Marcus Moer (4:49)

Can we just say how big of an outlier is, at least for the Cowboys when it comes to Caleb Downs? The Cowboys have not drafted a safety in round one since, I believe, Roy Williams back in 2002. And I'm trying to even remember the last safety that they've drafted inside the first two rounds. I guess it's been a long time. On top of that, we know that the Cowboys generally draft elite, elite athletes right in round one. And you. They're. They are size queens. Like, they love guys that are big Long and athletic. Caleb Downs. Height, 28th percentile. His weight, 48th percentile. His wingspan, 13 percentile. Arm length, 10 percentile. And there was no athletic testing. But the reason why the Cowboys traded up to get him is for all the reasons you just mentioned. Like, he is legitimately one of the smartest safeties to enter the draft in a long time and that the pattern recognition is really good. It might. I've got a bunch of questions I want to throw out to you, but I, I, I kind of, I kind of assume that his role in the NFL, and we talked about being a nickel player, but I think he's more of a box safety. And I know that you say the words box safety and sometimes that has a negative connotation, but I think he's a box player more so than a traditional free safety. The way that we think of like, Ed Reed or even like Ken Hamlin in Dallas.

Landon McCool (6:13)

Yeah, I mean, he can do, no doubt.

Marcus Moer (6:16)

There's no, he can absolutely do it.

Landon McCool (6:17)

He's gonna play, actually, you know, like, I mean, I think his main position is going to be that kind of apex nickelback position because nickel is the new base, right?

Marcus Moer (6:26)

Yes.

Landon McCool (6:26)

Time that you got a slot defender, he's going to be that guy. So I do think if they play, you know, shift to more of a traditional base, that, yeah, maybe he plays in, in the kind of a more traditional safety role. But I just imagine him, you know, I, I, yes, to answer your question, yes, I do think he is more of a in the box down safety type because that's where he has the most impact. Right. And that's not just in the run game. Because I think people assume that because we're talking about in the box, we, we're talking about box counts.

Marcus Moer (7:00)

We're talking only about, like, he's not Jamal Adams. Like, I just want people to get that, like, that's not going to be his role in the NFL.

Landon McCool (7:06)

No, but he's an eliminator of short routes because he, he puts, you know, wide receivers in conflicts because he plays the zones correctly. He, he doesn't miss tackles. So, you know, he's going to be a guy that, you know, when you try to, to, to throw an outlet pass or to a tight end, that they're not going to get yards after the catch. If you, if you try to throw screens in this guy, he's gonna, it's gonna be a tackle for loss because he's gonna sniff it out immediately. And he's so good at, like, ducking around blockers. And understanding leverage that he's going to create plays there. Like, it's, it's all the things, you know, in this, all the ways that we've seen really good nickelbacks and how they affect the game as blitzers, as linebackers, you know, in the, in the run game, as cornerbacks, in. In the. In the coverage game, that's where he's going to have a positive effect on this team. And then on top of that, his role as a communicator in the modern game, like sorting out all these trips, looks and bunch looks and being the one who's communicating how the team is going to attack those sort of situations and not having the coach being on the sideline biting his nails, hoping that the defense understands exactly what they're supposed to be doing in some of these more complicated looks where they're designed to confuse you. Caleb Downs isn't going to get confused.

Marcus Moer (8:27)

I compared him to Eric Weddle all the way back in January. Like, I just think that's going to be his role. If you remember Eric Weddle, when he played with the Chargers and the Ravens and the Rams, never an elite athlete, very similar size, did a lot of his work in the box covering, you know, tight ends and being a slot guy, and he never had great athleticism. I'm looking at Weddell's, you know, rascal right now, and it's incredibly low, but he played forever in the league because he didn't miss tackles and he knew where to be and he knew how to get everybody lined up and he knew he was basically a quarterback on the field. That's how I envision Caleb Downs being for the Cowboys. Just a guy that is rock solid, that can do so many different jobs and they finally have a high IQ defender that you can put everything on his plate and he's going to be able to process it. And he just gives you an advantage on that back end.

Landon McCool (9:17)

Yeah, again, just. And we said it before, but to get this guy in the year where you're kind of moving to a more complicated new defense, you have to have this. Yeah, it's just going to help smooth everything out for everybody because he's going to be on the field helping teach everybody around him as, as they. As they all learn it together really quickly.

Marcus Moer (9:37)

Before we move on and we talk about Devin Moore, are you concerned at all about the lack of athletic testing or elite physical traits? Because the last couple safeties that have gone like inside the top 15, you know, like Derwin James and Kyle Hamilton, these are both big physical guys, that's not Caleb Downs. Does it concern you at all?

Landon McCool (9:58)

I watched this guy play next to two of the most, if not maybe two, the two most athletic linebackers that I've ever seen before, and this guy's beating them to tackles. I, I watched this guy make, you know, incredible plays in the ball, interceptions. I have not seen a single piece of tape in three years of college football. That made me worry about this guy's athleticism. He's a, let's be clear, he's a freak of nature athlete, maybe, just not in the measuring way that we, that we all like to, you know, slot them into.

Marcus Moer (10:28)

All right, let's talk about the Cowboys other secondary Pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. That is Devin Moore. We'll get to that next. This episode is brought to you by FanDuel. The NBA playoffs are here and every possession matters. And if you're looking to get even closer to the action, FanDuel has a great offer to get you started right now. New customers can bet just $5 and get 150 in bonus bets if your first bet wins. That's right, turn 5 bucks into 150 in bonus bets for just getting started. The NBA playoffs have been phenomenal. I know my Lakers got a big game six actually, tonight against the Houston Rockets. Already nervous about that. But I like using FanDuel during the playoffs because everything I need is right there in one place. You can check stats, trends and matchups before making your picks, which makes the whole experience feel even, you know, much more informed. Whether you're looking at player props or or just following your favorite stars, it adds another level of excitement to every single game. It's really easy to navigate the app, and it makes playoff basketball even more engaging from start to finish. So head over to FanDuel.com to get started. FanDuel. Play your game.

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Marcus Moer (12:19)

welcome back to the Locked on Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen every single day. Don't forget to check out the everyday club where you're going to get ad free episodes of the podcast and exclusive group chat access with Landon and I and several other listeners of the show, just go to locon cowboys.supercast.com to join the club. All right, Landon, let's talk about Devin Moore, the Cowboys fourth round pick from Florida. They really, really liked him. I actually saw the interview today of Devin Moore. He said that he told Jerry Jones that he was the best cornerback in the class. I know you've had a little bit of time to watch the tape over the last week. Tell us what the Cowboys are getting and what the expectation should be in 2026.

Landon McCool (13:03)

Yeah, I mean, he's a big, long, athletic corner who is physical. I, I think, you know, you watch the tape and you know, as someone who didn't necessarily get an opportunity to watch very much of him or watch very much, frankly, Florida defensive tape, you know, I, I was focused mostly on Caleb Banks. Whenever I watched it, I, I, I felt surprised, you know, that, that, that this guy was not more kind of highly touted. And then you kind of dig in a little bit more and there's clearly a, A, a series of pretty serious, not serious, I mean, just serious in concern injuries, right, where it's, it's the kind of lower chain soft tissue stuff that, that tends to linger and tends to kind of perpetuate itself. And so there's definitely some, you know, not long term, like health injury stuff, but more just like, is this going to be a situation where this guy is constantly hurt, right, where he's like constantly missing four games because of a hamstring or a back or, you know, know, a calf or something like that. But I think when you watch the tape, it's very clear to see, you know, what, what, what he does. Well, I think specifically, if I remember correctly, he had a game against, I think it was Georgia that was really, really good tape, you know, against some really nice competition, including Zachariah Branch and some other folks there. So, yeah, I, I think he's, you know, he's a guy that kind of fits a lot of the mold of what you're, of what the Cowboys are usually looking for in corners and being big a little bit longer and, and having, having that kind of speed. And I, and for what we heard is that he did run a four or five, if I'm not mistaken, at his pro, but he was, but he wasn't quite healthy at, when he ran it. So there, there, the, the thought is that he potentially could even be closer to a four. Four.

Marcus Moer (15:01)

I mean, the thing is you watch the tape and like there's just. There's no concern.

Landon McCool (15:06)

He doesn't look four, five. Yeah. At all.

Marcus Moer (15:08)

No, no. Now I will say I. I got to watch all of his coverage snaps over the last two years on Wednesday. And he's not. He is not like your typical. I'm gonna mirror your outside cornerback manto man press coverage. Like, that's just not. I don't think that's his game. I think he's so much better in off coverage. And then I think he can flip his hips and go make plays down the field. There was one play where he was basically lined up as a safety. He's carrying the slot receiver, then he flips his hips and gets to the hashes. It makes an unbelievable play on the ball. Like, he is a really smooth mover for somebody that size. But I think again, this is at least my opinion. I would love to hear yours. I think he's going to be better in zone than he is in man. And partially it's because he's such a good tackler. I mean, he was a really, really good tackler for Florida and that's what you need for these zone corners.

Landon McCool (16:03)

I. I think, yes. I think in the sense, I think he's gonna be a better off coverage corner and I, I think a lot of that is zoned. So. Yeah, that makes sense. But I think in off man, like when he plays man coverage, I think he'll be good in off man, but he won't ne. Like, he's not necessarily the guy that you want pressing with his back turned like you want him.

Marcus Moer (16:24)

I want him looking at the ball all the time.

Landon McCool (16:26)

Exactly. Yeah. And I think. Yeah, again, like you said, as an off coverage guy, you got to be able to tackle. Right. Because it's a top down sort of thing. And that's. And that's what they're going to be doing a lot of. If you look at the structures of Christian Parker's defense, it's a lot of top down coverage, Right. So which is why it's allowing you to have guys like Caleb Downs play nickel full time.

Marcus Moer (16:48)

Right.

Landon McCool (16:48)

It's because you're not necessarily asking him to man up every single down and the same thing on the outside. So, yeah, I think he's probably a guy that, you know is coming in here to be. I think it's more insurance, right. For the rest of the cornerback room. I don't think I'm expecting him to come in here, compete for a starting job or anything like that. I think he needs A year to kind of get his feet under him, but I think he can come in and, you know, you know, play for you if you need him to and just be kind of part of your depth early on as he develops. But, but, I mean, I don't see any limitations that make me think that he couldn't, at some point, you know, even be a starter for this team. You know, a year or two down the road if you need him to be.

Marcus Moer (17:35)

All right, can we be reckless for a second? Just for a second?

Landon McCool (17:37)

Okay.

Marcus Moer (17:38)

Okay. I think he's just way better than Ravel, and I think the tape is better than even what I saw from Ravel at East Carolina. He's three years younger than Ravel. He played the SEC and the tape is really good. Now he's got injury concerns, but weirdly enough, I, I feel better about where he is at with his injuries than I felt with Savon Ravel, at least last year. Right. And I, I think he's a better tackler. I think he plays the ball better in the air. I think Ravel was maybe a little bit better at mirroring receivers, but I will not be surprised if Devin Moore becomes the third outside cornerback on this roster midway through the season. I just, I, I think he's more talented straight up.

Landon McCool (18:20)

I think it's fair. I mean, listen, I, I, I think the, I think he has less upside than Ravel, and I think that that's, But I think that that doesn't speak to the fact that he doesn't, that he doesn't have any upside. I think he has, there's upside there, and I agree, like, I think this is, he is talented enough that I really do feel like this could be a steal for the Cowboys, like they could be getting a starting cornerback in the fourth round. I think for me, Ravel is, was drafted in a previous regime in which they played a different type of coverage, but still has, I think, more upside because eventually he'll be able to do a little bit of everything. Whereas I feel like this guy is going to be very specifically good at what the Cowboys are doing, which, you know, it's good for us, but, you know, I'm saying I'm speaking to their value.

Marcus Moer (19:13)

Well, I just, it's really frustrating watching corners that can't tackle. And I know Ravel was really good at tackling at college, but he was pretty awful as a rookie. Right. And I think Devin Moore is going to be able to come right in because of that size and the, the length, and he's just a He's a way more fundamentally sound tackler and I think he high points the ball better. There are some concerns with his game, but I just. Watching his tape, I really, really liked it. I think the issue is obviously the injuries and it's. What do you value more? The wife that has one major injury or the guy that constantly has a bunch of little nagging injuries? I think for coaches, they get more frustrated with the guys that are always questionable, you know, week in and week out, because it's hard to game plan, you know, knowing if they're going to play or not. But I just, I really like Devin Moore. I. I don't know what else to say.

Landon McCool (20:07)

I mean, yeah, the good news is we got both of these guys. So like, you know, eventually they're gonna

Marcus Moer (20:12)

have to decide like, which one of these guys do we want to be opposite of Duram Blair?

Landon McCool (20:16)

And, and honestly, it. It may be game plan dependent because they. They are two very different players in the sense of how they are best deployed. So having. Having. I think, I think the point I was trying to get across too here is that having another one of these guys like I. You really feel the difference? I feel in the secondary versus before we started this process is unbelievable. Yes. And they have really done a great job of mixing together veterans and draft picks to add depth to. Was already you felt like if everything worked well, health wise, you felt like this was going to be a good group. But now you feel like, you know, even if things don't work out health wise at the top, you've got options beyond those first two or three guys to kind of get you going, get you through the early part of the season if you need to.

Marcus Moer (21:11)

One more quick note. Zero penalties over the last two years for Devin Moore. One over the last three years. Can you tell what kind of cornerbacks that I prefer? The guys that don't get penalized and tackle. Like, I could live with you giving up some passes as long as you do those two things well. So I, I'm really excited about Devin Moore in Christian Parker's defense. But let's talk about the entire secondary, because you referenced it. They've made a lot of improvements this offseason. Is the secondary officially fixed? We'll get to that next. Psst.

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Marcus Moer (22:39)

Welcome back to the Lockdown Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen every single day. All right, Landon, we teased it before break is the secondary fix. Do you feel like they finally have at least solved one level of their defense?

Landon McCool (22:57)

Yeah, I mean, I mean look, I mean it's hard with what does fix mean? But I, I think, yes, I, I, I do think that they've done enough.

Marcus Moer (23:04)

Is it a playoff secondary? Let me ask you that. Is it a playoff secondary?

Landon McCool (23:09)

I, yeah, I think it can be. Yeah. I think if, if, if, if they take to this defense the way that we hope they can and you get some development from some of the players like Ravel and if you're able to get something out of more and, and, and, and you know, Durant is a good fit, like suddenly you've got not only some top end players. I, yeah, again, and just to speak to it, I think that this is actually the best thing that's happened to guys like Bland and Hooker as well. Like, I think we don't speak about that enough because those are really the only two guys that are returning. But I think Bland being able to focus on being a purely outside corner and getting the opportunity to play more off coverage, which is, I think what he does best is good. I think Hooker getting the opportunity to kind of return to more of a post or, or two safety look is, is where he is at his best as well. And I think that when you add in guys like Durant who clearly are, you know, they know what the fit is there. They went out and got him. You add PJ Locke as another just a body in the safety room. You've already got Marquis Bell who could come in here, I think, and probably be the slot backup if you need him to be.

Marcus Moer (24:21)

I would think so. Yeah.

Landon McCool (24:22)

I, I, I, I just think that, you know, it's, it's not even just about feeling good about Thompson coming in here and his specific role, which I do, but, and Also Durant and his specific role. It's, it's, it, it's how it changes the view of the players that you had already in here. We don't know exactly what the health is going to be for, for Duron Bland. That's a big question mark here. But even if Bland is not quite ready to come back and he's misses the first few weeks or, you know, isn't quite the same early on, you've got answers in a way that you never had answers before, all the way down to the fact that your cornerback five and six were, you know, at some points, cornerback two and three on this team for large portions of the season.

Marcus Moer (25:09)

And, and that's just it for me. Like the secondary is so reliant on Daron Bland because he's really the only top end corner that you have. Like, I think Kobe Durant is a fine number two guy. I think you'd love him to be your third outside guy. But it is what it is. If Durant's not healthy, I think they're gonna have major issues on the outside now. Sorry. If, if Bland isn't healthy, I think they're gonna have major issues. We'll see. I always get nervous about cornerbacks that are coming off of foot injuries and this is the second foot surgery for Duron Bland. They're really tying a lot of their hopes and dreams into that foot. But they have at least insulated themselves a little bit with having guys like Devin Moore and Savon Revel. We'll see about Kaylin Carson if he can do anything as well. At least you've got some guys with upside on the roster that you can develop should they need to play.

Landon McCool (26:05)

Yeah. And again, I think we, like we've talked about before, the secondary is a weak league position. Right. It's just like offensive line. It's not always about who the best best player or having the best player in your defense is about having a high floor at that, at that position group. I think that's the difference between this year and last year to me is that you, you certainly have some uncertainty at the top and what's going to happen with plan? How will Ravel develop? Can he take the next step? You know, but I think where I feel better about it is that I have a number of higher floor corners that are on this roster than I, than I felt like I had last year. And I think that that's important.

Marcus Moer (26:43)

And the safety position is so much better than that. That should ease some of the concerns from the corner. And you just might not be playing as many corners as you played last year because you've got, as we mentioned, Caleb Downs, who's going to be playing in a slot. Jayla Thompson can do that as well. Malik Hooker, I think is going to be probably your traditional free safety and then even someone like PJ Lock has bounced back and forth between those positions. So for the first time in a while, you've got depth at safety and you've got high end starters. Man, it feels nice to have that again.

Landon McCool (27:18)

Yeah, look, I mean, is this going to be a dominant group? I mean, I don't know. We'll see.

Marcus Moer (27:22)

I hope so.

Landon McCool (27:23)

I hope so. But at the very least, I feel like this isn't the worst position group in the NFL, which, which was at times the bar we had set for the Cowboys. And I think again, when you combine the personnel improvements with, I would say the coaching improvements, and I'm not even necessarily talking about Eberfluss, I'm just talking about how it felt like specifically the secondary really had a hard time communicating and it felt like that may have been a coaching issue. I think to get a guy like Christian Parker in here is such a major improvement that it may even dwarf the personnel improvements that they made, which are significant.

Marcus Moer (28:01)

Can't wait till we get them all on the practice field so you can see how Christian Parker starts to deploy him. It should be a ton of fun. Thank you guys for tuning in to the Locked on Cowboys podcast. Make sure you subscribe and follow the podcast so you get all of the latest episodes. Next week we're going to dive into Drew Shelton, the Cowboys offensive tackle who they nearly selected in day two. We'll tell you about that next week we'll also start to dive into some of the undrafted free agents, including Michael Trigg from Baylor. And if you never miss an episode, the everyday 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 24.7national NBA YouTube channel and on audio, make your second listen the locked on NFL Draft podcast. Follow Landon on Twitter acoolbcb. I'm arcusmozier. Enjoy your weekend. We'll see you right back here on Monday.

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