3 NFL Draft prospects the Cowboys should avoid
1. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Linebacker, Notre Dame
Owusu-Koramoah was highly productive for the Fighting Irish this year and arguably comes into the pre-draft process as most team’s No. 2 ranked linebacker after Micah Parsons. He’s expected to be selected somewhere between 7-12 in this draft.
The Cowboys have spent a lot of high-end draft capital on the linebacker position in recent years. Jaylon Smith was a second round pick in 2016 and Leighton Vander Esch was the team’s first rounder in 2018. The group still isn’t making enough plays to really elevate the Dallas defense.
That’s why it’s possible that the Cowboys might want to add a playmaker like Owusu-Koramoah this year. The reason they should pass on him is that he doesn’t match up well with the team’s relatively vanilla defensive system.
Owusu-Koromah can thrive playing for a team that gives him a chance to match up in coverage against wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs in base packages. The Cowboys don’t often put their linebackers into that kind of space. Owusu-Koramoah landing with Dallas could effectively waste his best skills.
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The Cowboys don’t need to spend a high pick to find the sort of linebacker they need to round out their starting group. More conventional players can be found in the middle rounds. Owusu-Koramoah is a good value at No. 10 for most teams, but Dallas represents a terrible landing spot for the Notre Dame star.