-19. He finished as a highly-decorated, well-polished defender, primed for even greater heights at the next level.
Most mocks have Murray coming off the board in the 15-20 range. The Cowboys pick No. 17 overall in the first round, scheduled to take place Thursday, April 23 in Las Vegas.
Nabbing Murray would mean the Cowboys moved on from veteran LB Sean Lee, who might defect to the Giants, joining old friend Jason Garrett. Lee, having already decided to continue playing, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.
The choice also should be interpreted as the team hedging its bets on 2018 first-round ILB Leighton Vander Esch, whose 2019 season was cut short by a debilitating neck injury, deemed spinal stenosis.
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