Getty Dontario Drummond of Mississippi runs the 40 yard dash during the NFL Combine.
The 2022 NFL draft is officially behind fans and the Dallas Cowboys, which means the roster is in its final stages of construction.
After seven rounds and nine picks, the Cowboys added four players to their offense and five to their defensive line. A considerable influx of talent, but not even half the amount of undrafted free agents that Dallas is signing.
As of May 1, the Cowboys have been reported as the destination for 19 different UDFAs, although the team has yet to formally announce the signings. USA Today compiled a full list of reported signings, including the source that broke the news on each one.
- S Markquese Bell, Florida A&M
- S Juanyeh Thomas, Georgia Tech
- DE ‘Big Kat’ Bryant, Central Florida
- CB Isaac Taylor-Stuart, USC
- WR Ty Fryfogle, Indiana
- OL Amon Simon, Texas A&M Commerce
- RB Aaron Shampkin, Harvard
- C Alec Lindstrom, Bosston College
- K Jonathan Garibay, Texas Tech
- WR Dontario Drummond, Ole Miss
- S La’Kendrick Van Zandt, TCU
- LB Aaron Hansford, Texas A&M
- C James Empey, BYU
- TE Peyton Hendershot, Indiana
- WR Jaquarii Roberson, Wake Forest
- LB Storey Jackson, Liberty
- LB Mika Tafua, Utah
- RB Malik Davis, Florida
- WR Dennis Houston, Western Illinois
As is typically the case with undrafted free agent classes, there aren’t any recognizable college stars on this list. But there are some players with serious upside, with Drummond being one of those names.
ALL the latest Dallas Cowboys news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Cowboys newsletter here!
Drummond Explodes in 2021
The rise of quarterback Matt Corral for Ole Miss led to one of the most explosive passing offenses in the country in 2020 and 2021, and Drummond was a big part of that. Corral threw for nearly 6700 yards in two years, thanks to a plethora of receiving options.
Drummond arrived in Oxford, Mississippi after two years at East Mississippi Community College and got involved as a junior, catching 13 receptions for 188 yards in 2019 per PFR. As Corral took the reigns of the offense, Drummond’s role also expanded in 2020 with 417 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
This was all build-up to his 2021 season, when Drummond brought down 76 receptions for 1028 yards and eight touchdowns. The 24-year-old receiver led the Rebels in catches, receiving yards and touchdowns.
Speaking of age, that’s partially why Drummond could be an immediate factor with the Cowboys. He’s got two or three more years of experience than the typical prospect coming out college at the age of 24.
Cowboys Have Upside in Ole Miss WR
NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein broke down the new Cowboys receiver before the draft, projecting Drummond to go in the sixth or seventh round. Zierlein describes the Ole Miss star as “imposing” and that he his drawbacks are worth the risk.
“He’s a smooth athlete with the ability to run a more robust route tree with additional schooling,” Zierlein wrote. “But the hands and ball skills are a little disappointing and might not improve much. Drummond’s run-after-catch talent is where he shines and where he brings instant value for a team. He has an intriguing ceiling but a lower floor as a Day 3 target.”
Dallas fans don’t want receivers on the field who drop the ball with regularity, but adding another versatile weapon with yards-after-catch ability could help elevate the Cowboys offense.
WR Jalen Tolbert, Dallas’ third-round pick from South Alabama, possesses a similar skillset, but no team ever has too many playmakers with the ball in their hands.