Cowboys' 'goal' is to draft a QB as Trey Lance, Cooper Rush head for free agency

In 2023, the Dallas Cowboys took a flier on quarterback Trey Lance. They traded a 2024 fourth-round draft pick to the San Francisco 49ers (which became safety Malik Mustapha) for the former No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft. In a third-string role, Lance mainly watched from the sidelines. He got his first start for the Cowboys in their final game of the season, completing 20 of 34 passes for 244 yards.

It seems that will be his one and only start for Dallas.

"We think the world of Trey," Stephen Jones, Cowboys chief operating officer and co-owner, told The Dallas Morning News on Monday. "But us having Dak (Prescott) signed up for the long-term, I think he's probably going to be looking for something different."

In addition to Lance's departure, Cooper Rush, who's played seven seasons in Dallas, is set to be an unrestricted free agent. The Cowboys could look to the free-agent market and try to lure a backup with starting experience such as Justin Fields or Drew Lock to fill the void.

[Related: Each NFL team's long-term outlook at quarterback]

But with limited cap space, and an impending extension with star defender Micah Parsons, the NFL Draft is where they can find depth at the position at a relatively inexpensive cost.

The Cowboys will get a chance to see prospects up close this week at the NFL Scouting Combine. The quarterbacks, at least the ones who have decided to participate in the drills, will work out on Saturday, and Dallas will certainly be watching.

"You know, I think one of our goals is to get a young quarterback in the draft," Jones said. "I don't know where that's going to be.

"That's why we gave a [fourth-round pick] for Trey. It seems like all the quarterbacks, even guys we have in the fourth round, go in the first. They always go so much higher than what you think."

The full draft order has not been set yet, but the Cowboys currently do not hold a fourth-round pick after trading for wide receiver Jonathan Mingo in November. They are projected to have four fifth-round picks, per Tankathon, and could trade up into the fourth round if, as Jones suggested, quarterbacks end up going off the board earlier than the mock drafts predict they will.

Among the potential fifth-round picks who could catch the Cowboys' eye are two former Ohio State quarterbacks. Will Howard, who led the Buckeyes to a national title this past season, helped raise his profile during the playoff run.

"You turn on the film in the playoffs, man, and it's really good," Joel Klatt, FOX Sports' lead college football game analyst, said. "He's got great command of what's going on."

Kyle McCord, who was replaced by Howard after transferring to Syracuse for his senior season, led all FBS quarterbacks with 4,779 passing yards in 2024 and is a potential fit for Dallas.

Sixth-round options include Oregon's Dillon Gabriel and Indiana's Kurtis Rourke, both of whom led their team to the College Football Playoff. Louisville's Tyler Shough is another possible late Day 3 pick.

The Cowboys could draft a quarterback earlier, too, though there's a risk in using a higher draft pick on a player who is an expected backup. The No. 44 overall pick might be a reach for Texas product Quinn Ewers, who comes with durability concerns. Yet he might not be there when they're on the clock again at No. 76. But Dallas could trade down and try to target Ewers later in the second round or earlier in the third.

Then again, the Cowboys haven't selected a quarterback in an early round since they used a second-round pick on Quincy Carter in 2001. Since 2016, they've taken Prescott (fourth round), Mike White (fifth) and Ben DiNucci (seventh).

No matter who Dallas zeroes in on during the draft process, it's crucial the team fills the void left by Lance and Rush. Over the last three seasons, Prescott hasn't exactly been the poster child for durability.

In that time, the Cowboys quarterback has started just 37 of 51 total games, dealing with a slew of thumb injuries in 2022 and a torn hamstring that kept him out for the final nine weeks of 2024. Due to Prescott's injuries, the Cowboys have had to turn to backups such as Lance and Rush, the latter of whom is 9-5 in 14 career starts.

But, with both likely on their way out, the Cowboys will have a big decision to make at quarterback.

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