The rumor mill is buzzing with news that the Dallas Cowboys had their eyes on Jalen Hurts before ultimately trading for Trey Lance. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently revealed that his team had interest in both Lance and Hurts during previous drafts.
“But looking at (Hurts), had he fallen to us there we would have drafted him!”, said Jerry.
While there is truth to Jerry's statement, it's important to note that he has a penchant for creating and perpetuating stories. The ongoing myth that "Johnny Manziel was almost a Cowboy" is a testament to his love for crafting narratives.
The "Jalen Hurts was almost a Cowboy" myth has now resurfaced, but let's take a trip back to December 2020 when this tale last gained traction.
“We looked at him really hard,” COO Stephen Jones admitted. “Obviously, our guy is Dak Prescott, but at the same time, Mike (coach McCarthy) is a big proponent of continuing to look at quarterback."
Stephen displayed wisdom by shifting the conversation from Hurts to Prescott, emphasizing their commitment to their star quarterback.
“We certainly had interest in (Hurts), but as I’ve said all along, our complete commitment is to Dak Prescott and look forward to getting his deal at some point finished and getting him back on the field. He’s certainly the leader of this team and we certainly miss him."
It was clear that Dallas was never going to use a high draft pick on another quarterback while Prescott was leading the team. They did select Ben DiNucci in the seventh round, but that was a different scenario altogether.
Meanwhile, the Eagles had no idea that Carson Wentz would falter, prompting them to select Hurts with the 53rd overall pick. The move proved to be both smart and lucky for Philadelphia.
While Dallas had extensive discussions about Hurts and even conducted a virtual interview with him, they ultimately decided to pass on him. However, Stephen Jones acknowledged the similarities between Hurts and Prescott, particularly in terms of leadership and competitiveness.
The Eagles prioritized TCU wide receiver Jalen Reagor over Hurts, selecting him 21st overall. Unfortunately, Reagor hasn't lived up to expectations. On the other hand, the Cowboys valued Oklahoma's CeeDee Lamb more than Reagor, leading them to select Lamb four spots higher. This decision has paid off tremendously for Dallas.
Despite the opportunity to draft Hurts in the second round, the Cowboys chose cornerback Trevon Diggs instead. This demonstrates that they prioritized defensive talent over investing in a backup quarterback.
In conclusion, while Hurts did fall within Dallas' draft range, they ultimately decided against selecting him. The notion that he would have fallen to the Cowboys in the fourth round is highly unlikely, given that most teams had a second-round grade on him. Thus, connecting Hurts to Dallas is simply another captivating "Jerry tale" to add to the collection.
