The Draft Show - “Pro Day Clues & Rising Prospects”

Podcast: The Draft Show (DallasCowboys.com)
Air Date: March 24, 2026
Hosts: Voch Lombardi, Nick Harris, Chris Beam (Kyle Yeomans, Tommy Yarish mentioned remotely)

Overview

This episode is dedicated to dissecting the ongoing NFL Draft preparation cycle, focusing on Cowboys-centric pro day takeaways, the value of athletic testing vs. film, rising prospects, and draft strategies. The crew, joined remotely by Cowboys’ media members at Texas Pro Day, delivers an in-depth dialogue on evolving Cowboys draft interests, specific prospect analysis, player versatility, and how scouting philosophies are shaping draft boards as the NFL Draft approaches.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Cowboys’ Scouting at Pro Days

(03:25–07:43)

• Recent Pro Day Visits: Cowboys front office and coaches have been visiting numerous pro days:
  • Miami: Attendance by Brian Schottenheimer, Will McClay, Christian Parker; interest in Keonte Scott (notable speed and vertical), Reuben Bain, Akeem Mezador, Francis Mauigoa.
  • Texas: Limited top interest, but some focus on Malik Muhammad (CB, Rounds 2–3), DJ Campbell (OG, Day 3), Ethan Burke (Edge, Day 3), Trey Moore (Edge, Early Day 3), Anthony Hill (LB/Edge Hybrid, Rds 2–3).
  • Baylor: Tight end Michael Trigg, QB Sawyer Robertson, WR Josh Cameron drawing attention – versatility and athletic upside discussed.
• Dinner Meetings & "Non-30 Visits": Pre-draft dinner meetings with prospects like Harold Perkins (LSU) and others are part of standard diligence, not strict indicators of first-round interest.

Quote – On Pro Day Meetings:

“It’s more about just trying to take advantage of these opportunities as much as they can… doing due diligence.” — Nick Harris (07:24)

2. Player Versatility and Defensive Philosophy

(07:44–10:22)

• The staff discussed the Cowboys’ emphasis on “position flex”—players with experience across multiple positions (LB/Edge hybrids, multi-spot DBs).
• Versatility is a priority due to the multiple fronts in Christian Parker’s defense and the broader Will McClay draft strategy.

Quote – On Defensive Versatility:

“If they have versatility and can play in multiple spots, that’s gonna check one box for Christian Parker, and arguably the biggest box other than, you know, does the brain work.” — Nick Harris (08:52)

3. Evaluating Athletic Testing vs. Film

(12:22–14:44; 20:14–26:44)

• Voch Lombardi is skeptical of pro day/combine numbers trumping his film evaluations, citing cases like Keonte Scott, whose testing numbers don’t always match on-field play speed.
• Nick Harris argues testing verifies athletic context and helps compare players across different competition levels, but film remains the foundation.

Quote – On Film vs. Testing:

“Film is always first for me... There’s a lot of different ways to break this up.” — Voch Lombardi (25:31)

Quote – On Value of Testing:

“When they put those verified numbers down, we know we can compare actual data that’s apples to apples... That’s really the only actual data you can directly compare.” — Nick Harris (21:32)

4. Rising Prospects and Mock Draft Scenarios

(20:06–29:57)

• Dylan Thieneman (Oregon safety) has seen his stock soar due to combine/pro day performance, previously seen as a trade-down or late-first guy, now possible at pick 12.
• Multiple combos at picks 12 and 20 are debated:
  • Ruben Bain (Edge, Miami)/CJ Allen (LB, Georgia)
  • Mansoor Delane (CB, LSU)/Dylan Thieneman (S, Oregon)
  • Caleb Downs (S, Ohio State)/Cassius How (Edge, Texas A&M)
• The crew generally agrees: “Film is first” in formulation but athletic verification can bump prospects up within closely graded tiers.

5. Linebacker Tiers and the “Brainworks” Metric

(30:09–34:50)

• Discussion of gaps between top, second, and third-tier linebacker prospects (Styles, Allen, Hill, Rodriguez, Golday, Barham).
• Identification of “brainworks” (football intelligence) prospects Christian Parker might covet. Names mentioned: CJ Allen, Mansoor Delane, Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles, Colton Hood, Dylan Thieneman, and a few OL like Kaden Proctor.

6. Most Polarizing Prospect in the Class

(35:47–37:55)

• Keldrick Falk (Edge, Auburn) considered polarizing: huge traits, limited pass rush production. Debate on value at 20 or earlier.

Quote:

“I have that gut feeling that at 20, Falk is going to be in the conversation... he’s a good player, he can do things, but wasn’t very productive.” — Voch Lombardi (37:19)

7. Green Dot Possibility—Who Calls Defensive Plays?

(42:17–43:31)

• Ideal for a veteran, but Sonny Styles or CJ Allen are rookies who might possibly handle the green dot (play-calling) in Parker’s complex defense; Golday (Cincinnati) could be included due to versatility.

8. Deep Dive: Day 3 Wide Receiver Prospects

(43:31–61:44)

• Cowboys likely targeting a Day 3 WR—special teams value and potential upside prioritized.
  • Big, fast, athletic WRs for ST and spot roles: Jeff Caldwell (Cincinnati) (6’5”, 216, 4.31 40), high tester; Eric McAllister (TCU), high production, strong value.
  • Smooth Route Runners: Ted Hurst (Georgia State), Skyler Bell (UConn), Jeremy Bernard (Alabama), Antonio Williams (Clemson).
  • Gadget/Return/“Yak” Guys: Zachariah Branch (Georgia), Brendan Thompson (Mississippi St.), Kevin Coleman (Missouri). Drawbacks: limited route trees, context-dependent production.
• The group largely prefers big, versatile, or savvy route-running WRs for Day 3 picks over smaller gadget types unless they have rare traits.

Quote – On Small/Yak WRs:

“I can’t put the smaller yak guys in day two because they don’t run routes as well as the bigger yak guys and are better in their offense.” — Chris Beam (51:50)

9. Depth and Overall Quality of the 2025 WR Class

(59:15–62:05)

• General consensus: This class lacks the top-end depth of previous WR classes, but the early Day 3 range is loaded with intriguing contributors.
• Difference in board stacking/grade distribution: Only six “Day 2 grades” for WRs for Voch, but 14 or more in the 4th/5th rounds.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Testing vs. Film:
  “I don’t feed into the pro days. The pro days are more for the coaches upstairs than it is for me.” — Voch Lombardi (14:44)

• On Pro Day Meetings & Intelligence:
  “If they have versatility...that’s gonna check one box for Christian Parker, and arguably the biggest box other than, you know, does the brain work.” — Nick Harris (08:52)

• On Position Value in Day 3 WRs:
  “Your day three receiver? Gonna have to play teams somewhere. So you either gonna be big enough to tackle or you gonna have to be like a return guy.” — Chris Beam (47:44)

• On Wide Receiver Class Structure:
  “The more I get into it... I look at early portions of day three, the fourth and fifth-round guys... There’s a lot of talent there — I think there are a lot of guys going to make rosters immediately.” — Voch Lombardi (59:57)

Important Timestamps

• Cowboys at Pro Days: Updates & Players — [03:25–07:43]
• Versatility in Defensive Prospects — [07:44–10:22]
• Film vs. Testing Debate — [12:22–14:44], [20:14–26:44]
• Mock Draft Combos: Who at 12 & 20? — [20:06–29:57]
• Linebacker Tiers/“Brainworks” Prospects — [30:09–34:50]
• Polarizing Prospects (Keldrick Falk) — [35:47–37:55]
• Green Dot: Play-Calling on Defense — [42:17–43:31]
• Day 3 Wide Receiver Deep Dive — [43:31–61:44]
• Class Depth & Board Philosophy, WR — [59:15–62:05]

Conclusion

This episode provides a candid look behind the scenes at current Cowboys scouting approaches, highlights ongoing debates about how to weigh pro day/athletic testing against film, and identifies specific rising prospects and positions of interest—particularly in the mid to late rounds. The crew is especially bullish on the depth in the wide receiver class from rounds 4–5, believes the team will prioritize versatility and intelligence on defense, and looks for tangible clues at pro days that fit Dallas’ needs.

If you want a sense of where Dallas’ draft board and philosophy stand a month out, this is an essential listen.