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Tommy Yarish
Lowes knows Sundays are for football. So tackle your home improvement projects by Saturday and earn your Sunday with great deals on LG and Bosch appliances, Select Bounty and Swiffer cleaning products and more. Then once your to do list is done, get ready to kick back, relax and enjoy the game. Shop in store or online now and earn your sundae with help from Lowe's, official partner of the NFL.
Kyle Yeomans
This is the Dallas Cowboys.com draft show
Vach Lombardi
your war room for insider news and draft analysis from deep within the confines
Kyle Yeomans
of Cowboys headquarters at the Star and Frisco.
Vach Lombardi
Now, your hosts, Vach Lombardi, Nick Harris, Bobby Belt, Tommy Yarish and Kyle Yeomans.
Kyle Yeomans
Today is Tuesday, March 10, 2026, and we are 44 days away from the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Welcome in to the draft show presented by Miller Lite, the only beer of the Dallas Cowboys. We've got Fox Lombardi, Nick Harris, Tommy Yarish with Chris Beam in the back of Kyle Yeomans. No Bobby Belt today. He is busy breaking news and working the phone lines for NFL free agency, but we will certainly have him back very, very soon. Gentlemen, have you gotten any rest? Specifically you, Nick Harris.
Nick Harris
I called it at like 10:30 last night. I got a word. Hey, we're probably done for the day. I was like, good, me too. So here I am.
Kyle Yeomans
It sounds good. I'm out.
Nick Harris
So great. I got my eight hours in.
Kyle Yeomans
What about you, Tommy?
Tommy Yarish
Yeah, I did well, last word, No, I did not. But it's all good. Part of it was my own doing. Oh, yeah, I just like typically stay up late anyways.
Kyle Yeomans
Oh, you're a night out.
Tommy Yarish
Yeah, that's fair. That's fair.
Chris Beam
Botch.
Kyle Yeomans
How was your free agent frenzy in day one of the legal tampering period?
Vach Lombardi
Did a couple shows, went home, did four videos, then did a live stream. Then I hopped on some of my YouTube friends livestream, you know, J Tuck, DMV, Roman, all those guys. So I was busy. I was busy 14 hour day yesterday. But you know, the game gonna be the game. You gotta do what you gotta do and you know check's gonna clear.
Kyle Yeomans
Yeah, at some point they will. At some point they will. Now your thoughts on what Dallas did in day one. Does it change any of the draft mindset? Since this is a draft show, if you want actual free agent conversations and takes, you can check out all the other content available from Vodch. Nick and Tommy talking Cowboys this morning. But the. The, the draft mindset now with a starting safety and Jalen Thompson now with another edge rusher. I don't want to say the edge rusher, but a edge rusher in Rashawn Gary. Then you bring back Sam Williams as well. Anything change across the board?
Nick Harris
Yeah, I think the need for linebacker just continues to increase here and it almost makes you wonder how aggressive you want to be for a linebacker. Let's say a Sonny Styles that, you know is probably not going to get to you at 12. Do you try to be maybe aggressive and go up and get them? Or are you hoping for a Jacob Rodriguez situation at 20, linebacker is C.J. allen situation at 20 as well? Yeah, linebacker has shot up the board as the, the most important need on this team right now. But I mean, you could say the same thing for nickel corner. I got a call from someone yesterday on the Pittsburgh beat because we were going back and forth about a certain trade that we can't talk about on these airwaves and they're, they were asking about like, players that maybe can make sense. And he's like, who's, who's the nickel over there right now? I was like, you want to be the nickel? It could be you. It's also ready Steward. But they, they certainly need to hunt down a nickel. I will say the Jalen Thompson AD does give them a lot of flexibility, though, in the secondary. He can play safe, play safety. He could play nickel, he could play in the box. And it could kind of be a situation to where you can draft Thieman or Delane or Terrell or Hood, whoever you want. And it doesn't really impact, you know, it does impact Thompson where he eventually plays, but you're not going to have an overlap with Thompson. And I think that was probably the most important thing to take out of yesterday.
Tommy Yarish
Yeah, I was going to make the point of safety. Like if Athenaman was still there at 20 from Oregon, I would still take him. Or a McNeil Warren from Toledo. I think he can play even though Nick doesn't and hates me for it. I think I would take him at 22. Don't bark at me.
Nick Harris
No, the only thing was the other day you were like, I think he's a good player. I just don't think he can cover range. So I was like, your safety can't play safety. That's what I was asking. I actually like McNeil Ward. I was just asking about your own. Take your own opinion. I don't mind the player. I actually don't. I have a second round grade on him.
Tommy Yarish
I'm sick of you. I'm sick of you anyways. But no, I, I Completely agree with Nick in the sense that linebacker is your biggest need. And I think we, we talked about on this show at some point the, the Brown scenario at number six, right? Taking those two first rounders, moving up to six and picking up 39. If Sonny Styles is on the board with where this team is at right now, and even if they get one of these guys in free agency, that, that's still out there, I pull the trigger on that in a heartbeat. And, you know, you, you build through that and you still get a second round pick you can get. There are so many corners that you can get. Because I think that would be the other one that we're looking at now too, is corner do it. Can they get a veteran guy to come in there? And even if they don't, if they want to look through the draft, you know, a guy like Chris Johnson from San Diego State, I think would be fantastic there. If Colton Hood from Tennessee makes it there, I think they'd be super happy with that. So there are going to be guys that you can get there if in that scenario, whether it's 20 or whether it's 39, in that hypothetical trade where you can get a corner that can come in and play, I ain't changing nothing.
Kyle Yeomans
Nothing at all.
Vach Lombardi
Changing nothing. 12 come around. I'm taking the best dude I could possibly get at 12. I think the board's gonna make you do that. And by the time we get to 20, the board will open up a little bit more and just take the best dude at need at 20 and just kind of figure out whatever later. I mean, just imagine last year if the Cowboys, they didn't get a chance to draft McMillan, right? And they instead say, but we gotta go get a receiver right now. And maybe they overdraft the receiver and they didn't go true to their board. And you miss out on Booker, who' solid and great in year, in year two, more than likely. I don't want to overshoot anything, just go through the draft and like the Cowboys did last year, hey, y', all, draft is over. We still need receiver. Then they'll go and do something afterwards to go address receiver. I just want to go into the draft and get the two best dudes at 12 and 20 that I possibly can. When we get the 114 and beyond, we'll figure it out from there. But I don't want to overdo nothing. Same old, same old for me.
Kyle Yeomans
Does it change anything with the moves? You kind of alluded this a little bit earlier, Nick, but does this Change anything with the moves they've already made saying, hey, maybe linebacker is the number one need in the draft or can they make a move today that changes your mentality? If they go sign a solid linebacker, if they go get a corner, if they go get a another safety to kind of pair with Jalen Thompson. Are we able to read the tea leaves a little bit on what they're thinking and leaning in terms of what the draft class is going to provide them?
Nick Harris
I don't think that they have a thought process as far as hey, we are going to do this in free agency because the draft is this. I think it is truthfully. We're going to go do what we can in free agency. Whatever we can address. Here's the draft. Does that make sense? Completely separate conversation. And so at the end of the day, you know, it could look a lot different than it looks right now. I tweeted out last night the only three off ball linebackers on this team right now are demarving overshone. Shemar James and Justin Baron. So there's, there's a lot those three guys, hey, shoddy Justin Baron in Indianapolis. And maybe we should have put more stock into that, please. But yeah, they have to, they have to address this linebacker spot. No doubt. And I look, let's say that they do bring in a guy that has green dot capabilities and you are comfortable with that. They still need to go get a linebacker. And so it's, it's not going to change the need there. You know, I still think you, Rashawn Gary doesn't change the need. If there's an edge there at 12. It doesn't. And so you know, if there is a Reuben Bane sitting there for you at 12 or if there's a throw another one out there, I don't know why I'm blank. David Bailey, if some somehow he slips to 12. Absolutely. You're running to the, you're running that card in. So it doesn't necessarily change your needs at all. No.
Kyle Yeomans
Is that the right way to look at it?
Vach Lombardi
Should be.
Nick Harris
I feel like. Yeah, yeah.
Kyle Yeomans
I think I'm just making sure. Yeah. I feel like playing devil's advocate trying to create conversation.
Nick Harris
My bad, my bad.
Kyle Yeomans
That's fine.
Vach Lombardi
The damn devil is making sure so good.
Tommy Yarish
That's good. And like you mentioned, Devil is a liar. If you get to a point where after the draft is over too and you're sitting there, oh man, we still need a wide receiver. You can still make moves for one. You can still go trade for somebody.
Vach Lombardi
Kyle, let Me tell you something. If David Bailey get caught with drugs in his trunk and he fall to 12 and team suck at drafting and Ruben bane fall to 20. We just added two edges to the. We just added some edges. We need linebacker, we need safety, we need corner. We'll figure it out. But damn, dog, we got bangin and Bailey no matter how it falls. I think and look, I said this before, I'm saying it again, man, I don't want to be the coward that's making hypothetical trace. Oh, well, let's call Cleveland and get on the phone and go get six and then we'll get stopped. Man, that's cool. I imagine the Cowboys gonna stay at 12 if they move cool. I imagine they gonna stay@12 if my last name was Jones McLay, what am I doing there if I have to sit there and make a pick? I need linebacker, y'. All. But the best players on the board are corner, edge, safety, whatever, dog. I'm just gonna have to pass on linebacker and I'll figure out linebacker later. You know what I mean?
Kyle Yeomans
Kind of like what they did with wide receiver last year and then traded for George Pickens.
Vach Lombardi
Exactly what they did.
Kyle Yeomans
Wide receiver, same kind of thing. And we're seeing clips of David B. At some point. All of the guys that are locks to be big man in the top 10. Yeah, big man touchdown. The guys that are going to be in the locks to be top 10 because there's about 15 guys that are locked to be inside the top 10. Somebody's going to fall. I don't know if it's going to be the drug in the trunk type of situation that you just mentioned.
Vach Lombardi
Of course it won't be, but we
Nick Harris
have something to do with it.
Kyle Yeomans
Yeah, we got some. Got some people.
Vach Lombardi
Officer,
Nick Harris
I got a tip for you
Kyle Yeomans
pointing at this guy. Is there, is there anybody that you're seeing or hearing of right now that could fall in the regards of a Bailey or a Bain or somebody like that because of maybe the short arms from Bang?
Nick Harris
Yeah, I think the Bain's.
Kyle Yeomans
Is that the number one thing?
Nick Harris
I think Bain is probably the likely scenario of the guys we talked about. I will say though. And there's things that are happening above Dallas in the top 11 picks that I think are worth noting as well. Kansas City has lost every single corner basically that they have.
Kyle Yeomans
Yeah, for sure.
Nick Harris
Delane slipping to 12 is all of a sudden not as likely as it was before yesterday.
Vach Lombardi
But they running back Mike.
Nick Harris
But that. That running back might. But also the running back I think could get Taken by the Titans or the Giants. And so there's, There's a lot of situations that I think are playing into it and you wonder how they end up, how the board ends up falling. But I think Reuben Bane, as the days go by and you talk to more and more people, it sounds like there's a better chance that Reuben Bane is there. It sounds like there's a better chance. And there was a, A article that Mike Sando of the Athletic put out where he talked to five executives at the combine and anonymously and he was like, hey, give me who you think is going to get drafted. Top 10. Four of the five had Keldrick Falk in the top 10.
Kyle Yeomans
Wow.
Nick Harris
Yeah. And that there was. There was a lot of oddities in that article, but that was too. Right. Peter woods was. Yeah, three of the five. I believe Peter woods. And I like Peter woods, too. I don't like that. I don't know if I like him top 12.
Kyle Yeomans
I mean, either.
Nick Harris
If you needed a defensive tackle, I would say take them at 20.
Vach Lombardi
Yeah.
Nick Harris
But I think you're going to have so many good players right there at 20 that where it's kind of splitting hairs. And that's where you split the hair is like, okay, the defensive tackle roster is really solid. But yeah, I think Ruben Bane might be your best scenario at 12 in a fall situation.
Kyle Yeomans
Okay, so let's say Delane does go early because teams need corners early. The number one names that everybody's looking at, the downs, the Baileys, the Baines, the Styles, all go and you get semi wiped out, but not completely wiped out, and you've already signed a safety. Would you still be okay drafting Dylan Theeneman out of Oregon at 12?
Nick Harris
100%.
Kyle Yeomans
You would still be okay there.
Vach Lombardi
I would not.
Nick Harris
Why is that?
Vach Lombardi
Because he's a two on my board and I know he ran well at the combine, but I thought he ran fine on film. I don't want to bump him a whole day. And look, just because he's a two on my board doesn't mean he won't get drafted in the first round. Like on my top 50 stack, he's my 19th guy. You know what I'm saying? So I just wouldn't want to skip over other guys that I have ranked. Ranked higher than him just because, oh, well, he has draft hype now. You understand what I'm saying? Like, I got him as a second round graded guy. I don't want to take him at 12. If I got him as a second round graded guy, especially if I got a first round grader or a better dude, you know, in front of him. You see what I'm saying?
Kyle Yeomans
Yeah. I have him as a first round grade but I appreciate the standing on the board for it and believing in your eyes because that's what this is all about. But even if, let's say he has picked one or the other times, we've got the draft magazine coming out in a couple of weeks and there's a very good chance you're going to see the green and yellow of Dylan the Enemy on the COVID of it. Because I do think there's a strong chance there's interest there. Even with the signing of Jalen Thompson, where would he fit if he ended up being a pick for Dallas?
Nick Harris
Yes.
Vach Lombardi
Do they fit together wherever Thompson is not thienam is going to the other spot.
Kyle Yeomans
And that goes to the versatility that Christian Parker wants, right?
Nick Harris
Yeah.
Kyle Yeomans
Where they can use both of those guys in different, different ways.
Nick Harris
Yeah. And it may alleviate the issues that you're going to have at linebacker. Those guys shouldn't be playing linebacker, but I think it can alleviate the issues by having both of them.
Vach Lombardi
Yeah.
Kyle Yeomans
When it comes to the edge rusher spot, do you need anybody different than the type of player you're getting from Rashan Gary? Do you need a speed rusher? Do you need a power rusher? Who are you looking for now and does that change a little bit with his acquisition?
Vach Lombardi
Gary's your power rusher now and he's a, he's a run game guy for you now. You know what I'm saying? So if you want somebody that's bendy and look man, he got some, some athleticism for 277 and you know we got a pass rush specialist in the house now, so ain't no telling what's gonna happen with Gary after coach BT Jordan. Jordan gets.
Kyle Yeomans
They worked together previously, right?
Vach Lombardi
Correct.
Nick Harris
Every offseason for the last seven years.
Vach Lombardi
Sure. But I really think you're open to add whoever you want to add. Of course not the bigger falk type cats or whatever, but as far as a rushing linebacker type dude, I think whether that dude is bendy or whether that dude is a power so bendy like Howell from A and M, height from Tech or if they're like a more of a power dude like Mesador from Miami or whatever, I think you'll be fine just adding dudes. I think if it's Gary, Donvan Nezoraku, some draft cat and maybe a cheap free agent dude, Sam Williams, that's James Houston or whatever. Okay, James Houston. I think the Cowboys would roll that out and feel good about it. I think Cowboy Nation would love to add another, bigger name, better dude to that. But I think personally, the Cowboys will feel fine with that group of six dud.
Kyle Yeomans
Not going to address any other free agent. Ed Dresher. Big name guys. Let's. I mean, Trey Hendrickson is the elephant in the room. That's the one everybody wants to see. If they don't find the number that's right there, they're going to have to address something else before going into the draft. Right, Tommy? Because I think you got to at least fix whatever's on the back end with linebacker or corner or whatever. If you don't anticipate to have another blue chip edge rusher.
Tommy Yarish
Yeah, you have to, because it's the pass rushers that make everybody else's job easier. So if you're. If you say to yourself, look, we recognize we may not have the best pass rush unit out there, then we need guys at the second level and the third level who can not make up for it necessarily, but still be able to hold down the fort. So that's why linebacker, you're looking at everything right now, and that's why it's probably your biggest, neatest thing, Stan. But I still think you need a couple of corners. And, you know, whether it be free agency or if you want to use 12 on a guy, I struggle seeing who it would be if Delane is off the board because I don't feel good about, you know, the Cowboys taking McCoy. I don't think they're in the market for players coming off of injury. But, yeah, I would say corner and linebacker pretty quickly become those two positions where you're looking to add some more.
Vach Lombardi
To your point, Kyle, I will say Gary may not stop you from drafting another edge. Let's just say a 20, because 12 can be anything Hendrickson does.
Kyle Yeomans
Yeah, I think it would.
Vach Lombardi
Hendrickson does. Now, if Bain is the best player available at 12, I'm not playing around with 12 a whole bunch. Yeah, just take.
Kyle Yeomans
Just take the player.
Vach Lombardi
Take Bane. Look, we got Gary Bane and we just got a full room now. It just is what it is.
Kyle Yeomans
We'll be Seattle in that regard, which I'm okay with.
Vach Lombardi
We'll just be Seattle. But I think at 20, I think all those names that you got written down at 20, assuming that Hendrickson gets here, I don't think so. But those. Those names go away in my opinion. And that probably has to be linebacker or safety at that point.
Kyle Yeomans
Yeah. All right, let's take our first break. When we come back, it's Twitter on the 20. But later in the show, because of the new need or the growing need at linebacker, we're going to dive deep into this linebacker class with some linebacker superlatives on our film study that we've had as of late. More of the draft show to come right after this.
Tommy Yarish
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Tommy Yarish
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Kyle Yeomans
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Nick Harris
So we're trying to get Tommy to fight more on this show, right? And Vodch very quietly sneak dissed him in the last what I say. And Tommy, Tommy pointed it out in the break and so we need to get it addressed right here. So tale of the tape right here. Tommy had thrown out the Cleveland trade about going up to six and getting 39, which is fair. And not five minutes later, Marty to my left, goes over here, says that's a coward move. So Tommy, tell them why. You're not a coward. Tell them why. First of all, stand on the table.
Vach Lombardi
You are, you are not a good instigator with this voice buffer, Bruce Buffer.
Kyle Yeomans
I feel like that was his best.
Tommy Yarish
Kyle, I thought that's pretty solid. Hey look, you know you're next.
Nick Harris
Let him finish. I'm coming.
Tommy Yarish
You can call me whatever you'd like. I was Just throwing an option out there. I got nothing but love for vouch. I just hate that I got sneak dissed for for no reason.
Nick Harris
Tell him why it's not cowardly. Tell him why it's not cowardly.
Tommy Yarish
I don't think it's cowardly. Go get.
Nick Harris
Tell him why he's a coward.
Tommy Yarish
You get no, he's not. I don't want to disrespect my guy, but you, I'm good.
Vach Lombardi
We talking.
Tommy Yarish
You go and get one of the best players in the draft. I got no problem with that.
Vach Lombardi
Tommy, I wasn't talking about you specifically, but for the.
Nick Harris
Sounded like it.
Vach Lombardi
But for the sake of content, we got the fighting. But for the sake of content, fine, Sure. I just don't like this world where we get uncomfortable and we. And this. This is if you want to be you, but it's for anybody, right? Where we get uncomfortable with a trade scenario or just a draft board scenario and we go straight to all right, if I was in a pff mock or something, what would I do? Well, I would trade back and I hate my drafts. That got 15 picks on them.
Nick Harris
That does annoy me because they didn't
Vach Lombardi
trade back a hundred. That ain't real life to me. What now? If the Cowboys trade up or down, we're either gonna be shaking hands, fist pumping, going to jail, whatever. But what I like to do is I like to get comfortable with the idea of I hate picking here. What would I do? You know what I'm saying?
Kyle Yeomans
I don't think.
Vach Lombardi
Hey, Cleveland, six overall, boy, boy, I know y' all would love Sonny Styles right now. We would too. Would you like to draft later? And look, gimme another one of your picks too, by the way. Give me another one of the day. Two picks that you want and six overall. It makes sense on the trade value chart, but come on, let us get Sonny Styles or downs or something. If I'm Cleveland, I'm hanging up the phone.
Nick Harris
Cleveland wants to parachute out.
Vach Lombardi
Good. Shouts out to them. If they do it, fine. If I'm Cleveland, I don't know what they owner, general manager name is, what the name is.
Nick Harris
I know you know, I don't.
Vach Lombardi
Don't worry about it.
Kyle Yeomans
It's the Brown.
Nick Harris
It changes every two years because they suck at drafting.
Vach Lombardi
If my last name was Brown and the Cowboys call me with that nonsense.
Kyle Yeomans
Brown's name was Brown.
Vach Lombardi
I'm going to take the best dude I could get at 6 and say F off. I'm sticking right here. So as cowboy guy, I don't Want to. I don't, I don't, I don't like the recreational mocks the recreational trade.
Nick Harris
I don't think this is recreational. I think this is a very valid trade. That cut.
Tommy Yarish
I would agree. Would you do it if Cleveland. Cleveland gets three first round picks of that trade.
Vach Lombardi
If you was Cleveland, would you do.
Nick Harris
We're not worried about Cleveland.
Vach Lombardi
If you Cleveland, no.
Nick Harris
But Cleveland has already mentioned they want to parachute out.
Vach Lombardi
But why wouldn't you.
Nick Harris
This has nothing to do with it.
Vach Lombardi
If you was Cleveland, if your last name was Brown, would you do it?
Nick Harris
They have already mentioned that they want to parachute out.
Tommy Yarish
If you're telling me I get three first round picks.
Vach Lombardi
Tommy, if your last name was.
Tommy Yarish
You have a young team and you did you drafted as well.
Vach Lombardi
Y' all want to fight? If your last name was Brown, you
Kyle Yeomans
were Mr. Cleveland Brown.
Tommy Yarish
Three first round picks in this draft. With this trade, you get three first rounds.
Vach Lombardi
Let me lean forward because Jerry Madden would tell me to lean forward when I make a good one time.
Tommy Yarish
Yes, sir.
Vach Lombardi
You talk on this show all day about how much you like Styles and Downs and Bailey and all those guys. You telling me you want to trade away from them dudes? How many first round grades you. You, you have on your board?
Tommy Yarish
Probably about put me on the spot here. 12.
Vach Lombardi
You want to get, you want to get out that range. You want to go. I think that's the big point too. Any other draft, yeah, Cleveland, I'll parachute out and still get.
Kyle Yeomans
Still got 18 first rounds.
Nick Harris
I think we're getting misconstrued If I
Vach Lombardi
got 18 first round grades.
Nick Harris
I think we're getting misconstrued here. The question is not if, if we think Cleveland should. The question, the question here is if we think the Cowboys should, which is a yes.
Vach Lombardi
I think it's all nonsense and it's a way to get away from the exercise of we've gotten wiped out and I want Styles real bad. I want Styles real bad. So let me come up with a scenario to get the Browns from moving away from Styles or to get the Browns from moving away from downs. If every draft is different, I just, I just looked it up every day. The other day, what's my pass rusher with the Rams? Florida State, where he. Jared Verse. Jared verse. He was 19th overall.
Kyle Yeomans
Yeah.
Vach Lombardi
This draft's so different from that. This draft is so different from that. So If I got 12 first round grades and Mendoza may be 13, but I ain't looking at quarterbacks or whatever, I'm the Browns, I'm moving out of the range of the elite dudes. Because the Cowboys want one Cleveland Browns
Nick Harris
known good drafting organization. That's what I'm saying. It's like they've already mentioned they want to parry.
Kyle Yeomans
If that's the case, get more darts for the dartboard.
Vach Lombardi
I think the opposite. If I'm a team that's bad at drafting, I'm hitting on the better dude.
Kyle Yeomans
Makes sense.
Vach Lombardi
I don't want the picks in the 12s and 20s where I miss.
Nick Harris
I was being sarcastic.
Vach Lombardi
It's cool. We talking. You know what I'm saying?
Nick Harris
They suck at drafting.
Vach Lombardi
They probably do, but they probably won't. They ain't miss on Miles Garrett because it was right there for him, first overall.
Nick Harris
He would hope so.
Vach Lombardi
And in this class, I feel good about six and the Cowboys want to feel great about six.
Nick Harris
For sure, man.
Vach Lombardi
Please, you don't have to get. What you doing, Kyle. Trying to take pictures of us?
Kyle Yeomans
No, I wanted to bring it into the round so we could get into Twitter on the Twitter twin.
Vach Lombardi
Go ahead. Twitter on the twin. Look.
Kyle Yeomans
Great.
Vach Lombardi
Good. Good job instigating. Great fight. Good job getting us back on track.
Nick Harris
Yeah, the referee got in the mix here.
Kyle Yeomans
It was an ad.
Chris Beam
Sorry.
Kyle Yeomans
Time now for some Twitter on the 20.
Vach Lombardi
Bean, if you were the Browns, would you trade back? Time out. Let Chris Bean talk. Chris Bean, if you was the Browns with six overall, would you trade out of your first round grades for Dallas? What'd he say?
Kyle Yeomans
Yeah, he wouldn't do it.
Vach Lombardi
Appreciate you being.
Kyle Yeomans
I don't think I would either.
Tommy Yarish
I'm taking three first round picks.
Kyle Yeomans
All right.
Vach Lombardi
Yeah, cool. Go, go take Peter woods or something while we got shiny.
Tommy Yarish
They need quantity and quality, not quality.
Vach Lombardi
Yeah.
Kyle Yeomans
So Ismael brings up a conversation with what the Cowboys have already done in free agency and with the lack of. Of linebackers there. How about a dream scenario for you guys? And what would end up happening if these three names were on the board at 12? Sonny or 6. Maybe it's more likely that this is actually more likely at six. So let's. Let's. Let's throw that in the. In the possible equation too. Sonny Stiles, Reuben Bain, Caleb Downs are on the board.
Vach Lombardi
Oh, them dudes gone as well.
Kyle Yeomans
So let's say it's at six.
Vach Lombardi
Okay, so say it again.
Kyle Yeomans
All three of those guys, with what you've already done, adding a safety, adding an edge, rusher, Sonny Styles, Ruben bang. Caleb Downs. Who are you taking out of that?
Vach Lombardi
Downs is the highest player on my board out of that group.
Tommy Yarish
So I'm going Downs Downs as well.
Kyle Yeomans
Yeah, a little bit of a pause.
Nick Harris
It's just because I've been thinking over the last, like, week and a half, I need to see these second check medicals on downs. I know everyone's trying to like, which is fair. Throw it out and throw it away. It could be an agent working overtime. And so that's where I'm having a little bit of pause. I'm saying downs right now, but I want to see the second medicals, and
Kyle Yeomans
I don't blame you for doing so. We're taking a look at some of the downs film here from actually the College Football Playoff against Miami. But do you think at any point on draft weekend, it's possible that those second medicals start kind of emerging and his name does start slipping even further than what Dallas would be willing to take at 12 is there with the background of this injury, do you think it's enough to scare teams that much?
Nick Harris
I don't. I don't. I don't think so. Okay. I don't think so. It depends on how bad, like, how much time he'll miss with the partially torn meniscus, if that's ends up being something legitimate. But as we've laid out on the show, the potentially degenerative acl, it can mean a lot of things, and teams look at that differently. And it just kind of depends on how the Cowboys look at it at the end of the day.
Kyle Yeomans
Yeah, no, go ahead. Next question is, MC wants to know what is everyone's thoughts on the capability of Styles possibly wearing a green dot in his rookie year? Do you think he has that ability based on the conversations that you've had?
Nick Harris
100,000% he's worn the green dot for the last two years.
Kyle Yeomans
Think so.
Tommy Yarish
Completely agree with Nick.
Vach Lombardi
He can do it, but I wouldn't like it. I wouldn't like it. You know, I'm not the biggest fan of putting all the responsibility on the young guys. That's what I like about the Thompson signing for the Cowboys is that the nickel position is supposed to be the most. It's the biggest thing out of everything. Right. I wouldn't want to take all that responsibility and put that on the young guy. I like the idea of having Thompson, whether it be two or three years, however long, and then whoever the rookie he is, step in after that to kind of take over everything. And I would say the same about linebacker, but if you wiped out and you miss all the linebackers in free agency and you ain't got no damn choice, then, yeah, let. Let Him. Let him. Let him do it. Let Sonny do it.
Kyle Yeomans
There you go. Smalls wants to know, Smalls, how do the moves in free agencies affect 1 through 11, possibly and who might end up dropping to 12? You kind of alluded to one or two of those possibilities. Do you mind running through to top? Top one through 11?
Nick Harris
Yeah. Well, I'll say this about the Titans. The Titans surely loaded up on the defensive side of the ball. I think that helps you. The Raiders certainly loaded up on the defensive side of the ball. Not that they would have taken anyone other than Fernando Ben Doza at number one overall. The Chiefs are going to need a corner. So you probably lose a corner at number nine overall. Trying to think of some other teams in the mix there.
Vach Lombardi
Just probably locked in with Reese. Probably.
Nick Harris
Yeah. Maybe. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. What does Arizona need? Yes.
Kyle Yeomans
Offensive line probably the most.
Vach Lombardi
Yes.
Kyle Yeomans
I think that might be where you see Maanoa go.
Nick Harris
Mao. It just depends on which. Which tackle they feel.
Kyle Yeomans
Yeah. Either him or Fano. Like or Freeling.
Nick Harris
I think we've seen Freeling start to get some top 10 level.
Kyle Yeomans
Can you tell me about him a little bit? We haven't talked about him enough.
Nick Harris
Yeah. Monroe Freeling off at the tackle out of Georgia has tested off the charts. Really consistent, reliable during his time in Athens as well. He's just got the required size. He's got the more than the required athleticism.
Tommy Yarish
Yeah.
Nick Harris
I think it was a four nine one that he ran at the combine and it's a guy that's shooting up guys draft or teams, draft boards. I can see him going top 10 if a team really falls in love with him that you. You hope for that if you're the Cowboys. 100%.
Kyle Yeomans
Yeah. I mean you talk about guys who maybe didn't have the same kind of backing as some of the guys that have come before him like Marius Mims and Broderick Jones, some of those guys that were one year starters at Georgia. He brings that. That same kind of punch. I really liked watching him play. Moves laterally as well as anybody at the position. His footwork and balance are very stout. Knows how to mirror really well at the line of scrimmage a lot. Frame doesn't feel maxed out quite yet too. I think he could still kind of tack on a little bit of extra poundage there. Six foot seven and change and he's got some. He's got some room to grow. Could still add some more weight and expand. Expand. That athletic profile is what I had here. I said the hands kind of need A little bit more work. He miss his placements out wide especially a couple times it gets ripped away because of it. But really good player overall and like you said, the athleticism already off the charts. But he can still add mass and then if he adds mass and I think it's a, it's a, it's a wash. He's going to be one of the better developmental guys in the draft. So somebody needs offensive lineman there up in the top 10. I think that's a possibility.
Vach Lombardi
That's some weight room too. Nick, let me ask, what do you think him being like not the only but like one of the only pure left tackles matter where teams kind of view him.
Nick Harris
Yeah.
Vach Lombardi
Because some teams may have Malo as a guard, some teams may see Fano as a one sided guy or they may not like Proctor and his movement or whatever.
Nick Harris
Yeah. As well. I think you can throw it in the mix. Yeah. I think that plays a big factor into it if you're looking for a guy that can protect you for the long term. I think Monroe Freeling gives you that. Gives you that ability to do that.
Kyle Yeomans
Where do you have Ihana Chor second round.
Vach Lombardi
I got second round on him.
Nick Harris
Yeah, I like him. I like him a lot. I. I've seen a few respected mocks that have him going back in first round.
Kyle Yeomans
Wow.
Nick Harris
So. So yeah, I'm curious to see where he ends up playing.
Kyle Yeomans
I keep having he's touching tags with Caleb Lomu from Utah with me, I like Lomu a lot as well. And I think those two guys kind of have gone back and forth for me.
Vach Lombardi
You want to know one thing that'll really separate how you feel about Max and Caleb is watch how they both handle the tech guys. Common opponents, that's a good idea. Common opponents means a whole bunch to me. And Maxi Honuchor kind of got whooped on a little early, but I feel like he adapted because he has fantastic feet by the way. So he kind of fix it a little bit later. Mellow height. I'll say it till I'm blowing the face and we on to the next draft class. Put hands and feet, elbows and knees on Lomu and I was like damn dog adjust. And he didn't. But to Fano's point, Thanos had a really good day against Baylor. So that's why I got Fano a little. Yeah, he did it decent day against Bay. Baylor still got his.
Nick Harris
But how do you feel about Romello Hype?
Vach Lombardi
I like Melo so much and I don't care that he's our age, you know, or my age. Cause you're younger than me. I think he has a really good feel for how to pass rush and I love nuances a lot more than other people. Some people like the actual physical traits more and I think he has fantastic physical traits. But he knows how to like set up rushes. He know like you'll watch him set something up in the first and second quarter and then timely in the fourth, boom, he'll hit you with it. And I love that so much about any rusher, especially him. Cause he's 29 years. How old is he? 25? 26.
Nick Harris
He's 25. Yeah.
Vach Lombardi
He's an old dude and the more ball that you play, you just pick up on these things, you know. So some teams may covet the 20 year old with a lot more room to grow, but I value Melo a bunch and he's a second round guy for me behind Cashes.
Nick Harris
He'll be, he'll turn 25 the week before the draft. The thing I ask is the six years in college, four different institutions. He had a really good season at Texas Tech, but it didn't really explode for him until the year before at Georgia Tech. So yeah, I just, I, I, I wonder about guys who go to four schools. You know that, that, that is concerning I think at the next level. But I think you see the consistency and you're right. I think he, he has pass rush plan which I think is what you kind of laid out there. And, and that's really important.
Tommy Yarish
He might bring in a little bit smaller than y' all thought. Did come in a little bit smaller than you thought. 6, 2, 2, 34.
Nick Harris
Yeah. Cause he's listed at 6, 3, 2, 40 on Texas Tech website.
Tommy Yarish
So yeah, a little bit smaller. That was, I mean it wasn't a deal breaker for me. I still, I've got a high third on him. But, but I mean his pursuit suit is great. I mean his motor is fantastic. You've seen it on some of these clips here. He just is relentless unfortunately getting after my guy Connor Wigman there. But the fact that it took until this year really for things to blow up. The lone question I have is it, did it happen because of Bailey and Lee Hunter? Is that why we started to see him take off this year? Regardless, I think technically he's a great player and you've got the motor to mirror it, but that's, that's what will worry me. And up against the bigger, stronger tackles, is he going to be able to power through it?
Kyle Yeomans
I would argue, I would argue that he took off at Georgia Tech and he may have done it at UFC or USC the year before that, but he had shoulder injuries, he missed a lot of time at usc. And so I think when it comes to his production, it was consistent. And then it may have taken a step forward because of Lee or Lee Hunter and because of David Bailey. I think they have plenty of opportunities, opportunities around him. And you got a badass linebacker behind
Vach Lombardi
you as well also too though. Kyle and Tommy too, or just anybody's listening. I played center back in the day, right? And this is the one thing that I hate the most about my football career. I didn't learn how to really down block until the last play of my last game that I ever played. You never know when you gonna get the moment of clarity.
Kyle Yeomans
It's gonna click.
Vach Lombardi
You never know what rep is gonna be. But there's like this little push pull technique that helps with your down block and whatever. I never understood it, but the last drive of my last game, I'll never forget it. I cuss real loud. I was like cuss word. That's it. But I'm done playing football now, you know what I'm saying? So in terms of mellow height and how that's in reference to this convo, he could be a seventh year player. If you got it, if you got it on that last year and I see that you got it and you consistently doing it, it versus competition, then you got it. I don't care that you didn't know it your second year or your third year for you, it may just take longer than somebody else to like learn how to do stuff in a game. Cuz we can learn stuff at practice, but doing it in a game where it's like muscle memory and it's on film that he's doing it. So shouts out to him for doing it. At 26 or whatever, 25 years old,
Nick Harris
he, he just has to be ready to hit the ground running because like look at last year's draft class for example. Like Savone Revel doesn't have a lot of time because he's approaching 26 years old at this point. Shemar James, 20 when he arrived in the building. He's got a lot of time to figure it out. So it's just, you know, it's kind of the juxtaposition on age and how you value that in the draft.
Vach Lombardi
Would you guys think that the, that the Joneses are going to think about the next three to four to five years for a player as opposed to the next 12 years. Like, do y' all think that'll. That'll matter here? Like, if I'm. If I'm. If I have a quarterback that's older and we feel like our window is three to five years. Right, Right. Would I then go, hey, I normally like younger players and a 12 year outlook, but because of the shorter window now I'll take a dude that's older because we not thinking long term. For real. We trying to win games in the next three to five years.
Kyle Yeomans
Yeah.
Vach Lombardi
So Melo being 30 by the time we at the end of our window doesn't matter as much to me.
Kyle Yeomans
I. I think that could play a factor. But they've also had success drafting the younger guys 1000 early too. I mean, you think about Tyler Smith and Tyler Booker. Both of those guys were young, young when they were drafted. I mean, Booker's still young, and Tyler to a certain extent, still young too. And they've had success. Those are some of their better hits in the first round as of late. So I think it could kind of go both ways. But I'm just. I see what you're saying, and I think, yes, in terms of what they have in the past, I think they would be more open to doing so. Final question for Twitter on the 20. Jake wants to know. Before the combine, when wipeout scenarios were discussed, it felt like the fallback option was always Jermob McCoy, the corner out of Tennessee. But now that we know what his medicals are and what is not going to be an option with him as a fallback scenario, who else could be the fallback and wipeout scenario if the top defensive prospects are gone off the board?
Vach Lombardi
Somebody on offense.
Nick Harris
We've talked about Dylan Thieman quite a bit. Yeah. Yeah. So Dylan Thienaman. I don't even think that's a wipeout scenario. I think I'm more than okay with it. Here you go, 12. He's gonna end up being my last first round. Okay. So he may end up being the last one left on the board when 12 gets around.
Kyle Yeomans
Maybe. Might be. What? What? Who would be your fallback? You said offensive guy there.
Vach Lombardi
I just don't want to mess around with the board too much, you know what I'm saying? If it's the right tackle from Miami and I know Terrence just did his thing, hey, man, just take the best dudes and figure it out later. Take the best. Oh, I'm not opposed to going wide receiver. I'm. I'm not. I'm not. Take the best guy. Carnell Tate will be fun here. He'll be. He'll be phenomenal. Look at Nick Face. He'll be phenomenal here. D. Know just what to do with a Carnell Tate type guy. Please. CD Lamb a gotta lead a slide as y' all crazy.
Tommy Yarish
Yeah, I'm with Vodch. I think you take the best guy that's there at that point, if. If you're just completely wiped out. Nothing in front of you. You. You stick to your board and trust it.
Nick Harris
I mean, we might get a copyright strike for playing the entire Cotton bowl in this episode. We talked about so many Ohio State guys. It's been. It's been a pleasure. Pleasure.
Kyle Yeomans
It is. All the. The TV copy. Sorry. Espn. I'm contracted. They can. They can find it on my contract, I guess
Vach Lombardi
you say what? There you go.
Kyle Yeomans
Get off. Get off. Yeah, I got that insurance package. All right.
Tommy Yarish
Contracted.
Kyle Yeomans
When we come back here. When we come back here. On the draft show.
Vach Lombardi
I work at YouTube.
Kyle Yeomans
Let's talk about agency.
Nick Harris
Came early.
Vach Lombardi
Yeah.
Kyle Yeomans
You can help us out in that regard.
Vach Lombardi
I'd be.
Kyle Yeomans
Damn linebacker. Draft superlatives. Who were the most technically skilled? Biggest upside linebacker, biggest risk linebacker, and most likely to become a cowboy. Now with the need at linebacker more glaring now than ever. More of the draft show right after this.
Tommy Yarish
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Get almost anything you need delivered with Uber Eats. What do we mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well groomed lawn delivered, but you can get a chicken parm delivered. A day at the lake. That's a no. A Philly cheesesteak? That's a yes.
Kyle Yeomans
Yes.
Chris Beam
An afternoon stroll? Sorry, no. A burrito bowl? Happily, yes. What about a day of sunshine? Not happening. A box of fine wines? Yes, that is happening. Delivery is on its way. Okay, how about some clear skies? Nope. Well, then how about some french fries? Yep. A little escape? No. A delicious bowl of grapes? Yes. Yes, that. How about a freshly cut lawn? Can't help you there. But barbecued prawns? Order it and it's on its way. Get almost. Almost anything delivered with UberEats. Order now. Alcohol and select markets. Product availability may vary by region. See app for details, get almost almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now.
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Vach Lombardi
And they snap it to Prescott who looks right. It's not there.
Kyle Yeomans
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Vach Lombardi
He'll run for a first down.
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this is the Dallas Cowboys.com draft show. Get excited for the most dazzling DCC experience. Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Live is coming to a theater near you. Witness iconic group and solo performances, enjoy on stage Q and A sessions and even be a part of a live audition. For dates and Tickets, visit Dallas cowboyscheerleaders.com tour back here with the draft show Vox Lombardi, Nick Harris, Tommy Yarish, Chris Beam in the back and Kyle Yeomans. Linebacker is a point of contingency right now for Cowboys fans out there, I think. And we were talking in the break a little bit there. Nick, you secured two starters on or on defense yesterday.
Nick Harris
Yeah.
Kyle Yeomans
You traded for Rashawn Gary, you signed Jalen Thompson, they made moves and the same message was displayed this morning on Talking Cowboys. But I really do think they have made some significant strides at least in day one. Are they the biggest spenders? No. Are they the biggest winners so far? The legal tampering period? No. But they also didn't have necessarily the capital to do that. But what they do have are two first round picks and one of those right now seems like it is headed straight for linebacker. So let's dive deep into the linebacker position. Let me be very clear, this does not have to be first round caliber players. This can be any linebacker that you've evaluated at any point. Let's name some linebacker draft superlatives. Some of these will be self explanatory, other ones will not be and we can go dive deeper a little bit into it. But let's start with the most technically skilled linebacker in the draft class that you've watched so far. Thomas.
Tommy Yarish
Me.
Kyle Yeomans
I'll let you start.
Tommy Yarish
It's tough for me, but I'll go with. Can I get a tie? I'll do tie between CJ Allen and Jacob Rodriguez. CJ Allen from Georgia, Jacob Rodriguez from Texas Tech. I mean George has been a linebacker factory for the last decade so and C.J. allen's kind of the next in line. And then I know you scout the player, not the helmet, but he just is always, he reads everything very well. He's in the right places at the right time and he just plays the position at a really high level. And then Rodriguez too does all those same things. But what, what sticks out about Rodriguez is his punch for the ball, his constant seeking of trying to get his hands on it. You see the pass breakup there. But his technique in trying to knock the ball free and always making a play on it and punching at it is phenomenal. And that production certainly flourished last season for Texas Tech. You just see him, his eyes right there on that play too, unfortunately. Picking off my guy, Connor Wigman. Again, why so many Connor Wigman, Lowlights, man, he was fantastic last year. Who did it with Timmy Houston, quarterback
Nick Harris
six round next year.
Vach Lombardi
Oh, okay. Yeah, I don't know the people first
Tommy Yarish
overall, but yeah, I would go with with those two guys, I think they do it really well.
Nick Harris
I am going to roll with Torian York, linebacker out of Texas A and M. Not only some of the lowest missed tackle numbers in the entire class at the linebacker position, but you look at his coverage and I he is so sound in the middle of the field. He's green dotted that Texas A and M defense. He came in as like a throw in recruit at Texas A and M very late in the process just because they had a spot open up. And he immediately played as a freshman and got all SEC freshman team honors. This guy can handle communication in the middle. He understands passing lanes. He understands zone and man coverage. He can play in the slot and man up on your tight ends or some of your bulkier, compact slots that we see now. He's not the biggest guy in the world and that's what eventually you can say it, right? Say what?
Kyle Yeomans
He's small.
Nick Harris
He's small. Yeah, he's small. I wasn't trying to get around.
Vach Lombardi
I'm not the biggest guy in the world.
Nick Harris
Small. 5 10, 2 27. So like the 510 is really going to hurt him.
Kyle Yeomans
But his film is fun.
Nick Harris
He's Ivan Pace. He is Ivan Pace. I think a little bit souped up. I think he's going to get drafted to a team. Somebody's going to draft him later than he should be drafted and he's going to start and he's going to be really effective and everyone's going to look around and be like, how did we let this guy slip? It's because he's 2 inches smaller than everyone else. This is a football player. I am a huge tory in new guy. So most technical. Absolutely. I'm going with the Temple Texas product.
Vach Lombardi
York is nice. I'll pivot because I was gonna say York. Josiah Trotter from Missouri. But him navigating blocks is the more technical side. A lot of guys don't like dealing with blockers at all. I see him use hands. I see him get leveraged. I see him staying square. I see him not really trying to dodge and get out the way or whatever. I also see him just identifying things and just beating offensive linemen to the landmark. So I would say Joe. So I'm a big, big fan of him.
Kyle Yeomans
Okay. Great names across the board. Most athletic linebacker in the class. Is it Styles?
Tommy Yarish
Yeah.
Nick Harris
It's got to be a freak show. I'll just throw one in. Day three, it's he's not more than Styles, but Caleb Elarm's or out of TCU he had a huge combine.
Kyle Yeomans
I like him a lot. I think he'd be a great option for Dallas to double dip because right now I think they are going to probably spend a first round pick. Onlinebacker it kind of seems that way. Tell me a little bit about him as we take a look at some of the film here.
Nick Harris
Yeah, athletic and he's handled communication in the middle for TCU as well. He's a five year player at for the Horn Frogs and you talk to people at TCU and this is one of their big defensive leaders as well. There was a point in time last year where it looked like this season was really going to get tanked for the Horn Frogs and guys like Halo B Larm's or really started to come up big and ended up getting recognized by the Big 12 at the end of the season for his play. He's fantastic player. I wonder about his size at the next level. He's a little narrow, narrowly built and I wonder if that narrow frame can actually work on a down to down basis in the NFL. But the athleticism is certainly there.
Kyle Yeomans
Yeah, top 10 in the FBS and tackles this last year. But he wasn't always kind of that guy. I mean he took advantage of his opportunity after waiting his turn for two seasons at California, turned around from Cal after having 92 tackles in 2023. Went to TCU, was the backup there off the bench in 13 games. But then once he got his chance to start 130 tackles, top 10 in the FBS in that category yet 11 tackles for loss, four sacks. Rangy, athletic, second level guy who can cover. I like everything he brings there and I you talk about tcu. I was there this weekend for a baseball series and I asked one of them. I'm sorry I'm throwing water bottles out
Nick Harris
on the ESPN contract.
Kyle Yeomans
It was not. It was a. It was a fill in radio gig. But the T
Chris Beam
work.
Vach Lombardi
Let me see you watch today. What you got on your wrist today Kyle it's just something shiny I got.
Kyle Yeomans
I'm waiting for a text message just to the no, I asked somebody at TCU that works for their football program and he was the first name out of their mouth. I asked him about who, who were some of the guys that you liked working with in the past and he was the first guy. So keep an eye on the alarms or out out of tcu. I know I've struggled to say his name a couple times in the past but I've got it down because now that I've watched him he is a D. All right. There's the most athletic linebackers in the draft. What about the biggest upside out of the linebackers in the draft?
Vach Lombardi
Jayson Barley.
Kyle Yeomans
Michigan.
Vach Lombardi
Yeah, yeah, Michigan. And you know, he may have upside as a, as a rusher, so depending on how you want to look at what's upside for him. But like he's technically an edge guy, but on my board I have him as a linebacker. I watched his last year film. I think he's, I think he's damn good at linebacker. But Michigan moved him for whatever reason. They put him on the edge and they let him rush. And I think he's a cool rusher with some upside. So, so I would imagine that the more he plays linebacker and the more that he rushes, you know, sometimes I think he can get better at both. So I got Jayshawn Barn, Michigan.
Nick Harris
I'm going to throw Anthony Hill in here just because we've, he got a
Vach Lombardi
lot of room to go.
Nick Harris
I, I think he has first round upside down. I take your guy.
Tommy Yarish
You're absolutely man, I've done it for
Nick Harris
both of you guys. I'm sorry. He has first round upside for sure in my opinion and I, I wonder if a team gets crafty with what they can do with him off the edge at the next level. Injuries really battled him this last season. I don't know if he's your green dot middle guy, but I think if you can give him a role where he's versatile, playing off the edge, being able to fill running lanes, I think he can be your guy for sure. I just don't know if he can be that coverage linebacker you necessarily need. And I think that's where the big concerns have stemmed from Anthony Hill. But I, I, I, I hope a team finds a good hybrid role for him to where he can rush the passer because I think that's where he's going to be his best at the next level. So that's where I think I find the upside for him.
Tommy Yarish
Yeah, I'm not even going to try and find another argument there. I'm going to agree with Nick and just go, Anthony Hill. This guy's been, been fantastic as an athlete dating back to his days at Denton Ryan. I remember calling a game of his, his junior year and he took snaps at wildcat running back, took a place 60 yards, played everywhere sideline against College Station. So this is a guy that, yeah, if you put him in the right position to succeed and you take advantage of his athletic traits, sure. You may not ask him to do all the, you know, typical linebacker e stuff every single down. But. But he's just a good football player when he's put in position to succeed. I thought he had a really solid year in his last year at Texas, but they trusted him every year that he was there to play meaningful snaps and he showed up in big time moments. So is there stuff to work on? Yes, but I think he can be a really plus player for somebody at the next level.
Kyle Yeomans
You're not going to get on the Tommy for working. I mean, he was calling games of him in high school when Tommy was probably
Vach Lombardi
espn.
Kyle Yeomans
It's a matter of contract.
Vach Lombardi
You're a contracted ESPN employee and you
Tommy Yarish
have multiple contracts and you get healthy.
Nick Harris
You're the one that brought it up.
Tommy Yarish
Chill out.
Nick Harris
All right, Biggest dynamite. Why did I get hit?
Vach Lombardi
Don't just move on. Move on and make this about Tommy, please.
Kyle Yeomans
Nick's calling FC Dallas this weekend. I think who to do soccer. Biggest risk of the linebacker class.
Nick Harris
Biggest risk.
Kyle Yeomans
Biggest risk across the board. Tommy, you can start this one if you want. So that way it gets stolen.
Vach Lombardi
I'll say this with a lot of context. I think some people gonna look at CJ Allen and be like, I don't think he is tall enough. I don't think he runs well enough. And they're just gonna move on from him. And he might be like the best dude in the whole damn class in five years. So that's risky. Like in my mind, because even on my board, right? I'm going, Yeah, I love C.J. alan, man. But there are these athleticism is. This guy got more range, got more length. And I love the tape. Like, the tape. Don't lie about him. So I ultimately put him over some of those guys with better athleticism, like Hill or Golda or something like that. But I'm so up and down about it because the film is phenomenal. But we just never know when we get here. But I think that's risky.
Tommy Yarish
I'll go with Harold Perkins from lsu.
Nick Harris
You got me back. Yes, got me back.
Kyle Yeomans
Are you acting or did he act?
Nick Harris
Oh, no, he actually got me back.
Tommy Yarish
Yeah. And look, I love Harold Perkins. He went to high school school five minutes down the street from me. And I watched him play growing up. And he is fantastic at getting after the pastor, not a contract. I went to high school.
Vach Lombardi
You don't work for him.
Tommy Yarish
You don't get contracts for going to school. Yeah, I wish.
Nick Harris
Well, actually, you do some of them
Kyle Yeomans
now you do nil, baby.
Tommy Yarish
I was never talented enough in any facet.
Vach Lombardi
To be what it is.
Tommy Yarish
But yeah, Harold Perkins is his freshman year at lsu. He just completely took the country by storm as an all American player, just completely wreaking havoc on quarterbacks. And he can still do that. I really do believe that. Even after the ACL injury a couple years back, I really do think he can do that. But a team is going to really have to have a solidified plan for how they use him in. Whether it's just straight as a third down linebacker that gets after the quarterback or whatever else they may ask him to do. There's going to need to be a plan to take kind of similar to Anthony Hill, where you're going to need to capitalize on his skill set because. Because what he is best at is what he's doing right here. Inching up towards the line of scrimmage whenever they snap this ball and getting after the quarterback. Of course, that's a play he bats down a pass, but it's that, that's what he does best. How much can you get him to do that consistently? Because when he gets in the backfield, it's hard to get away from him.
Kyle Yeomans
Yeah.
Nick Harris
Can I just give a best value guy since he took my biggest risk? Are we going to do best value? I saw you skipped it on the list.
Kyle Yeomans
Did I?
Nick Harris
Biggest value?
Kyle Yeomans
Oh, yeah.
Nick Harris
Can I give you a biggest.
Kyle Yeomans
Yeah, sorry, I didn't mean to skip it.
Nick Harris
This is one I saw at the combine and I've gone back and watched a little bit more of and oh my goodness, there's a lot of stuff to love from this guy. Buffalo linebacker Red Murdoch. Oh, he's going to be a day three guy. Go and watch. You want some violent tape? You want some sound tape? Red Murdoch.
Vach Lombardi
Red Murdoch.
Kyle Yeomans
Sick linebacker.
Nick Harris
Namebacker name. And from, from, from Buffalo Black.
Vach Lombardi
Red is crazy. Go ahead.
Nick Harris
Yeah, yeah. That is crazy too. He's got a little red on his beard, though. That's what's crazy about it as well.
Vach Lombardi
Well, his name is Khalil, so. But Red is the nickname.
Nick Harris
Maybe the Red came from the bit in the beard then, but Red Murdoch, we, we look back to the last two seasons combined. 298 tackles, 7 sacks and 13 forced fumbles. This guy's a, this guy's a violent piece. And I, I thought the athleticism backed it up with the combine. I, I Day three, Absolutely take a swing here. Absolutely.
Vach Lombardi
See, I thought Red was like, you know, you know, just watching like old westerns and stuff, like somebody named like after a cowboy or something. But his nickname Is Red.
Nick Harris
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Kyle Yeomans
There have been some pretty good Khalil's to come out of Buffalo in the past.
Vach Lombardi
Yeah, for sure. There you go.
Nick Harris
Certainly so. Certainly so.
Kyle Yeomans
That's interesting. Red Murdoch. I haven't watched him yet. I'm going to go back and watch it. He was a Shrine bowl guy though. He was on the Shrine bowl roster. Okay. Biggest risk or biggest risk or biggest value. Watch which one you got.
Vach Lombardi
Value. Value. Shoot, man. I just go back to a guy that we talked about earlier. Cause I'm running out of names. For real? Cause when you think value, I'm thinking about guys that are day three ish. And I don't have a bunch of day three guys that I like, but like Torian York, I think he's gonna be a day three guy, but I think he's the absolute best day three guy that's out there right now. So it'll probably have to be him. I got Elliott written down, but I don't know who that is. I gotta.
Nick Harris
Keyshawn Elliott or Keyshawn Elliot? Elliott. Yeah.
Vach Lombardi
He's nice. He's nice. I take that back. That's my value guy. He's a stud versus.
Kyle Yeomans
He's probably a day three guy too. He.
Vach Lombardi
Yes. He diagnoses well. Deals with trash. Stout versus blockers. Lines up to the outside, lines up on the interior. Just puts them kind of wherever you want to put him at. Doesn't have the best athleticism. He may be a dude in coverage that you can whoop up on, but if it's day three, you're either good in coverage and small or you're great somewhere else. But you bad in coverage. Cause you're not the best athlete in the world. But if you're a team like the Cowboys and he may play some edge for you, some edge sometimes for you because he's a guy that has like some real pass rush upside to him. I like Keyshawn Elliott a whole bunch. Thank you, Nick, for the name. Let me put that in my name. Put that in my notes real quick.
Kyle Yeomans
Who's your biggest value?
Tommy Yarish
Go. Jack Kelly, byu. Just think he's a sound player.
Kyle Yeomans
Another Shrine or a Senior bowl guy.
Tommy Yarish
Yeah. Captain the last two years for the Cougars. They were. They missed him a lot on defense. He dealt with some injuries later in the year. I think it was the Big 12 championship game against Texas Tech where he wasn't available and they certainly missed him there. You know, I don't know if this is going to be your. Your every down green dot, but he's going to be able to play good, solid snaps for you, especially on special teams. He'll help you on special team. He gets after the quarterback there like you see a little bit, but I think he climbs off of blocks really well. He doesn't bounce back very much when he's hit and good speed to cover the rest of the field and bring down guys. Sorry, Vodge. Now I've completely lost my train of thought, but yeah, Jack Kelly, just Kelly, solid overall player. He doesn't get. You see him slipping away from the block there on that last play. Doesn't get phased by that much. He's strong at the point of attack. He can run east to west and north and south.
Kyle Yeomans
Yeah, I'm just sitting here watching film because I haven't seen him yet. So I'm.
Vach Lombardi
Me neither have I'm.
Nick Harris
I didn't know they were that at byu.
Kyle Yeomans
The ability that he's got with the speed too, I mean, with the size that he's got. I mean he's got plenty of. I mean, he's got wide, broad shoulders. He's a downhill player. It looks like. It looks like they played him a ton of different spots. I mean, you see him as a middle, you see him as an outside, you see him on the ball, you see him off the ball, using them in a number of different ways. So good value there for, for the BYU linebacker. All right, last but certainly not least most likely in the linebacker class to become a Dallas Cowboy. Who is the most likely?
Tommy Yarish
Sonny Styles because they're packaging, moving up to six.
Kyle Yeomans
Oh, they're going to. They're not being cowards. They're going getting them.
Tommy Yarish
No cowardly stuff here.
Kyle Yeomans
Is that actually your answer?
Nick Harris
No.
Tommy Yarish
As it stands today, I would say C.J. allen Jordan.
Vach Lombardi
Yeah.
Nick Harris
I say this with a grain of salt because most likely it doesn't mean it's going to happen. But I say CJ Allen just because there's experience on the staff with CJ Allen and Chidera Uzodoribe coming from Georgia and that's a guy who can step in and be your green dot immediately, a guy for the Georgia defense last year who was actually calling the plays. And I, I think you need that type of, you're going to need that type of intelligence in the middle there.
Vach Lombardi
Aiden Fisher, because he gonna play kickoff a second something because the Cowboys gonna
Nick Harris
wait till it is very Cowboys.
Vach Lombardi
They're gonna wait till the sixth round or something to. To take him. Aiden Fisher Linebacker, Indiana okay, Can I
Nick Harris
ask a quick one? I know we have to get out of.
Vach Lombardi
Sure.
Nick Harris
Two years ago, this team needed a running back. They didn't draft one. Last year they needed a receiver, they didn't draft one. Which is the position they don't draft this year.
Kyle Yeomans
Watch a B linebacker on.
Vach Lombardi
On defense.
Nick Harris
Just which position is it going?
Kyle Yeomans
Position of need.
Nick Harris
Yeah.
Kyle Yeomans
Position of glaring need. I think it would be most likely in that area. It would be linebacker.
Nick Harris
I think we're going to nickel corner.
Vach Lombardi
Yeah.
Kyle Yeomans
They kind of got one yesterday, so maybe that's probably why, like, they're going to use him in that spot every once in a while with Jalen Thompson.
Nick Harris
Yeah.
Chris Beam
But.
Kyle Yeomans
Yeah, I could see that, too. All right, that does it for us here on the draft show for vox. Lombardi, Nick Harris, Tommy Yarish, Chris Beam in the back. I'm Kyle Yeoman saying so long from the draft show, not talking Cowboys. So I'm not going to make that move. I did.
Tommy Yarish
I started.
Kyle Yeomans
We'll see you on Thursday. More of the draft show here from
Vach Lombardi
The Star, whatever ESPN show is.
Kyle Yeomans
This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys.com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.
The Dallas Cowboys Draft Show examines how recent free agency moves impact the team's draft strategy with 44 days left before the 2025 NFL Draft. Hosts debate the shifting priorities at key positions—particularly linebacker, cornerback, and edge rusher—exploring draft scenarios, player fits, and the possibility (or futility) of trading up for a star. The episode features spirited arguments about draft philosophy, value versus need, and deep dives into this year's linebacker class.
(02:21–09:41)
(05:50–10:09, 21:18–27:11)
(09:41–16:50, 27:22–41:05 & throughout Twitter Q&A)
(10:17–13:36)
(26:46–41:01)
(45:28–61:24)
Board Integrity Over Need-Filling:
Draft-Day Chaos:
Medical Red Flags:
Fighting Words:
On Trading Up Scenarios:
Position of Glaring Need Gets Ignored:
The Cowboys' free agency moves have increased their draft-day flexibility, but linebacker and corner still top the needs list. The panel is united in stressing value over need—don’t sacrifice the board to chase a specific position. The hosts analyze the strengths and risks of key linebacker prospects, identify late-round sleepers, and muse over Dallas’s tendency to ignore its “glaringly obvious” needs in recent years. Trading up is debated but generally frowned upon unless truly justified by a blue-chip, can’t-miss prospect, and the show closes with laughter about which position will be the 2026 “miss.”