Inside Info or Bad Guess? Dallas Cowboys 'Sleeper Team' to Draft QB to Replace Dak Prescott - Rumor

With Dak Prescott entering the final year of his contract, one insider believes the Dallas Cowboys are a "sleeper team" to take a quarterback in the NFL Draft.

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Could the Dallas Cowboys take a quarterback in the upcoming NFL Draft? 

It is certainly possible, as the future of current quarterback Dak Prescott is uncertain, as the two sides have a “mutual” understanding of his contract situation. The possibility of Prescott potentially playing out the final year of his contract this coming season has led ESPN’s Adam Schefter to label the Cowboys as a “sleeper” team to take a quarterback in the draft. 

"What are they going to do at quarterback if they lose Dak? That's interesting. And that's why I think the Cowboys might be a sleeper team in the quarterback market during the draft," Adam Schefter said during a recent edition of ESPN’s NFL Live. "Because at some point in time, they might have to draft a quarterback. Higher than you think, because Dak is going into the last year of the contract, and it might be time to get someone in there to start grooming him.

“Just like they found Dak Prescott in Round 4, might be time to find another quarterback in another round to begin to get him ready.”

Jan 14, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) walks off the field / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Our jump-out response? This doesn't seem like Schefter is reporting. It seems like he's guessing.

While the Cowboys already have options on their roster in Cooper Rush and Trey Lance, the latter of whom they traded for last offseason, it is still possible to bring another option. However, while Schefter may label the Cowboys a “sleeper” team to draft a quarterback, which may be correct, even with Prescott’s expiring deal, it is hard to see them doing so early. 

Yet, with the upcoming draft class that could see as many as four quarterbacks taken in the first 10 picks, it seems that if the Cowboys want to take one with their first or second-round pick, they may have to move up or “reach” on one to do so. 

However, considering the Cowboys enter the draft after a free agency period during which they made just one addition, they arguably have more pressing needs elsewhere. For instance, with Tyron Smith's free-agent departure, taking a left tackle makes sense at No. 24 overall. Then there are positions like linebacker and running back, where the Cowboys need depth and potentially first-year contributors. 

As things currently stand, Prescott will enter the final year of his contract this coming season. He’ll count $55 million against the Cowboys' cap, and even if he leaves in free agency after, he’ll cost $40 million in deadcap for 2025, per Spotrac.