The 2024 NFL draft has given way to rookie minicamps, where 32 teams get their initial glimpse of the players they expect to fill important holes or in some cases carry them into the future. The previous weeks and months of scouting and evaluation will be put to the test during this period, as franchises determine whether what they saw on tape, at pro days and in interview rooms matches (or exceeds) their hopes for each player. Senior NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler spent the past week-plus since the conclusion of the draft talking to executives, scouts and coaches throughout the NFL, gaining clarity on the fits for some of the key members of the 257-man draft class of 2024:
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ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
NFC EAST
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys were working the fringes on running back, one of several needs, but the lack of a fourth-round pick hurt their chances.
The No. 87 pick was a spot where they could have chosen a back, but the Cowboys felt Notre Dame linebacker Marist Liufau not only addressed another major need but provided the toughness to fit within Mike Zimmer's defense. Dallas had shown enough pre-draft love to MarShawn Lloyd that the USC tailback (who went to Green Bay at No. 88) thought the Cowboys would be one of the possible teams to draft him.
The Cowboys also really liked Tennessee running back Jaylen Wright, who went No. 120 overall (the 20th pick of the fourth round) to Miami. If the Cowboys had a fourth-rounder and Wright were still available, chances are they would have jumped on him.
Beyond Liufau on the defense, I'm told Dallas sees shades of Cowboys staple DeMarcus Lawrence in second-round edge rusher Marshawn Kneeland, a player who can win with speed or power and can stop the run.
