At the beginning of last season, the Cowboys had a bit of a quarterback problem. They had too many. Dak Prescott was given the biggest QB contract in league history just before the year opened, and veteran backup Cooper Rush was firmly in place, too. The Cowboys stubbornly held onto Trey Lance as well, which made some sense given that the team had traded a fourth-rounder for him the previous summer.
Now, though? Prescott is on the books, but both Lance and Rush are pending free agents. And it appears that the Cowboys won’t be bringing back either one of them, according to VP Stephen Jones.
“You know, I think one of our goals is to get a young quarterback in the draft,” Jones told David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. “I don’t know where that’s going to be. That’s why we gave a pick for Trey. It seems like all the quarterbacks, even guys we have in the fourth round, go in the first. They always go so much higher than what you think.”
Cowboys Will Have a Long List of Secondary Draft Options
There won’t be too many quarterbacks going high this year, however, as the first round is expected to feature Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders along with Miami’s Cam Ward–but likely no other passers. There could be a surprise there, but most likely, the rest of the QB field will drop into the later rounds of the draft.
Still, there are some interesting prospects on hand, ones with accomplished NCAA backgrounds. In listing potential draftees at QB for the Cowboys, the Dallas Morning news included some successful collegians, like Kyle McCord of Syracuse, Dillon Gabriel of Oregon and Quinn Ewers of Texas.
But none has a better resume than that of Will Howard, the Ohio State quarterback who rallied his team to playoff dominance in taking the Buckeyes to the national championship. Playoff dominance does, indeed, sound like a phrase Cowboys fans could get used to.
Will Howard Was a Winner in 2024
Howard transferred to OSU last year from Kansas State in what was a notable deal worth a reported $1 million. He threw for 4,010 yards on the season, with 35 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
The Cowboys will get a good look at him this week at the NFL combine in Indianapolis. In an article titled, “With Trey Lance likely playing elsewhere, could Cowboys target these QBs in NFL draft?” the DMN examined the fit:
“The 2024 season was Howard’s best at the collegiate level. He transferred to Ohio State after spending four seasons at Kansas State. Like Gabriel, Howard was invited to this year’s Senior Bowl. Howard didn’t participate in the event due to Ohio State’s extended season, which ended on Jan. 20. ESPN projects Howard as an Early Day 3 selection. PFF lists him as the 106th-best player in the draft class.”
