The Draft Show: "Closing the Books"

Dallas Cowboys Draft Show
April 15, 2025
Hosts: Kyle Yeomans, Bryan Broaddus, Nick Harris, Zach Wolchuk, Tommy Yarish
Special Thanks: Chris Beam (Producer)

Episode Overview

With just nine days until the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay, the Draft Show crew dives into the final player evaluations, focusing on prospects with unresolved questions, particularly Michigan CB Will Johnson. The team debates the challenges of incomplete athletic data, discusses quarterback intrigue in the late first round, and answers fan questions about Cowboys draft needs, ideal picks, and late-round sleepers. The tone is analytical, bantering, and filled with deep-dive scouting insights.

Key Discussion Points

1. Will Johnson’s Final Pro Day & Evaluation

(00:31 - 13:39)

• Will Johnson’s Pro Day Recap

  • Nick Harris reports (01:55) Will Johnson did not run the 40, reiterating concerns about his lower-body injuries.
  • Johnson’s vertical jump (37") and shuttle time (4.33) were average to above-average but left lingering questions, especially about long speed.
  • “He did not run his 40… That was the big thing we were all asking.” — Nick Harris (01:55)
  • Johnson’s smoothness and performance in positional drills impressed scouts, but his lack of complete data makes the evaluation “one of the more difficult ones.” (03:11)

• Diverging Opinions

  • Zach Wolchuk: Concerns about lingering lower extremity injuries and susceptibility to double moves; prefers other corners.
  • “Especially if we had that conversation at 12.” — Zach Wolchuk (05:41), expressing nervousness over drafting Johnson early.
  • Broaddus: With less verifiable data than ever, teams are forced to “pick a stock you don’t know completely.” He rates Johnson as a late first/second-rounder (25th on his board).
  • Tommy Yarish: Also sees him as a second-round player, noting lingering injury concerns but NFL-ready scheme experience from Michigan.

• Scheme Fit & Historic Parallels

  • Johnson’s best fit viewed as zone-heavy defenses (Matt Eberflus type), drawing parallels to Joey Porter Jr. as a “scheme-specific” prospect who fell further than expected.

• Cowboys Angle

  • The lack of data complicates the Cowboys’ decision at CB, potentially making Johnson a candidate only if he falls.

Notable Quotes

• “You’re asking these scouts now… to evaluate just really the tape and hope you get the medical right and hope you get the player right.’ — Bryan Broaddus (06:16)
• “He’s a guy we talk about on night one regardless.” — Nick Harris (03:18)

Key Timestamps

• Will Johnson’s workout, conversation, and evaluation: [01:44 - 13:39]

2. Quarterback Conversation: Who Jumps to Round 1?

(14:35 - 22:34)

• Draft Green Room Invites

  • Nick Harris reports Jalen Milroe and Jackson Dart will attend the draft in person.
  • Cites John Schneider: “Be careful when you talk about these quarterbacks… it’s not a bad class,” indicating teams may value QBs higher than expected. (15:00)

• Jalen Milroe’s Evaluation

  • Tommy Yarish: “Milroe, man, I’ve got him as QB4. This is an incredibly high-upside player... what a lot of people thought Anthony Richardson was coming out of college.”
  • Steelers and other teams (Pittsburgh, Rams) have shown significant interest with dinners and workouts.
  • Zach Wolchuk: Even if not a round one lock, the invite hints “early second at the latest now.”

• Draft Dynamics: The Fifth-Year Option & Trade Possibilities

  • Discussion about teams potentially trading into the back end of round one to secure QB fifth-year options (e.g., Rams at 26, Saints, Giants).
  • Broaddus: “If Jackson Dart’s there for the Rams at 26, I think that's going to be their selection.” (19:25)
  • Trades could create opportunities for Dallas to accrue extra assets, depending on how the board falls.

Notable Quotes

• “His deep ball is his best attribute. Really the part he needs to polish is the short to intermediate game.” — Tommy Yarish (15:35)
• “At the worst case, he’s an offensive package type of weapon that you just want to be able to get on the football field and allow him to use his athleticism.” — Zach Wolchuk (17:43)

Key Timestamps

• QB draft strategy and intrigue: [14:35 - 22:34]

3. Twitter on the 20: Cowboys Draft Preferences & Strategies

(28:06 - ~47:45)

Dream Picks and Draft Crushes

• If You Could Guarantee One Realistic Player for Dallas…
  • Zach Wolchuk: Ashton Jeanty (RB, Boise State)
  • Nick Harris: Bhayshul Tuten (RB, Virginia Tech) — “He’s got the home run speed… initiates contact.”
  • Tommy Yarish: TreVeyon Henderson (RB, Ohio State) — “He can play on all three downs. That’s everything you’re looking for in a running back.”
  • Broaddus: Noah Williams (CB, Cal) — “A bully, the way he goes about his game... tremendous player who fits a need.”
  • Other mentions: Alfred Collins (DT, Texas), Maxwell Hairston (CB, Kentucky)

Value of All-Pro vs. Three Solid Starters

• Nick Harris, Wolchuk: Prefer three solid starters, especially given Dallas’ current roster needs.
• Broaddus: “Anytime you have an all-pro player… that makes a difference. But solid starters, great depth, gets you nine, ten wins.” (38:32)

Best Use of the Fifth-Round Pick & Prioritizing Needs

• Broaddus: Poses hypothetical — which of WR, RB, CB, or 1-tech DT do you punt on?
• General consensus: DT (1-tech) could be pushed down, given better Day 3 depth; WR must be addressed early.
• “If you don’t get one at 12 or at 44, I don’t think 76 is going to give that to you.” — Kyle Yeomans, on WR depth (42:07)

Late-Round WR Sleepers

• Nick Harris: Dante Thornton Jr. (Tennessee), “Big play machine—led the FBS in yards per reception last year.”
• Zach Wolchuk: Ty Felton (Maryland), Pat Bryant (Illinois)
• Tommy Yarish: Jacorey Brooks (Louisville), Xavier Restrepo (Miami), Tory Horton (Colorado State)
• All agree traits are there but no fifth-round WR likely ready to step right in as the team’s WR2

Key Timestamps

• Cowboys draft strategy and fan questions: [28:06 - ~47:45]

4. Tell Me More: Deep Day 3 Draft Gems

(53:50 - Episode End)

• Andrew Armstrong (WR, Arkansas)

  • Big-bodied, possession WR. “Not the greatest route runner, but tremendous hands.” — Zach Wolchuk (55:13)
  • Tommy Yarish: “He is a not as athletic, slower CeeDee Lamb… the way he runs looks a lot like what number 2 at Oklahoma looked like.” (56:07)

• Ty Robinson (DT, Nebraska)

  • Elite 40 time (4.83), highly athletic for size.
  • “He wears the 288 pounds like he’s 315… plays with grit, versatility, and is nasty.” — Tommy Yarish (57:57, 58:01)

• Jackson Slater (OL, Sacramento State)

  • Versatile guard/center with great athleticism for zone schemes.
  • Broaddus: “He’s kind of a pin-and-pull expert… if Dallas is going to a scheme with lead blockers, Jackson Slater is your guy.” (58:46)

• Thomas Perry (OL, Middlebury College)

  • “Thomas the Tank,” dominant Division III Mauler who impressed at Shrine Bowl (Nick Harris, 61:05)
  • “He’s going to get drafted—could be a sleeper.” — Nick Harris (61:33)

• Brian Ugwu (EDGE, Miami of Ohio)

  • Edge rusher with traits and flashes but raw as a late Day 3 flyer.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You’re asking these scouts now and...we could all be super critical…but you’re going to have to have the ability to evaluate just the tape and hope you get the medical right…they’re not giving you the whole picture.”
  — Bryan Broaddus, 06:16, on the difficulty of the modern draft process.

• “He does a great job. When the ball is in the air, it’s his. He puts himself in position to make plays. This guy is a bully with the way he goes about his game.”
  — Bryan Broaddus, 32:00, on Noah Williams, CB

• “If you don’t get one at 12 or 44, I don’t think 76 is going to give that to you… I need a guy that’s going to come in and immediately be a starter at wide receiver.”
  — Kyle Yeomans, 42:07, on WR urgency for the Cowboys

Segment Timestamps

• Will Johnson & Cornerback Discourse: [01:44 – 13:39]
• Quarterback Draft Conversation: [14:35 – 22:34]
• Fan Q&A, Cowboys Draft Strategies: [28:06 – ~47:45]
• Tell Me More – Late Round Sleepers: [53:50 – Episode End]

Episode Summary

This episode “closes the books” on draft evaluations as the Cowboys’ war room—and every NFL scouting department—grapples with incomplete athletic data, injury red flags, and tricky scheme fits for top prospects like Will Johnson. The team acknowledges teams must increasingly rely on “old-school eyes,” especially for prospects who skipped drills.

The quarterback discussion centers on where upside QBs like Milroe and Dart could land, and how late first-round runs (or the lack thereof) shape the Cowboys’ trade-back opportunities.

Fan engagement drives extended debates: Who’s the realistic draft crush? What’s the ideal balance of stars versus depth? How early must Dallas strike on wide receiver to land an immediate starter? Each analyst breaks down sleepers and positional strategies, with everyone agreeing that in 2025, more teams are “taking chances” on traits and scheme fits in a draft class rife with medical questions and incomplete profiles.

Tone: Deeply analytical, friendly banter, heavy on practical scouting knowledge, with frank admissions that even the experts are struggling to pin down precise prospect pecking orders—making for a compelling final countdown to draft night.

Summary prepared for those wanting a thorough debrief on the latest Cowboys Draft thinking and war room logic as the 2025 NFL Draft nears.