Sources: Cowboys 'Leaning' Toward Horn, Would Be 'Ecstatic' About Surtain - NFL Draft

“I think that we’ve got a good chance to have a top defensive player, the top, be there at No. 10,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says

FRISCO - The NFL Draft may feature an unprecedented early nine-slot run on quarterbacks ... which could mean unprecedented defensive luck for the team in the 10th slot.

“I think that we’ve got a good chance to have a top defensive player, the top ... be there at No. 10,” Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones - picking at that very spot. said at Tuesday’s pre-Draft press conference here inside The Star.

And early Thursday morning, two sources told CowboysSI.com that Dallas is "leaning'' toward one top cornerback ... but would be "ecstatic'' about the other.

The "lean,'' the sources say, is about South Carolina's Jaycee Horn.

The "but, ecstatic'' target is Alabama's Patrick Surtain.

It is possible that the first nine players selected in Thursday night’s NFL Draft would all be offensive players. The Cowboys would in that scenario have their choice.

And yes, nine offensive guys going in the top nine spots, and maybe five of them at QB, is something Jones and the Cowboys find quite plausible. But even short of that, if a team above Dallas takes Horn, that should leave Surtain. If Surtain is gone, Dallas gets its prize in Horn.

READ MORE: Source: Cowboys 'Narrowing Focus' To Surtain Vs. Horn

Yes, Carolina (at No. 8) likes Horn - but a source tells us the Panthers will be listening to New England trade offers there, the Patriots aiming for a QB. Yes, a team behind Dallas (the Eagles?) might explore trading up for Surtain.

But do the math. It’s possible that five quarterbacks (Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Mac Jones, Justin Fields and Trey Lance) go in the first nine picks. Factor in the other top offensive players - tight end Kyle Pitts, tackles Penei Sewell and Rashawn Slater, and receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Jaylen Waddle - and you can see Jones’ optimism about getting “the top” at No. 10.

At which time will either come the "lean'' toward Horn or the "but, ecstatic'' for Surtain.

READ MORE: Dallas Cowboys & Kyle Pitts Trade? Jerry Jones Reveals NFL Draft Decision