16 Day 2 prospects the Cowboys showed heavy pre-draft interest in

Jermod McCoy fell out of the first round due to concerns about his knee, and the Cowboys have made it clear they aren't looking to draft any redshirt players, but they did have him into the facility for a closer look.

The Cowboys also had 30 visits with South Carolina's Brandon Cisse, Clemson's Avieon Terrell and Indiana's D'Angelo Ponds and a Dallas Day visit with Texas' Malik Muhammad.

Linebackers (4 + 1)

Feb 25, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Georgia linebacker CJ Allen (LB01) speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

When the draft process started, Georgia’s CJ Allen was linked to Dallas at 20 on nearly every mock draft. Adding his instincts to Downs would make Dallas one of the smartest defenses in the league up the middle of the field. Jacob Rodriguez was the talk of the pre-draft process with his interviews, as he and Dallas had dinner but he wasn't an official visitor. His production that got him in the first-round range. He doesn’t have the physicality of Allen, but is much better in coverage and as an athlete and we'll include him here.

Josiah Trotter is a physical run defender who sees the ball, triggers downhill, and makes plays, but needs improvement in coverage.

Dallas also met with Texas' Anthony Hill and TCU's Kaleb Elarms-Orr, who could be a surprise Round 3 selection.

Offensive options (3)

Nov 22, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores tight end Eli Stowers (9) runs with the ball after a made catch against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Eli Stowers is a receiving tight end who was a former quarterback. He is an athletic prospect with great hands who could be an upgrade to Luke Schoonmaker for the Cowboys. Wide receiver Chris Bell would be a first-round pick if he hadn’t gotten injured, but that could allow him to fall to Dallas, where they could take him as a future replacement for George Pickens. Garrett Nussmeier is a lottery ticket the Cowboys could start developing at quarterback, who could be trade bait or a Dak Prescott replacement in a few seasons if Nussmeier can be a starting-level QB. The Cowboys could also look to draft offensive tackles to strengthen the weakest part of their line, though the first-round run was so strong, most of the remaining prospects are seen as Day 3 guys..

You can find Mike Crum on Twitter@cdpigletor on YouTube at Across the Cowboys podcast

This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: 16 Day 2 prospects the Cowboys showed heavy pre-draft interest in