The Dallas Cowboys may be locked into the present, but the future is already flashing in front of them on Saturdays. With the 2026 NFL season still the target, Jerry Jones and company would be smart to keep their eyes on the college game, where a few prospects turned in loud Week 8 performances that deserve attention.
Five names stand out after the weekend, and four of them are the kind of players who look like they’re headed for the 2027 NFL Draft. One is even a year further out, but he was too productive to leave off the list.
Jordan Ross gave LSU another strong reason to keep him on the radar. The 6-foot-5, 254-pound edge rusher, a true junior, was a problem for Auburn, posting 2.5 sacks, two more pressures, a batted pass and four total tackles.
He’s up to 29 pressures and 5.0 sacks on the season, with 3.5 sacks coming over the last two weeks alone. As the competition stiffens, Ross is answering the bell, and he looks like the kind of end rusher Dallas could use.
At Oklahoma State, Caleb Hawkins kept making the case that he’s more than just a runner. Against Colorado, he piled up 123 rushing yards at 6.8 yards per carry and added five receptions for 72 yards.
His season totals now sit at 715 rushing yards and 272 receiving yards. Dallas doesn’t need a workhorse back so much as a versatile one who can ease the load on Javonte Williams, especially as a pass catcher, and Hawkins fits that mold.
He won’t be available until the 2028 NFL Draft, but he’s worth tracking.
Mississippi State cornerback Kelley Jones looks like another player who belongs on the Cowboys’ board. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound defensive back still needs to fill out, but he’s already holding his own against top SEC receivers.
Against Oklahoma, he was targeted just twice in 31 coverage snaps and allowed only a one-yard catch. The other throw in his direction was broken up.
He also finished with three tackles and two run stops. Dallas has questions all over its cornerback room, so Jones is the kind of long, physical cover man who should get serious attention.
Texas linebacker Rasheem Biles added another impressive entry to his résumé in the Red River Rivalry rematch. He finished with four tackles and one for a loss, but his impact went well beyond that.
Biles recorded three pressures, including a quarterback hit, picked off a pass and broke up another. Ole Miss tested him often in coverage, throwing his way 10 times, and he allowed five catches for 21 yards.
He also finished without a missed tackle for only the second time this season. That kind of all-around growth matters, and he looks like a strong fit as a WILL linebacker.
Jamari Johnson rounded out the group at tight end for Oregon. Dallas already has Jake Ferguson, and Brevyn Spann-Ford has his moments, but there’s room to add more talent there.
Johnson entered the year with big expectations, though he hasn’t been consistent enough to fully cash in on them yet. Still, with several Oregon receivers suspended on Saturday, he got a bigger role and took advantage of it, catching seven passes for 69 yards.
The box score won’t stop traffic, but his athleticism is obvious, and he continues to develop as a run-blocker.
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P.J. Locke is also back on the practice field as he works his way through a foot injury, but he will not be activated for the game. Even so, the Cowboys can at least see progress from a player they have been waiting on, and his eventual return could matter if Dallas needs more stability in the defensive backfield down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]