NFC Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Washington

Cowboys

During a video call with the Cowboys, South Carolina CB Jaycee Horn said he feels that he is the best cornerback in the draft, even better than Alabama CB Patrick Surtain.

Florida TE Kyle Pitts has played against both players and agrees that Horn is the better corner as well.

“I feel like I’m the best corner in the draft hands down,” Horn said during the virtual meeting. “When I look at all the corners, I feel like the top, the top of the top is me and Pat Surtain of Alabama. I feel like he a great player. I learned a lot from watching his film. But I think what separates us ultimately is just the way we compete, the way I compete, and the way he plays. I feel like it’s like a night-and-day difference when you turn on the tape.”

• When it comes to the organization’s love for Pitts, Mark Dominik believes the Cowboys’ admiration for Pitts is simply a smokescreen and adds that the team likely has another player in mind.

Eagles

Eagles GM Howie Roseman spoke of owner Jeffery Lurie‘s involvement on draft day, describing that Lurie typically takes notes on whether descriptions about players from coaches and scouts fit “what he is looking for.”  

“Jeffery’s involvement is the same as it’s always been. He’s there to make sure he’s looking through our process. If he has any questions about why we are doing things, we are going to have those discussions about why the process looks like it does, why are draft boards based on the descriptions that the coaches and scouts are giving on this player,” said Roseman, via Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP. “He is taking notes on those. They aren’t his evaluations, they are based on the coaches and scouts. He is making sure they fit what he is looking for from the value of that spot. If we are talking about a guy in the first round like a role player, he may stand up and say ‘wait a minute, is that really what we are looking for in a first round pick’. He is not saying ‘this is my opinion, this guy is a role player or not’.”

Roseman mentioned that Lurie will provide some input on players but will not override decisions based on his opinions. 

“In terms of his role in the draft room, 90% of the time the work is done and you are picking them off based on where it is. You may get into a situation where you have a couple of guys and you are trying to decide based on them having the same grade. In terms of his role, he is listening to the conversations that we are having in there. If he hears something that doesn’t make sense based on the meetings we are having, he may say ‘I remember in that meeting, Jonathan Gannon felt like this wasn’t a guy who fit his system’ – I’m making something up – he may jump in like that. He’s not jumping like ‘I have this guy higher, let’s go and select that guy’.”

Washington

• Ben Standig of The Athletic, citing a source familiar with the situation, reports that Washington is open to exploring a trade up in round one for a quarterback.
• Standig’s educated guess for what Washington could do at No. 19 is to take an offensive lineman such as Virginia Tech OT Christian Darrisaw or USC OL Alijah Vera-Tucker should they fall that far.
• Another option to watch for Washington, per Standig, include Notre Dame LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Sources tell Standig that they view Owusu-Koramoah and Kentucky’s Jamin Davis as the best fits for Washington.
• Standig reports that while Ravens OT Orlando Brown Jr. is an obvious target for Washington, they have not actively explored a trade up to this point.
• This year’s offensive tackle class is considered to be pretty deep. Standig says Washington could consider trading down from No. 19 or up from No. 51 to address the position with Texas’ Sam Cosmi being someone to keep an eye on.