Dallas Cowboys sign former first-round pick for cornerback depth

The Dallas Cowboys have signed former first-round pick Gareon Conley for some added cornerback depth ahead of training camp.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Dallas Cowboys fans have been pleading with the team to add veteran cornerback depth this offseason, and they have finally done that.

Unfortunately, it is is not Stephon Gilmore, who most were hoping for.

On Tuesday, June 18, the Cowboys announced the signing of former first-round pick Gareon Conley. Conley was drafted by the Oakland Raiders with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Ohio State.

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Conley spent nearly two-and-a-half seasons with the Raiders before being traded to the Houston Texans for a third-round pick.

The @dallascowboys signed DB Gareon Conley and LB Willie Harvey.

— Dallas Cowboys Public Relations (@DallasCowboysPR) June 18, 2024

Conley spent two seasons with the Texans, but the team declined the option on his contract, and he was a free agent in 2021. Conley spent three years out of football before joining the DC Defenders of the United Football League.

While Conley is not at the same level as Gilmore, he does have some familiarity with the Cowboys' defensive staff. Paul Guenther, the Cowboys' defensive run game coordinator, was the Raiders' defensive coordinator in 2018-19 when Conley was on the team.

The Cowboys have All-Pro cornerbacks Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland as the starters, with veteran Jourdan Lewis and rookie Caelen Carson as the team's backups. With Diggs returning from a torn ACL, adding Conley ahead of training camp gives the team some much-needed depth.