Very rarely do you see scouting departments from almost the entire NFL at one Pro Day for a projected second or third round NFL Draft prospect.
Wednesday, that was the case in southern California where 30 teams, including the Dallas Cowboys, attended UCLA’s Pro Day to watch linebacker Carson Schwesinger.
The Cowboys, like many teams, have been earning frequent flier miles recently by attending Pro Days across the country.
Schwesinger’s may have been one of the most crowded yet.
Even with all this attention, the Bruins star only spoke privately with three select organizations, but the Cowboys were one of them.
He also met with New York Giants and New Orleans Saints.
That leads us to predict Dallas as a “front runner” to land the highly-touted prospect.
According to analyst Adam Schefter, Schwesinger “did position drills, jumped 10-feet-7 on the broad, and ran in the 6.9 seconds (3-cone) and 4.1 seconds (20-yard shuttle)” at his workout.
NFL.com calls Schwesinger a “human bloodhound” with elite instincts and a menacing play style.
“The pursuit speed is average, but his play recognition helps him play fast. He’s undersized and takes the worst of it when blockers get on top of him, but he’s a good athlete in coverage. He’s also a sound technician as an open-field tackler and bona fide standout on special teams.”
According to his Next Gen Stats from the Scouting Combine, Schwesinger’s “production score” was an 81, which was first among all linebacker prospects. His overall score was second best in the position group.
Representing the Cowboys at his Pro Day was linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi. He worked in Dallas from 2011-2013 as an assistant, but was brought back this offseason to reunite with new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. The two were together in Chicago when Eberflus was head coach.
The linebacker room was a hot topic this offseason, with Dallas acquiring two new faces in projected starters Kenneth Murray Jr. and Jack Sanborn.
Schwesinger is an intriguing prospect that fans should keep an eye on in Day 2 of the Draft, especially if the Cowboys want to add more to their LB room with picks No. 44 and No. 76.
In his third season at UCLA, Schwesinger had a breakout season with 136 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions, and a forced fumble. At 6-2, 242 pounds, he is a force to be reckoned with in the middle of the defense.
Many mock drafts have the All-American selected somewhere in the second round, but judging by a crowded Pro Day, scouts are noticing his underrated potential.
