Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images The Dallas Cowboys will have a new draft class by the end of this week! Cowboys Rumors: Duke OL Graham Barton Linked to Dallas Ahead of 2024 NFL Draft - Julia Stumbaugh, Bleacher Report Barton is one of the safest OL prospects in this year’s deep class. The Dallas Cowboys have been connected with Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton ahead of Thursday’s draft, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “The versatile Barton is one player I’ve heard connected to the team, which makes sense given Dallas’s track record of success (Zack Martin, Travis Frederick) taking interior linemen high,” Breer wrote Monday. Breer expects the Cowboys to pursue a running back like Texas’ Jonathan Brooks later in the draft, but to focus on the offensive line the first round. The Cowboys hold the No. 24 pick in the first round. The team is looking to bolster an OL led by 2023 Pro Bowler Tyler Smith. The Cowboys select again in the second round at No. 56. The B/R NFL Scouting Department projects Barton as a first-round pick who “presents enough versatility to start at any of the five positions” in their latest 2024 NFL Mock Draft. In nine games as starting tackle during his senior season for Duke, Barton helped the Blue Devils offensive line rank top-25 in the nation with 1.31 sacks allowed per game. Latest draft buzz is bad news for longtime Cowboys starter - Jerry Trotta, The Landry Hat The Cowboys immediate need is at left tackle, but they also dealt with inconsistencies from RT Terence Steele in pass protection last year. Cowboys reported interest in Taliese Fuaga is bad news for Terence Steele There are numerous OL prospects the Cowboys could draft at No. 24 overall, but David Moore of the Dallas Morning News listed three in particular to keep an eye on: Oregon State tackle Taliese Fuaga, Duke guard Graham Barton, who can play all five positions but projects as an interior starter in the NFL, and Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson. Most draft experts view Fuaga as a plug-and-play right tackle. He’s regarded as the premier RT in this class and he has the versatility to kick inside and play either guard position. It’s unclear whether Dallas views Fuaga as a tackle or guard, but he played exclusively right tackle in college. Regardless, the Cowboys’ interest in Fuaga is bad news for Terence Steele. It speaks volumes that Moore listed him first among Dallas’ potential OL targets. That may hint they regard Fuaga as the best offensive lineman in the draft, or the best lineman they could potentially take in round one. Coming off a career year (and torn ACL) Steele inked a massive five-year, $86.8 million extension last summer. Steele struggled post-ACL surgery and was arguably the worst RT in the league. Cowboys have pushed all their chips into the NFL draft, and now it’s time to hit big - Tony Catalina, Blogging The Boys The Cowboys need to hit a few home runs starting on Thursday night. It didn’t have to be this vital, with the sense of so much pressure for contributors on day one. However, the Cowboys have chosen, and prefer, this path. If you have listened to their free agent philosophy and how they view outside talent acquisitions, it’s evident that this is their plan of attack. Now they enter the weekend with needs at several positions, and a finite amount of opportunities to get it right. Can they come out with a starting left tackle, or a starting running back? Those feel like must haves. Then you look at the need for another linebacker, a starting center, interior defensive line help, and the desire to add another WR to the group is there as well. It seems daunting, almost unobtainable, but again this is how they want it. At least that is what they would tell you. Giving credit where it’s due - this team does draft well. They do find help a good amount of the time. Even if 2023 looks to be a dud right now, they do deserve the benefit of the doubt. However, as good and comforting that is, it’s a tough pill to swallow when there is so much year one need from a group of rookies. Eric Edholm 2024 NFL mock draft 3.0: Six QBs; three trades; Eagles move up for CB - Eric Edholm, NFL.com Even with a historic run of QBs at the top of this mock, OL prospects Taliese Fuaga, Troy Fautana, Tyler Guyton, and Olumuyiwa Fashanu are all gone before the Cowboys pick. Pick 24 Dallas Cowboys Amarius Mims Georgia · OT · Junior The ultimate boom-bust prospect in Round 1, Mims has special traits and could be an absolute monster in time. But with a mere eight starts under his belt, all at right tackle, Mims also carries some serious risk. The Cowboys are the type of team that trusts its scouting department to find moldable talents that can be developed into starters, and there’s an OL vacancy that requires filling. Next Man Up: Can Deuce get loose in 2024? - Nick Eatman, DallasCowboys.com The Cowboys still don’t have a true lead back on their roster, but did feel the need to add Royce Freeman to the backfield before the draft with Deuce Vaughn not contributing much as a rookie. Name: Deuce Vaughn Position: Running Back Experience: 2nd Year Games Played/Starts: 7 / 0 Years Left on Contract: 3 How Acquired: 6th round pick, 2023 (Kansas State) Key Stat: Had just 80 yards from scrimmage (40 rushing, 40 receiving) on 30 touches in the regular season. The Past: A rollercoaster of a season for Vaughn, who had plenty of highs and lows – pretty much in that order – during 2023. The emotional draft-day story when his dad, Chris Vaughn, a longtime Cowboys scout, was able to call him to announce the sixth-round selection, will go down as one of the most memorable moments in War Room history. Vaughn followed that up with an impressive showing in the preseason, scoring two touchdowns in limited action with a few other dazzling highlights, allowing many Cowboys fans to wonder if perhaps they had pulled off the steal of the draft. As it turned out, Vaughn never had an impact on the regular season. He played seven games but only managed 80 yards from scrimmage. He rushed the ball 23 times for 40 yards and caught seven passes for 40 as well. Getting him active for the game wasn’t easy considering his lack of experience on special teams and the fact he wasn’t getting consistent snaps on offense. The Present: The Cowboys aren’t giving up on Vaughn. Sure, he didn’t produce to a high level, but that just meant he fit right in with the rest of the 2023 draft class. Needless to say, all of them – from Mazi Smith to Schoonmaker to Vaughn in the sixth round, the last rookie class could stand to improve from last year’s showing. Vaughn actually played in seven games, which is more than half the class could say. Now, that doesn’t mean he’s ahead of the curve, it just means Vaughn shouldn’t get docked because of what he didn’t do. And now, the running back room is different than before. It’ll be wide open to see who gets the ball. Vaughn needs to show he can be a dynamic player in the passing game, which also means he has to be willing and able to block the blitz. But considering that Royce Freeman and Rico Dowdle are the only experienced backs on the team right now, the door is open for all the young backs. Let’s see if Vaughn can take advantage.

A return to typical spring weather this week with warm temps, breezy winds, and humidity. Thunderstorm chances along with a severe weather returns late week as well.         

Existing Airbnbs and VRBOs may continue their operations, regardless of their location.         

Vegas comes to Dallas for the rematch you've been waiting for.