DANGER: Will Dallas Cowboys AVOID Avieon Terrell In Round 1 After Slow 40 Time | Wipeout Options?

Summary

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Locked On Cowboys – "DANGER: Will Dallas Cowboys AVOID Avieon Terrell In Round 1 After Slow 40 Time | Wipeout Options?"

Hosts: Marcus Mosher & Landon McCool
Date: April 9, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Marcus Mosher and Landon McCool dive deep into the fallout from Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell's disappointing 40-yard dash times and what it means for the Dallas Cowboys' draft strategy, particularly at pick 12. They address the implications for the Cowboys’ first-round options if “wipeout” scenarios occur, explore positions with significant depth on Day 3 of the NFL Draft, and discuss why pre-draft trades are so rare. The conversation is marked by candid reactions, historically grounded analysis, and a search for silver linings amid unwelcome draft developments.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Avieon Terrell's 40-yard Dash Fallout

[01:12–11:36]

• The Situation:

  • Avieon Terrell (Clemson CB, projected Cowboys target at #12), ran a 4.69 and 4.64 40-yard dash at his pro day, with a 1.59 10-yard split – the slowest among top 200 CBs in the 2026 draft.
  • Initial hope: He might be a fallback option if better prospects were off the board at 12.

• Analysis of Impact:

  • Cornerback Position & 40 time:
    • Landon McCool [02:38]: “There isn't really another athletic testing number position pairing that correlates to success more than cornerbacks and 40 times… it’s probably more just a threshold situation than anything.”
    • Marcus Mosher [03:24]: “The fastest corners aren’t the best corners, but there’s very few slow corners that make it in the NFL.”
  • Draft Implications:
    • McCool stresses that this time is “as bad as it can be for somebody who runs a bad 40 time” at cornerback.
    • Marcus points to precedent: since 1999, only Daryl Worley (bigger/stronger than Terrell) has had any NFL success after running a similar 40 time.

• Hamstring Injury?

  • Mixed signals about Terrell’s health and whether the time was impacted by injury.
  • Marcus Mosher [04:42]: “I kind of just want to say, you know what, hey, he was dealing with a hamstring injury, let’s just wash away this 40. But also…I went back…only Daryl Worley had any success.”

• Size and Athletic Profile:

  • McCool [06:19]: “Do you think the exception to this rule looks like 5'9'', 185 pounds? ... He’s a very undersized corner and he’s this slow...it just doesn’t match the eye test.”

• Tape vs. Testing:

  • Both agree Terrell’s tape is strong—he looked “completely fluid” in drills at the combine.
    • McCool [07:00]: “He looked great doing those...didn’t look orders of magnitude more unathletic than the other corners.”

• Draft Stock Reality Check:

  • Terrell no longer a “fallback” at 12 or even at 20. His stock is significantly diminished for first-round consideration.
  • Mosher [08:00]: Points to similar-taped but better-tested CB prospects like Chris Johnson and Colton Hood, who would now be more likely picks.

• Personal Disappointment:

  • Mosher expresses genuine disappointment, noting Terrell seemed an ideal “high-floor” fallback at 12, but now: “I don’t know who that player is.”
    • Mosher [08:00]: “This really bums me out because I love—I still do—I love the player and we were talking about him as the floor option at 12 and now I don’t know who that player is.”

• Not a Career Death Knell:

  • Terrell could still find a home late in Round 1 or succeed as a second CB elsewhere (e.g., Kamari Lassiter to Texans).
    • Mosher [11:07]: “It might end up making him go like late first round…we saw this happen with Kamari Lassiter…the number two cornerback…and he’s been an All Pro caliber player.”

Notable Quotes

• Landon McCool [03:30]: “That’s why we’re kind of speaking about this time with, you know, such heavy hearts…”
• Marcus Mosher [06:19]: “If you’re drafting this guy, you’re drafting the exception.”
• Landon McCool [07:34]: “Now he’s got another wart on him, just like the rest of the prospects...”
• Marcus Mosher [10:39]: “So you’re not making me feel much better about this.”

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2. Day 3 Draft Value – Deepest Positions

[13:14–22:11]

• Tight End Is Exceptionally Deep

  • McCool [13:46]: “To me, tight end is the position…tons of these guys…in the fourth and fifth round that…in most other drafts wouldn’t be going so late.”
  • Mosher [14:14]: “I think there’s a chance we see two tight ends inside the top 50, and then maybe you see like ten from picks 51 to 150…Dane Brugler’s draft guide…18 tight ends who have at least a fifth round grade.”
  • The position is evolving: Most are smaller, more “move” TEs, “mismatch” weapons rather than heavy in-line blockers.

• Cowboys’ TE Preferences

  • Most likely to target well-rounded or athletic TEs, possibly for development/future succession (see: Ferguson as a 4th rounder).
    • McCool [17:23]: “Honestly, I think probably more of the athlete or well-rounded type…You never know how they develop or what they can turn into.”

• Other Deep Positions

  • Corner & Defensive End: Some worthwhile depth, good for double-dipping.
  • Center: Weak at the top, but promising depth for future backup/starter types.
    • Mosher [19:30]: “Center…not a great class at the top…but…I think there are seven or eight guys that I could see being backup centers and eventually becoming starters. Kind of like the way Tyler Biadasz did.”
    • Landon [20:33]: “You’re getting Connor Lou at a severe discount because of his injury…could eventually maybe even take that starting job at some point.”
  • Linebacker: Good depth and athletic value in rounds 4-5; special teams key.
    • Mosher [21:03]: “Linebacker…I mean we love this linebacker class…but there’s going to be guys on day three…who I think is going to be available.”
    • McCool [21:49]: “The linebackers are useful. You’re gonna rotate these guys…a lot are going to be a huge part of your special teams.”

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3. Why Don’t Teams Make More Pre-Draft Trades?

[22:11–29:03]

• Rarity Explained:

  • Need for certainty—teams want to be sure their target is available before trading.
    • McCool [24:13]: “They want to be sure that the player they’re targeting is available…Don’t want to pull the trigger until you know for sure…”
  • Leverage—waiting until teams are “on the clock” puts pressure on the other side, improving deal terms.
    • McCool [24:30]: “Deadlines make deals…some teams would rather operate when there’s pressure on the other team…to try to get more out of them.”
  • Examples: 49ers Trey Lance trade, Eagles (for Carson Wentz), note that most are done knowing that a desired player will be available.

• Some Noteworthy Exceptions & Ideas:

  • Mosher notes a few rare exceptions (e.g., Houston trading out of Rd 1 for two seconds before the draft), and suggests the Cowboys could look to pre-arrange a trade-back from #20 to remove stress on draft night.

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Marcus Mosher [01:12]: “Avieon Terrell ran an awful 40 yard dash. We'll tell you what that means for his stock in the Cowboys next.”
• Landon McCool [03:30]: “That’s why we’re kind of speaking about this time with, you know, such heavy hearts...”
• Marcus Mosher [06:19]: “Do you think the exception to this rule looks like 5’9’’, 185 pounds?...”
• Landon McCool [07:34]: “Now he’s got another wart on him, just like the rest of the prospects...”
• Marcus Mosher [10:39]: “So you’re not making me feel much better about this.”
• Landon McCool [13:46]: “I think, to me, tight end is the position right? There’s just a ton of these guys.”
• Marcus Mosher [19:30]: “Center is just not a position that we've talked about really at all through this draft process...but I think on day three...there are seven or eight guys that I could see being backup centers and eventually becoming starters.”
• Landon McCool [24:13]: “They want to be sure that the player that they're targeting is available, right? So you wait until...the draft falls a certain way and then you execute the trade.”

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:12] – Introduction: Terrell’s slow 40-time and what it means for the Cowboys
• [02:38–04:42] – Importance of 40 time for cornerbacks and evaluating Terrell’s draftability
• [06:19–08:00] – Statistical precedents; Tape vs. testing; Positional floor at pick 12
• [13:14–15:45] – Deepest Day 3 position: Tight end and the changing NFL TE prototype
• [19:30–21:03] – Hidden value at center and linebacker on Day 3
• [22:11–24:30] – Why teams don’t make more pre-draft trades
• [27:47–29:03] – Would the Cowboys benefit from a pre-draft trade down from pick 20?

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Episode Summary

This episode is a must-listen—and now a must-read—for any Cowboys fan anxious about the fallout from Avieon Terrell’s pro day and the broader implications for Dallas’ draft plan. Marcus and Landon give a sobering but fact-based assessment of how Terrell’s slow 40 time alters the team’s "wipeout" scenario strategy at pick 12, then pivot to discuss the strong value across tight end, center, and linebacker late in the draft. The show wraps with a smart primer on why pre-draft trades are rare, highlighting how NFL GMs strategize around certainty and leverage. Throughout, the hosts’ blend of measured data and emotional reality check delivers clear, actionable insight – and plenty of Cowboys fan commiseration.

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Transcript

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[Marcus Mosher]

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[Landon McCool]

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[Marcus Mosher]

Avion Terrell ran an awful 40 yard dash. We'll tell you what that means for his stock in the Cowboys next. You are Locked on Locked On Cowboys, your daily Dallas Cowboys podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast network your team every day. Welcome back to the Locked on Cowboys podcast. I am your host Marcus Mosher. He is Landon McCool and on today's show show we are answering more of your Twitter questions including why don't we see more pre draft trades. What is the deepest position in the 2026 NFL Draft? But Layden, let's start with this. Avion Terrell, a cornerback from Clemson who we talked about I think two weeks ago as kind of the, the fallback option at 12. If you get wiped out, who is the one player that you still feel comfortable with? For us it was Terrell, but at his pro day. Now we're starting to get some numbers thanks to Dane Brugler. He ran a 469 and a 46440 yard dash. He also had a 15910 yard split. And that is the worst of all the cornerbacks in the 2026 NFL Draft. At least inside the two top 200 cornerbacks. Is Terrell officially off the round one draft board for the Dallas Cowboys?

[Landon McCool]

Well, first of all, since you mentioned it, Happy Beast day to all who celebrate and all followers of Dame the Great Dame Brugler. Yeah, I mean look we've talked about this before that you know, athletic testing the tape. All of these are data points and we weigh all these data points very differently depending on the player and the situation and, and, and, and that all goes into the evaluation. There isn't really another athletic testing number position pairing that correlates to success

[Marcus Mosher]

more.

[Landon McCool]

I mean I'm trying to think if I'm wrong here, but more than cornerbacks and 40 times and, and really it's, it's probably more just a threshold situation than anything.

[Marcus Mosher]

Yeah, the fastest corners aren't the best corners, but there's very few slow corners that make it in the NFL.

[Landon McCool]

That's right. And, and so that's why we're kind of speaking about this time with, you know, such heavy hearts is because it, it's, it's, it's, it's bad. It's as bad as, as, you know, it can be for somebody who runs a bad 40 time. Like you don't, you know, it's, it's obviously offensive line, you know, quarterback run. You know, some of these other positions don't matter at all. Some of them, they matter a little bit. But for cornerback specifically, because it's such an athletic reactive position, you're having to keep up with other fast guys, it really does correlate to success. So the fact that he ran this, it doesn't mean he's undraftable or he's not a good player. But I think, you know, in the context of the conversation that we're having, I don't, I certainly don't think he is your fallback guy at 12 anymore. I wouldn't probably take him at 20 with a 4, 6, 4 40. I don't think. And again, I hate to, I don't. I really want to stress here. It's. I am not a stopwatch watcher. I, I think I view this stuff as data points. It's just that because it's quite cornerback, it, it has an outweighed importance versus almost any other data point at this point.

[Marcus Mosher]

So there's been a rumored hamstring injury and just back up for a second. When this first happened, he, he said he got banged up at the combine because he actually did all the drills at the NFL combine. He just didn't do any of the testing. He had a tight hamstring. He didn't work out at Clemson's pro day. So he pushed it back a couple more weeks. And then Adam Schefter tweeted that he pulled up on his first 40 yard dash and didn't finish the 40. Fast forward a couple of weeks later, that's not actually the case. I think Shepter was maybe covering up for him a little bit. He actually ran a 469. And then he ran a 464. So it did improve a little bit. It's tough because I, I kind of just want to say, you know what, hey, he was dealing with a hamstring injury. Let's just wash away this 40. But also I know that pro day times can be, you know, they're not the most reliable. Right. Like, generally they're faster than what they would be at the combine. So maybe he really is a 4, 65 cornerback. And I went back Landon and I looked at every single cornerback's 40 yard dash time at the NFL combine since 1999. In the only corner that I found that ran a 4, 6, 4 or slower that had any success in the NFL is Daryl Worley, who the Cowboys actually had a little bit from West Virginia. Now he was 6 1, 204 pounds. You're talking about somebody who was 20 pounds bigger. And that's the best outcome. So as much as I love Avion Terrell, I don't think you can draft him at 12 and you can't draft him at 20.

[Landon McCool]

I mean, I think that's, that's the real, you know, nail in the coffin. Honestly, I hate to be like that. Is that if you're drafting this guy, you're drafting the exception. But do you think the exception to this rule looks like 5, 9, 185 pounds? Like the fact that he's a very undersized corner and he's this slow, like, that doesn't, it just doesn't match the eye test. And that's what's tough here too, is because one of the things I was going to point out is his tape is very good and, and it's very good. I love it mentioned that his, that he worked out and did the drills at the, at the combine. He looked great doing those.

[Marcus Mosher]

He did.

[Landon McCool]

Like, he, he, I mean, he looked completely fluid and certainly didn't look, you know, orders of magnitude more unathletic than the other corners that were there. Like, so, yeah, I, I think again, it's difficult to kind of place it all on this, on this one test. And again, it's also even made more odd by the fact that he ran it, you know, because like, my guess

[Marcus Mosher]

is teams were concerned about it and if he didn't run, they were just gonna assume that he was a 4, 65 guy. He just confirmed it.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. And I don't know if confirming it was good or bad, especially if he got hurt doing it. But, you know, I, I, yeah, I guess, like, you know, it's Just one of those situations where I agree it's not completely disqualifying that he can't get drafted anymore. But man, I, I certainly don't feel the high floor vibes that I was getting from him earlier. Now he's got another wart on him just like the rest of the prospects we were kind of trying to drafting around. Right.

[Marcus Mosher]

And here's the other thing again. I'm looking at Dane Brugler's draft grab right now. Chris Johnson is a guy that I really like. Colton Hood is another player that has been mentioned with the Cowboys and those guys are right next to each other with Avon Terrell. And both Chris Johnson and Colton Hood are taller, they're 10 pounds heavier. They both ran in the four fours. They're both longer, they're both, you know, they're the same exact age as Avion Terrell. So I think when you're talking about the tape, all three of them have similar tape, but there's one guy that's clearly the worst athlete of the three and it, again, this really bums me out because I love, I still do, I love the player and we were talking about him as kind of the floor option at 12 and now I don't know who that player is. Like, I, I, I don't know who's the guy that if the worst case scenario happens at 12 and you get wiped out, who, who is the guy that you feel really good about taking at that spot? I mean, I, I would still say Dylan Thieman, but maybe he's not there and then you're really having to reach.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, I mean, I, I still think that, that it would be a pretty unique scenario to be completely wiped out at 12. I think it could happen. I certainly think even less so at 20, but you'll be fine at 20.

[Marcus Mosher]

12 is a spot that I feel 12 is where.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. Where you worry still because you just,

[Marcus Mosher]

I worry that you're just not going to get a different, you're gonna get the same caliber player at 12 that you're going to get at 20.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. And, and so I mean you can't really. The truth of the matter is is that didn't really change by, by losing Terrell as your floor at 12. Because honestly it's, I mean Terrell is probably a closer in value was even before this 40 was probably closer in value to 20 than he was 12.

[Marcus Mosher]

So I just, I liked him better than the other names that have been out there. Whether that's like Keldrick fall, Kim Mezador, C.J. allen. I just liked him a tier above those guys.

[Landon McCool]

And if, I mean, if they decide that that's the case and there's a plateau, I, I wouldn't be shocked if they just took the, the player that's the best player on their board at defensive end or corner. Right? Just. And like, I mean, that's maybe why you see Colton Hood getting taken in some random drafts, like mock dress at certain points throughout the season where you're like, man, that's really rich for Colton Hood. But the, the truth is, is that the draft fell in a really bad way. You don't want to reach on a player necessarily, and you'd rather take a guy that you feel good about than a guy that you feel like is necessarily valuable or at least, you know, could make up the value at that 12th pick.

[Marcus Mosher]

So you're not making me feel much better about this.

[Landon McCool]

I mean, it's, it's, it's a worst case scenario. So I, I don't know how I'm supposed to make you much feel, feel.

[Marcus Mosher]

Well, that's why the Terrell news bums me out is because I felt like, okay, waste. Worst case scenario. You're taking this guy who's going to be a good corner in the NFL. I, I don't think Chris Johnson is probably an option at that spot. Maybe Colton Hood would be. It's tough. This really sucks for Terrell. But you know what? This might end up making him go like late first round to a team that's not going to ask him to be their number one corner. And it might end up being okay for him. We saw this happen with like, was it Kamari Lassiter with the Texans who fell after running? I think it was like a 46240. He ended up going with Houston, being the number two cornerback with Derek Stingley. And he's been an all pro caliber player, so it's not completely a death knell for Avion Terrell. I just, I wonder if he's out for the Cowboys.

[Landon McCool]

He's a chief. That's, that's what I bet. So I see.

[Marcus Mosher]

All right, let's talk about some positions where the Cowboys can get a ton of value on day three. We'll get to that next. This episode is brought to you by FanDuel. The NBA playoffs are here where every possession matters, every matchup is magnified, and every game can swing a series. And right now, FanDuel is giving new customers a great way to get in on the action. And here's what I like about it. You can bet just $5 and get $250 in bonus bets if your first bet wins. Plus, the app makes it so easy to follow all of the action with player stats, trends and matchups all in one place. And during the playoffs, that extra insight really matters when you're looking at stars, role players and key moments. It just makes the entire playoff experience more engaging from start to finish. I can't wait for the playoffs. They're going to be so much fun, especially in the Western Conference where all those teams are so close. So head over to FanDuel.com to get started as FanDuel. Play your game.

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[Marcus Mosher]

Welcome back to the Lock on Cowboys podcast. Don't forget to check out the Everyday Club for ad free episodes and access to a group chat with Landon and I and other listeners of the show. Tap the link in the show notes or go to Loton Cowboys. All right, Landon, we had several listeners want to know what are the positions that are going to be really deep going into day three in the draft where maybe you're not going to find a starter but you know, you can find guys that can come in, fill roles and contribute right away.

[Landon McCool]

I feel like we talked about this already a lot, but you know, just to remind everyone, I think to me, tight end is the position right? Like there's just a ton of these guys. I, I continuously go through these mock drafts and see guys in the fourth and fifth round that like seem very decent and certainly, certainly in most other drafts wouldn't be going so late. That's so that's really one of the one positions that I really feel good about, you know.

[Marcus Mosher]

Well, I'm gonna follow up there really quickly on tight end. I'm with you. I, I think there's a chance that we see two tight ends inside the top 50 and then you maybe see like 10 from picks, you know, 51 to 150 right now in Dame Brugler's draft guide. He's got, I'm looking at it now, 18 tight ends who have at least a fifth round grade. I mean that is a ton of tight ends.

[Landon McCool]

That is a lot of tight ends. Yeah. I mean, and I think that that's, you know, it's, it's, it's, it's weird. And I, and I know that it's been pointed out by other people on other podcasts before because I've heard people talk about it, but it's, it's, it's striking that this draft class of tight ends is coming out in a year where we're, we've already started to see a really big uptick of tight end usage. Right. It's like the NFL called for the tight ends from the college and they all have arrived. So.

[Marcus Mosher]

You know what the funny part is though? I'm looking again, I'm looking at the, the rankings right now in Dane's top 20. Excuse me. And Dame stopped. 33 tight ends. Only two are above 255 pounds. Like, do you remember the days with 255 pounds was considered like a small tight end? Like you wanted the guys that were, you know, 265, 270. Most of these tight ends now are 245, 244 pounds. You've got Kenyan Sadiq, 241 stillers, 239. Like there's just not very many of these big, big blocking tight ends anymore.

[Landon McCool]

Well, and I think that speaks to the big difference between the NFL and college football US of tight ends is right. They still haven't really seen the kind of NFLization of the tight end position in college. You're still, it's still more of a, a move tight end situation. There's still a lot more spread, more prevalent. And that's why I think it's still one of these positions where even when you get drafted, especially when you get drafted on day three, you're seeing these guys take a little bit longer to develop sometimes. Right. Sometimes they can get on the field because they're mismatched weapons and, and they can be deployed, you know, you know, in certain packages. But you know, to become kind of fully, you know, both, both way tight ends, you know, again, especially without that pedigree, without a lot of playing time in college. It's, it's, it's a learning curve because a lot of these teams are coming from situations where you're detached from the formation. You're a motion guy. You're doing more things like a full back in the NFL than you would kind of, I'm sorry, in college than you would in, in you know, kind of look like looking like an NFL tight end. So there is a little bit of a learning curve of the position, but there's lots of guys to draft and stash and they can play special teams do a lot of different things for you because they're versatile.

[Marcus Mosher]

I have a couple more positions that I want to get to, but really quickly at tight end. What type of tight end do you think the Cowboys would be interested in drafting? Just a well rounded guy that could play in line. Or do you think they're looking for more of like the Brevin span, Ford, Jackson, Haas blocking tight end? Or do you think they're looking for more of the athlete?

[Landon McCool]

Honestly, I, I think it probably more of the athlete or well rounded type, you know, because look, you could easily, I mean, Ferguson himself was a fourth round pick. So you could go out there and, and draft a guy in the fourth round after getting your, your fill of defensive players and, and you never know how they develop and, and what they can turn into. If you, if you get a kind of balanced guy, maybe you get a repl. Ferguson down the road and if you get a receiving guy, I think he has the opportunity to again, like I mentioned, be deployed potentially in some packages, become a mismatch weapon. Maybe you use him how the, the Cowboys kind of in their minds had planned on using a guy like John Stevens in, in certain situations. Right. That just never panned out. So yeah, I think those are probably the two most likely. But honestly, I wouldn't be shocked if they took a black and white tight end either. I just think they like tight ends. They've got a coach that is good at developing them, I think, and so they should just take advantage of that because it's hard to get one when you need one if you don't have one.

[Marcus Mosher]

All right. What other positions have a lot of depth that the Cowboys could take advantage of on day three?

[Landon McCool]

Well, I think it depends on what you're looking for, but if you wanted to double dip at corner or defensive end, I do think that there are some names that you could, you could be interested in a little bit later, I think. Yeah, we've talked about offensive players that, you know, what positions you would potentially be looking at. I don't know that running back is necessarily a deep position, so you kind of need to be really kind of selective and careful there. But if there was a wide receiver that had a specific skill set that you liked and you wanted to hone a little bit, I wouldn't be shocked if the Cowboys Found a guy in the later rounds that maybe did served a specific role for them. Right. They've done that in the past where they drafted late round wide receivers that they felt like could come in and play some special teams while they developed as wide receivers. I wouldn't be shocked if the Cowboys took advantage of a class this year that made us doesn't have a lot of guys at the top, but has a lot of interesting guys kind of sprinkled throughout the draft.

[Marcus Mosher]

To be honest, I got two more that I wanted to mention. Center is just not a position that we've talked about really at all through this draft process and this is just not a great center class at the top. I don't know if there's anybody going to be drafted inside the top 100, but I think on day three, I think there are seven or eight guys that I could see being backup centers and eventually becoming starters. Kind of like the way Tyler Batadish did. Was that the 2020 draft where the Cowboys traded up to go get him and they found a starting center right away. I'm looking at guys like Jake Slaughter, Logan Jones, Connor Lou, Brian Parker. There are a lot of guys that I think could be quality offensive linemen. And now the Cowboys don't need a starting center right now. But they did just lose their backup in Brock Hoffman. Connor Beebe has not stayed super healthy so far through his career. So if you would I be surprised at all if they spent the 112th pick on a center that, you know, could be maybe the future or a backup because there's a lot of value there. I wouldn't be shocked at all.

[Landon McCool]

I'm going to put my auburn tiger hat on real quick and just say, you know, you're getting Connor Lou at a severe discount because of his injury. He missed out a lot of time in the Cowboys. Could be a perfect situation for him. This is a guy who could not only be a very good backup, he could eventually maybe even take that starting job at some point. He's so good. So I think you get him at a discount if you can get him in day three. That would be amazing. Stash them away, let him get healthy and let's see what happens in 2027.

[Marcus Mosher]

And same thing happened with Biata. She fell because I think it was a back injury. And the Cowboys ended up getting a starting center on day three. One more position that I wanted to mention, it's linebacker. I mean we love this linebacker class, but there's going to be guys on day three like Bryce Bettcher somebody that we've loved throughout the process, who I think is going to be available. Caleb Orr from TCU is a really fun prospect if you want to an elite athlete. There's Aiden Fisher, Red Murdoch from Buffalo, who is an absolute playmaker. Harold Perkins, who I believe the Cowboys met with at the combine. Now, I don't know if any of these guys are plug and play starters, but if you just want to add like another Shamar James type of linebacker to your room, I think you can get a really good player in round four and round five.

[Landon McCool]

The linebackers are useful. You know, you're gonna, you're gonna rotate these guys. These, a lot of these guys are going to play. They're gonna be a huge part of your special teams unit. So having them around and having good athletes and a guy like Harold Perkins, you may not even end up playing at linebacker. So, you know, I, I, I think there's a lot of interesting reasons to draft some of these linebackers later on, if only to be core special teamers.

[Marcus Mosher]

All right, let's talk about why teams don't make more pre draft trades to get up to the spots that they want to get to. We'll talk about that next. This episode is brought to you by TurboTax. It's tax time. But for a lot of us, the old ways of doing taxes is a lot. Trying to book an appointment that's not the most convenient. Sitting in a waiting room with a stack of papers, emailing back and forth, wondering if they really get your situation. But this year, you're getting a major upgrade. Intuit TurboTax now has in person locations nationwide. You can meet face to face with a real tax expert and get your documents uploaded straight to your TurboTax app on the spot. And just like that, you're done. Your TurboTax expert works to get you every dollar that you deserve while you get real time notifications as you go about your day. It's the relief of walking in and meeting a real person and walking out knowing that your taxes are being handled right. So head over to turbotax.com local to find a store near you and book your appointment today.

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[Marcus Mosher]

Northbrook, Illinois welcome back to the Loton Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen every single day. One final question here from Jack. He wants to know why don't we see more pre draft trades with teams trying to get in position to select the guy they want versus waiting to do it while they're on the clock?

[Landon McCool]

Well, I think there's two big reasons. One is a lot of these trades that these teams are making, they want to be sure that the player that they're targeting is available, right? So you wait until, to see that the draft falls a certain way and then you execute the trade.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson]

Right.

[Landon McCool]

You may call beforehand and figure out all the numbers and, and the compensation and everything and just to discuss it so it can happen quickly. But I, I think the, the, you don't really want to pull the trigger until you know for sure that, that the ex. The scenario that you want to have play out is, is executed correctly. Because otherwise then you've, you've paid sometimes a lot of money for a pick that you don't, don't end up wanting. The other side of it is I think a deal maker aspect of this. I think it's the classic deadlines make deals, but I think it's more than that. I think it's. Some teams would rather operate when there's pressure on the other team to get the deal done in time because it allows you to apply more leverage on them to try to get more out of them. So I think if you think about the classic, you know, timeshare situation where someone's got, got you in a high pressure situation. It's, it's, it's harder to say no or it's harder to say to get the, the, the equal value when you're under the gun in those situations. And I think that that's something that the teams are, are actually trying to leverage a little bit by waiting until the draft and waiting till teams are maybe on the clock and you know, under the proverbial gun to get these deals done in time.

[Marcus Mosher]

We have seen a couple in previous years. I think there was one where the 49ers traded up for Trey Lance at number three, but they were happy with whatever quarterback fell to them. There was one, I mean, I think it was a couple years ago where Philadelphia traded up. Man, it might have been longer than that, but they traded up to go try to get a receiver. So it does happen. But you're right, like you kind of want to know who's on the clock. And also you don't want to overpay because what if you have three guys that you really like and you get to the draft and all three of those guys are still available at that pick that you were going to trade up to? Like, you want to see how the board plays out a little bit. But I, one of the things we did see was, I think it was two years ago, Houston made a trade where they traded back from round one for two second round picks before the draft even started. But basically the idea, hey, we think this draft is really deep in the middle. We don't need this first round pick. Let's get some value. Now, I wouldn't be surprised if you see one or two of those kind of moves before the draft starts, like at the back end where it's not necessarily, you know, contingent on a player falling.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. And I think the other side is. The other is the top end. Right. Like the trades where we've seen teams trading. Not necessarily just a one to go get a quarterback though, obviously those are scenarios as well, but where, you know, okay, a quarterback is going, like to like this situation right now. Right. Like, if the jets were willing to trade that pick, like, I wouldn't be shocked if a team traded up to two just because we know who's going one. So there's, there's, there's certainty there. So I. And again, I think the 49ers situation is another good example in that case. We knew that one of those quarterbacks would, would get to three because of just numbers. Right. There was three of them and that he got the third pick. So when you could trade into some certainty, I think it's a different story. It makes it a little bit more palatable to do it before the draft.

[Marcus Mosher]

By the way I looked that trade up, it was, it was the Eagles trading up for Carson Wentz, but they actually had to do two trades before they could do it because they had to get up high enough to be able to flip picks with Cleveland. I believe one trade that I would like to see before the draft, I would like to see the Cowboys go ahead and make a trade back from 20 already, like, just take the stress out of that. And maybe there's a team at like 30, 31, 32 that just wants to start getting into the range to maybe go get a wide receiver. Or maybe it's like, you know, Arizona that wants to go get Ty Simpson. I would feel so much better if they just got that deal done right now, because I don't know if there's going to be a single person at 20 that's going to fall to them that I feel like, ignore all trade offers, get a deal, take this player regardless of what's on the table for us.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, and, and I think that that 20 is just not necessarily, I mean, 20 could still be very positive kind of trading ground for a team that's looking to come up and take a tackle or wide receiver, like depending on how the board falls. But, you know, maybe, maybe you do the trade beforehand because you feel like, man, we, we just feel like whoever's going to be there, it's, it's going to be better for our team than picking the second round or whatever it is. So, you know, who knows?

[Marcus Mosher]

All right, that is it for today's show. We'd like to thank you for making Laton Cowboys your first listen every single day. Make sure you subscribe and follow the podcast so you get all of the latest episodes. And if you never miss an episode, the Everydayer Club is built for you. Get locked on Cowboys ad free members only, discord access and so much more. Head over to lockon cowboys supercast.com to join the club. And for those of you on video, we can send you the first ever 24. 7 national NBA YouTube channel. And on audio, make your second listen the Locked on NFL Draft podcast. Follow Landon on Twitter @McCool BCB. I'm @Marcus Underscore Moser and we will see you right back here tomorrow.

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[Marcus Mosher]

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