
Dallas Cowboys weigh risky draft options as CJ Allen, Akheem Mesidor, and Jacob Rodriguez raise big questions ahead of Round 1. With serious red flags from athletic testing, age, and injury histories, will Dallas reach for need or stick to their board? Marcus Mosher and Landon McCool debate the value of linebacker CJ Allen amidst size and speed concerns, analyze Miami edge rusher Akeem Mesidor’s advanced technique but challenging medicals and age (25 as a rookie), and spotlight Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez, an electric playmaker with limited linebacker experience.
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Soccer Fans, get ready. TNT Sports features the U.S. men's National Team squaring off against top global competition with high stakes and high drama.
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What a moment. What a strike.
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See who makes their case to join the roster to represent the stars and stripes. USA is taking on Belgium on Saturday, March 28th at 2:30pm Eastern. USA versus Portugal Tuesday, March 31st at 6:00pm Eastern live on TNT and HBO. Max. There are three round one players with serious red flags that the Cowboys might be interested in. We'll tell you who they are next. You are Locked On Cowboys, your daily Dallas Cowboys podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast network. Your team every day. Welcome back. I am your host, Marcus Moer. He is Landon McCool. And on today's show, we're talking about three players and really three round one prospects who have some serious red flags that are worth trying to sort out. We're going to be talking about Jacob Rodriguez, the linebacker from Texas Tech. We'll talk about AE Mezador, the pass rusher for Miami. But later, I want to start with the man of the hour, C.J. allen, who just got done wrapping up his pro day in Athens for the Georgia Bulldogs. The Cowboys had plenty of people there watching him, putting him through drills. And it sounds like, I mean, it's only fair. Sounds like the Cowboys do have a lot of interest here. But how do you feel about the player?
B
Well, I think it's just, it's, it's very specific. And that's kind of part of the reason I'm glad we're talking about it, right? Because, you know, there were people after today's pro day that were talking about the Cowboys taking him at 12. And to me, that's wild because I, I, you know, I viewed him as a guy that I would be perfectly acceptable at 20, but I would have phrased it like that, like not excited about taking him at 20 or that I, I felt like it was good value at 20, but it would be acceptable at 20 at 12. Like, look, I mean, there are A lot of things, and we'll get into all of them. But just on a basic level, the 12th overall pick for a linebacker who isn't, you know, kind of exceptional is just, is extremely rich. And I think that C.J. i think that C.J. allen's a great player. I think. I love his tape. I want him on my football team. But I think the positional value combined with the athletic testing or lack thereof, combined with, you know, his size and some other things, I just don't think he's a top of the first round type, top of the first half round type of player. Yeah.
A
And I want to get this out of the way to start before we get into all the negatives here. I had some people saying, like, hey, this is going to be the guy that you harp on all draft season. He's your next Kenneth Murray. Just to be clear, he is such a better player than Kenneth Murray. Like, I just, I never understood why Kenneth Murray was getting round one hype. I do get it with Alan, like, he's a better player. I just have concerns about if you're ever going to get the value out of this player. One of the concerns I had is he didn't do any testing at the NFL combine. That's a really fast track. And we saw Sonny Styles and Jacob Rodriguez and a Kyle Lewis, and all these linebackers look freaky athletic in Indianapolis. And they said, okay, well, hey, if he goes to his pro day, he puts up big numbers, I'm not going to be concerned. And then on Wednesday, Landon, he skips out on all of the athletic testing. So we've got no numbers for him. He came in under six foot one. He's barely. I think he came in at 228 pounds at his pro day. And then you watch the drills and it's pretty clear that he's just not a supreme athlete. So I come back to this is, where do you draft a linebacker that's not big, that's not overly athletic, that didn't have a bunch of production at Georgia? I mean, he's a good player, but he doesn't have a bunch of like, tackle tackles for loss, interceptions and forced fumbles. Where do you draft that player? For me, it's not at 12.
B
Yeah, I mean, I think we, we've kind of put a name to it. I, I view him as a top of the day two and, you know, very, very end of day one type of player. And I think that that's, again, I, you know, sometimes we get so, like, worked up about this stuff and like that is not us saying we don't like the player. I would take a day two pick, I would pick it with. And that's despite all of those things that you just mentioned. Him being slightly undersized, him being not a supreme athlete, him not having elite production. I watched the tape of, I saw a lot of really great stuff on the tape. We talked about it when we broke it down and we valuated the guy at where we evaluated him. I think people need to understand that the magnitude of the money and the investment that that is the difference in the magnitude from 20 to 12 is enormous. It's very, very big. The value itself is probably what is a second round pick, you know, so yeah, so I think that that's, I think that's what we're talking about when we're talking about, you know, we're, we're splitting hairs here because we've reached that part of the draft conversation, right? It's, it's time to split hairs. I would love to have CJ Allen on my team if he, if he gets drafted by the Cowboys. I would have real concerns if he was taken at 12 just because I would have questions on A who else was there and B what's going to happen when we get to the fifth year and he's going to be on A outside linebackers 5th year contract in at the 12 never pick up, which they would never pick up. So I would have real questions. I think there's a difference between asking that question with a guy like Sonny Styles who you feel like is a supreme athlete and you know, maybe, you know, borderline could be one of the best linebackers in the league by the time he reaches his fifth year. So you might actually pick up his fifth year option and a guy that you, you know, look, if C.J. allen is a Pro Bowler at some point, fantastic. If he's a multi time Pro Bowler, I could see it. But I'm not necessarily expecting in his first few years and I certainly don't think it's such that I feel the need to take him in the top half of the first round. I think that's the area where I'm at, especially with all the depth of the position if you're not separating yourself with athleticism, production or something else. Like I think he's at the top of that heat but he's still part of the heap, you know.
A
Well, and the thing, this is why I love doing the draft year over year is because you can compare from previous years and I look at Somebody like Carson Schlesinger, who we liked a lot last year from UCLA. Right. Super productive for multiple seasons. He was six foot two and a half. He was 242 pounds. You're talking like 12 to 15 pounds bigger. He was longer. He was way more athletic. And he went 33rd right now. He ended up being an awesome player for Cleveland. And if you redo that draft again, I'm sure he goes inside the top 20. But that's a much, much better prospect. That went at 33. Why. Why do I have to draft this guy who's so much smaller and less athletic? Was it 22 spots higher? 23 spots higher?
B
Well, and again, even people who push back and say, you know, well, this is a, a less talent rich debt, which is fine. It's not, it's not that different.
A
It's not 20 spots.
B
It's not 20 spots different like that, like, that is not representative of, of the quality loss enough. You know, especially that position.
A
And that's how you get it. If they take, if they take him at 12, you can be a big fan, but also acknowledge you're picking for need. Right. You're reaching for need, and that's how bad teams drive. You don't want the Cowboys to draft like a bad team. That doesn't mean we don't want C.J. allen on the, on this team.
B
Exactly.
A
But I think he needs to be appropriately ranked. And 12 is just far too high. 20 for me is a little rich. I know for other people, they love him there. I think for me, he's more in the, like, honestly, he's more in the sweatsinger range. Like, I think he should go somewhere between 27 and 40. That's not a knock on the player. I just think that's where his value lines up.
B
Yeah. And again, like, if you're gonna reach for a player, then reach for an expensive position player. You know, like, don't, don't. Don't reach for a position like linebacker that, you know is not necessarily get. Helping you see value on his contract. Right.
A
Like, well, can I give you an example?
B
Yeah, please.
A
I am not the biggest Colton Hood fan from Tennessee. Like, I have some issues with his game, but if you told me that was the pick instead of C.J. allen, I would be like, okay, I get it. You're gambling on a young player who is in the SEC at a money five position. Maybe I don't value him as high as the Cowboys do, but I understand the thought process. It's a lot harder when you're talking about a linebacker and even then a linebacker from Georgia. And what's one of the things that we say every year about these Alabama and Lime and Georgia linebackers is that they're so beat up coming into the NFL that you wonder what they're going to look like. I thought the 2024 tape was so much better for CG Allen. He looks so much more explosive. I know there's some people say now that he's been dealing with a knee injury and that's why he didn't run. I mean, even look at someone like Jihad Campbell who the. The Eagles took last year. I think he's already on his second shoulder surgery since being in the league. Like, I get a little bit nervous about those players.
B
Well, I mean, to your point, like, I, I think that C.J. allen is a better athlete than we're giving him credit for because of the lack of testing. Because he didn't. Because he didn't test. But he's not testing because he's probably hurt. Right. Like you just said. And honestly, when I watched that, the, the linebacker drills, I didn't view it as a guy like, who didn't look athletic. I viewed it as a guy who didn't look healthy. He looked like he had a hitch in his giddy up.
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And I don't know that's better or worse, honestly.
B
Yeah, exactly that. Yeah, that's my point is. Yeah, I, I don't know whether he's. He didn't test, which is, I think, you know, a little scary there. Right. So. And what the reason matters. But neither reason is good.
A
No. All right, let's talk about another first round prospect who has some big concerns. And honestly, maybe even more concerns than C.J. allen. Let's talk about Hakeem Mazador next. This episode is brought to you by FanDuel. College basketball is non stop. Big games, tight spreads, momentum swings every single night. From early tip offs to late night west coast shootouts, there's always action on the board. And now FanDuel is giving you a way to turn that energy into an even bigger potential win with a college basketball parlay profit boost. You can build any college hoops parlay that you want. Rivalry games, ranked matchups, whatever fits your read. And you can mix spreads, totals, player props to match how you see the slate playing out. Then you can apply the profit boost and instantly bump up the potential payout. So go safe, go bold. Ride with the team that you've been following all season. It's your parlay, your style. Now with more upside behind it. Head over to FanDuel.com to get started. That is FanDuel.com FanDuel play your game this episode is brought to you by Robin Hood what if sports were traded like markets? Now you can put your sports IQ to work in real time with Robinhood Prediction Markets. It's not you against the house. It's you participating in a live market. You can buy or sell your positions live all game long. Use your sports knowledge in the moments that matter. Robin Hood Prediction Markets changes the game. It's people moving the action so when the momentum shifts you you can move with it. I've always known the game, but never had a dynamic way to apply that knowledge. But now I can actually take part live in a market powered by the people. You're no longer just a spectator. Play by play, you decide. Trade every play with Robinhood now available across the U.S. download the Robinhood app now to begin Futures and cleared Swaps Trading involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Event contracts are offered by Robin Hood Derivatives llc, a registered futures commission, merchant and swap firm. Welcome back to the Locked on Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen every single day. Join the everyday club now with Code March and get your first month free. And if you sign up before the NCAA tournament today, you you can comp compete against us in our men's and women's bracket pools over on Discord. The winner in each will get $100 in locked on merch while the rest of us can commiserate in the members only chats as our brackets blow up. And as a member of the club, you get an ad free version of this show. Again, it's all free for a month with Code March @LocketedOn Cowboys Supercast.com all right, Landon, let's talk about Hakeem Mazador, the edge rusher for Miami. He is somebody who we've seen mocked to the Cowboys a lot. Really more at 20, but you're starting to hear more people think about him as an option at 12. Where do you stand with Mesdor given his age concerns he'll be 25 as a rookie and his medical concerns.
B
Yeah, I mean it's it sounds like the thing that that has been kind of moving his stock a little bit is there maybe he got some positive news in the medical we saw. I think it was Vox Lombardi tweet out that that he had heard that the medicals were mostly okay. So if that's the case, it eliminates one of the, or you know, lessons, let's say one of the two major issues that you have with Macedor, right. And, and obviously those both being injuries and age. As he's coming into the league. I think he'll turn 26 this year.
A
He'll be 25 as a rookie. 25.
B
He'll be 25 is the entire rookie year. So yeah, it's, look, I think you watch me or you see the tape and, and it's incredibly impressive. I mean even playing across from Ruben Bane, there are times when he looks even more dominant than Bay. His hand usage is incredibly advanced, you know, as is his age. Fair enough. And I think he has the kind of prerequisite strength to come into the NFL and be ready to play a certain amount of downs early. One thing I don't worry about with Messador and I think he provides a lot of appeal for, for me is that I think he is one of the players that you feel like could come in and with his skill set and his strength as it is right now could come in and can play some snaps for you right away. Like it doesn't feel like there would be as much of a learning curve for him to at least see the field. So there's a lot of downside here. We're going to get into all of it. But the obvious upside to present represent that up front is that this is a supremely talented guy with techniques that are well developed past most normal edge players and he has performed and, and produced at the highest levels and, and I think we talk about the playoffs. The playoffs are such a unique opportunity to evaluate these players because you're getting extra games and it's best on best and, and these guys, both Bane and Messador were absolutely elite in the playoffs.
A
So again with Mezor, the tape is really good. There's no denying denying the 2025 tape is first round worthy. So I, I don't even feel like we needed to get into a debate about that. One of the things I wanted to talk about was the age discussion because yes, you bring this up on social media and you know, I complain about it all the time but so people, they, when they see age and they oh he's 25, that means he's going to be pro ready. We don't really care about what his next contract is going to look like because the Cowboys are trying to win right now. And again I agree the Cowboys are trying to win right now. That's not really what the age discussion is about. It's that usually the best players in college football declare at age 21 or 22. Mezador going into the 2025 season was viewed as a day three pick across the NFL. He played four seasons or sorry, five seasons at that point. He had some good years but nothing like what he had this year. And you're talking about somebody who has a pretty checkered injury past history. So did he just break out in 2025 because he was so much older? Was it because he was healthier? Did the hand technique all really come into phase here in the final year? I think we can debate that, but that's my concern is why did it take you so long to become a first round caliber prospect?
B
And see here, here is, here is my issue with this and all of that is 100% true. I feel like we double count this a couple times because he's older, because he got injured. Right. So like you know, and there was also the COVID Yes, right. Like he was performing and then he got in. He was performance at a younger age and then he got injured and that caused him to miss a large amount of time. So. But that doesn't, like, I'm not trying to discount your point because I, I
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think it is fair.
B
Injuries in the age are what they are. And the other side of it to even further your point is that there's a, there's a dominator rate aspect of this. Right. Rating aspect of this where if you're 24 and you're playing against 19 and 20 year old kids, like is that having an effect on our evaluation of you? Right. Like because you're not going to get be presented with that opportunity in the NFL. I think the particulars of Messador's tape to me point to a player that, you know, I'm not just judging it because he's 25. I'm judging his hand that he's an advanced player. I'm judging it based on his technique and the use of his technique and how often he's able to not only use multiple techniques but string them together. He has a very advanced game. So I'm not, and I'm not suggesting. You're suggesting that, but I'm saying, I mean that's being lost in this is because I think it's easy for us to write that off because he's 25 and say oh, you're just saying that because he's, because he's older. That's not the case with this player. Specifically to me, yeah.
A
And he got to play against Indiana this year in the national championship game against offensive tackles that were just as old as he was.
B
That.
A
That does help. I, I think for me, and where I struggle with Mesdor, it's the age and the injury and I know they're tied together. I know that part of it. On top of he's just. We don't have any athletic numbers on him as well. Now the Miami's pro day is way later because they played in the national championship game. Again, I get it. But you're talking about somebody who has pretty short arms, he's got a pretty short wingspan. Is it just too many boxes that are unchecked that, hey, listen, let him be somebody else's success story? Let's take a player that maybe has a little bit lower upside but far fewer risks. I don't know.
B
Absolutely. I mean, look, look, to a degree, I think that's why this box being slightly unchecked a little bit opens the door for me. His tape is so good that I'm willing to overlook his age and his entry history to a certain degree. And you know, and, and his lack of length because he produced his. His tape is elite. And his tape, the competition he was facing when he was doing it was also elite. So it's like.
A
Yeah, I guess the other part of it is just because I have concerns about Mazador's age doesn't automatically mean that I like Calderick Falk because he's really young, you know, because there's. I have some of the same concerns with Falk on the other end, like how many years away is he from being a NFL ready pass rusher? And honestly, there's a chance just neither of these guys are right for the Cowboys and they should look elsewhere at a different position.
B
Yeah. And look, we have to, we have to like recognize too, and I mentioned it before, the COVID year thing is a thing like this is. And this is probably the last year it is. But. But, but I think it's thrown off all the evaluations in a lot of different ways, to be honest. But, but specifically with the age in these last few draft classes, you just gotten a class of guys coming in at 25, like, you know, dozens of them, as opposed to it being a rarity like it has been in the past. So. Yeah, it's tough to. That's why. And I guess the reason I bring that up is because there's a lot of historical context of players that are 25. And it's like this is kind of extenuating circumstance. That's the problem with messador is to me the whole thing, top to bottom, his, his problems, his, his pros and cons. There's a lot of extenuating circumstances to all of it and it requires extra investigation. Could he be the exception? I don't know. We'll see.
A
I believe, I believe Mazador is. Excuse me, I believe there's only been one player who has been 25 years or older as a rookie who has ever made the Pro bowl as an edge rusher and that's actually Byron Young, who the Rams drafted, I believe, in the third round a couple years ago. Mesara would be the first, first round pick to ever do it. We'll see if he can. Let's talk about Jacob Rodriguez because this is another player that has some red flags, but boy do we love the tape. We'll dive into him next. This episode is brought to you by Five Hour Energy. Welcome to the Five Hour Energy flavor draft. With 18 different flavors to choose from, including new options like Confetti Craze, fruity rainbow or cotton candy. There's something for everyone. The board is set, the flavors are ready, and I've got my number one pick for the five Hour Energy Flavor Draft. It's the cherry. It's absolutely amazing. It's got a bold cherry candy style flavor, it's got a bright and punchy taste, but it's got a little bit of a tangy finish that I absolutely love. Five Hour Energy Shots give you a boost with zero sugar and they've got some really cool flavors planned, so make sure you check them out. Find your new favorite flavor of five hour energy shots available online at Fiveourenergy.com or on Amazon.
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A
Welcome back to the Lot Done Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen every single day. One more player that has some red flags that we need to figure out is Jacob Rodriguez from Texas Tech. And I know you and I are on the same page here. We love the tape and it's I'm still shocked that his consensus ranking is so Low. He finished as the number one rated linebacker by Pro Football Focus in 2025. I believe he finished fifth in Heisman voting. But he's going to be 24 this year. He's undersized. He hasn't been playing linebacker a ton. He was a former quarterback. Is 20 too high to consider drafting Jacob Rodriguez?
B
Not for me, but I, I certainly can understand the, the thought process for all the reasons that we talked about earlier with CJ Allen to some degree. Right. The, the value of the position, the, the kind of specifically unique problem that outside linebackers have with the rookie contract scale and the first round pick and specifically the fifth year option. And just to kind of go over that very quickly again, out linebackers, off ball linebackers are lumped in with outside linebackers, the edge position. Yeah. And there's also this, you know, mechanism that's become a problem for teams with the, the rookie wage scale and the way that the linebacker, the off ball linebacker has been lumped in with outside linebacker. Like, like we have outside linebackers now that are edge players that are pass rushers. Right. What that means is that the fifth year options for off ball linebackers are being lumped in with these very expensive edge players. So the fifth year options for these deals are enormous.
A
Like, I'll give you an example from this year. The Lions have to decide whether they're picking up the fifth year option for Jack Campbell. And because he's made a single Pro Bowl, I believe it's 22 million fully guaranteed. Well, that's more than any other off ball linebacker in the league right now. Even more than Fred Warner. And Jack Campbell's a really good player. But there's no way the Lions are going to want to give a fully guaranteed contract to a linebacker a year from now. I think what they'll probably do is decline it and try to work on some kind of contract negotiation where they can lower that number.
B
Yeah, and it's just become extremely problematic for a couple different folks. And as the numbers go up and they haven't solved it yet, it's something that's going to obviously have to be solved in this upcoming cba. So we'll see how that, we'll see how that goes. But yeah, until then, like, it's just one of these things you have to account for specifically for the linebacker position. And it makes it more difficult for guys that are like this, that are really good players and you really like them, but they're because of their positional value and because of this kind of weird accounting rule. It makes drafting them prohibitively expensive and you almost kind of don't even get the added benefit that you do with other positions of getting that option of
A
a four year player.
B
So it's a four year situation. So, yeah, I think for a lot of teams they would just rather wait to the second round and, and get these kind of players. So I, I don't think that I, I think I like him so much that I probably would be OK, I would be okay with us taking him at 20, but I, it is a pretty serious red flag that you have to account for because of all the accounting situations.
A
And I feel the same way because I love the player. I, I mean, again, I like him more than C.J. allen. I could be totally wrong. I just think he's a playmaker, the ball finds him. He was productive for two years at Texas Tech. I would love having this guy on my team. But I also understand like in terms of drafting, it's probably not the smartest thing in the world to take a linebacker at 20, let alone a linebacker that's going to be 24. Now I will say he's a little bit of a unique circumstance because he doesn't have a ton of wear and tear on his body because he was playing quarterback and not linebacker. But if you told me you could get this guy like at 28, 29 after a trade down, I mean, it's a phenomenal pick. But at 20, you kind of, you kind of have to shake your head a little bit like, okay, I acknowledge we're giving up value, but we love the player.
B
Yeah. And again, I, I think if, if you want to learn anything from this, after you heard us talk about the issues with drafting a linebacker, with C.J. allen, with Rodriguez, who are again, guys that we like, think about how much we must really like Sonny Styles because. Yeah, because like all, all of these problems apply to him. And I still would be willing to execute a trade up to go get Sonny Styles because I think he's that much of a difference maker at the position. He's a rare player at the position. And those kind of rare players that have the great tape and the athleticism, the proven athleticism, those are the kind of guys that you take in the top 10.
A
And you don't mind giving that guy the 50 year option because he's going to be the highest paid player at his position anyway. So it's not that big of a deal. All right, that is it for today's show. We'd like to thank you for making Locked on Cowboys your first listen every single day. If you never miss an episode, the everyday club is built for you. Get Locked on Cowboys ad free plus members only, Discord Access and so much more. Head over to locked on 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 Lockdown NFL Draft podcast. Follow Landon on TwitterCOOLBCB. I'm Arcus underscore Moser and we will see you right back here tomorrow. Not to brag or anything, But Arby's new $7.99 meat and three box is kind of a big deal. The other guys give you just one side. We give you three sides. Not to brag. You get a meaty sandwich, curly fries, Mott sticks, a sweet treat and a drink.
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Date: March 19, 2026
Hosts: Marcus Mosher & Landon McCool
In this draft-focused episode, Marcus Mosher and Landon McCool shine a light on three intriguing but risky round one NFL Draft prospects: C.J. Allen (LB, Georgia), Akheem Mesidor (Edge, Miami), and Jacob Rodriguez (LB, Texas Tech). The hosts dissect the “red flags” these players present, discuss draft value considerations, and openly weigh whether the Dallas Cowboys should target them at various points in the first round. Throughout the episode, both hosts maintain their frank, evaluative style and back-and-forth banter, making it a must-listen for draft nerds and Cowboys fans alike.
| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-------|---------| | 02:46 | "The 12th overall pick for a linebacker who isn’t, you know, kind of exceptional is just, is extremely rich." | Landon | | 03:33 | "He is such a better player than Kenneth Murray… but I have concerns about if you’re ever going to get the value out of this player." | Marcus | | 04:59 | "I view him as a top of the Day 2 and, you know, very, very end of Day 1 type of player." | Landon | | 07:44 | "He was longer. He was way more athletic. And he went 33rd… Why do I have to draft this guy… 23 spots higher?" | Marcus | | 08:28 | "If they take him at 12, you can be a big fan and also acknowledge you’re picking for need… that's how bad teams draft." | Marcus | | 10:23 | "When I watched the linebacker drills, I didn’t view it as a guy who didn’t look athletic. I viewed it as a guy who didn’t look healthy." | Landon | | 15:00 | “He’ll be 25 his entire rookie year… There’s a lot of downside here. We’re going to get into it all.” | Landon | | 18:28 | "You’re 24 and playing against 19/20-year-old kids… is that having an effect on our evaluation of you?" | Landon | | 24:50 | "Not for me, but I certainly can understand the thought process…" | Landon | | 25:49 | "That’s more than any other off-ball linebacker in the league right now." | Marcus | | 27:50 | "…it’s probably not the smartest thing in the world to take a linebacker at 20, let alone one that’s going to be 24." | Marcus | | 28:19 | "Think about how much we must really like Sonny Styles because… all of these problems apply to him. And I still would be willing to execute a trade up to go get Sonny Styles…" | Landon |
For any Cowboys fan or draft enthusiast, this episode is a thoughtful discussion on balancing tape, risk, and value on draft day—especially when it comes to linebackers and edge defenders with “red flags.”