Getty Cowboys owner Jerry Jones could pull off a draft day surprise.
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. And where there’s fire, there’s likely an incoming Dallas Cowboys quarterback.
Persistent speculation, spawned from their own doing, has suggested the Cowboys could select a signal-caller sooner rather than later in the 2020 NFL draft, set to kick off Thursday night.
How soon? According to ESPN’s Ed Werder, Dallas will “consider” the move as early as the second or third round, scheduled for Friday.
In a fairly deep QB class, the Cowboys have shown the most interest in dual-threat Oklahoma star Jalen Hurts, a projected Day 2 pick. The club held a virtual interview with Hurts earlier this month — an interview that owner Jerry Jones was privy to and, as video established, engaged in.
For good reason.
Hurts is a dynamic athlete equally capable of burning defenses through the air and on the ground. The one-and-done Sooners standout and 2018 Alabama national champion threw for 3,851 yards and 32 touchdowns and ran for 1,298 yards and 20 scores last season alone, en route to first-team All-Big 12 and Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year honors.
Hurts clocked a 4.59 forty time and recorded a 35.0-inch vertical jump at the Combine, where he checked in at 6-foot-1, 222 pounds with 9 3/4-inch hands and 31 3/4-inch arms. He’s a natural-born leader and winner (38-4 career record) who boasts a knack for delivering in the clutch.
Buried below the likes of Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa, Hurts is projected to come off the board no later than Round Four. He’s not an option for the Cowboys’ No. 17 overall choice, but Nos. 51 and 82 are his target ranges. If he’s still available, Jones and the brain trust could heavily weigh their options and possibly pull the trigger.
The Cowboys currently have just one QB — Cooper Rush, who returned on a $2.1 million restricted free-agent tender — stationed behind franchise-tagged starter Dak Prescott.
Team vice president Stephen Jones has twice reiterated over the last week that Dallas’ apparent desire to draft a passer isn’t an indictment on Prescott, his ongoing contractual spat, or his incumbent status.
“At the end of the day I don’t think us drafting a quarterback has anything to do with Dak,” Jones said Tuesday in his pre-draft conference call with reporters, via ESPN. “He’s our starting quarterback. Obviously he’s franchised and our bigger goal is to get him signed long term, and we think we can do that.”
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Later-Round QB Alternative
The Cowboys have holes throughout their roster, so reaching for a QB for the sake of reaching wouldn’t be great business. If defense is addressed with premium capital, as expected, Jones and Co. may need to wait until Day 3 to secure Dak’s backup.
In this case, Dallas could turn to the second of two signal-callers they’ve met this offseason: FIU’s James Morgan, a “legitimate interest.” He’s reportedly also being courted by a slew of potential suitors, including the Buccaneers, Eagles, Patriots, Colts, Titans, Raiders, Saints, Bills, Dolphins, Giants, Chargers and Rams.
A Wisconsin native who modeled his game after a pair of homestate legends, Morgan began his collegiate career as a true freshman redshirt at Bowling Green. He made 18 appearances across the 2016-17 campaigns, completing 279 of 538 balls (51.9 percent) for 3,342 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 22 interceptions.
Morgan transferred to FIU in 2018 and spent his junior and senior seasons as the Golden Panthers’ starter. He went 420-of-683 (61.5 percent) over 24 games, with 5,312 yards, 40 TDs, 12 INTs and a sparkling 142.6 rating to show for it, twice earning honorable mention All-Conference USA honors.
Morgan (6’4, 229 lbs, 9.75-inch hands) is a strict pocket-thrower who grades out as a mid-round prospect. NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein likened him to Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers in that Morgan wields “similar zip” on his fastballs.
If offensive-minded head coach Mike McCarthy wants Morgan, the Cowboys probably pull the trigger a tad earlier than preferred, considering the aforementioned market for his services. The team owns two fifth-round choices (Nos. 164 and 179), which may end up representing Morgan’s floor.
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL