Cowboys add two intriguing DEs to offical visit, private workout lists

The league is exactly three weeks from the NFL draft on Thursday and over the next week or so teams will begin to set their board, and get their medical grades completed for each prospect. The Cowboys have been busy over the last couple of weeks with official visits.

The Cowboys’ 30 official visit list has become available and it’s clear that after the loss of Randy Gregory in free agency, Dallas is looking to address the position sometime after the first round. They have had some level of meeting completed or lined up with Myjai Sanders (Cincinnati), David Anenith (Houston), Luiji Vilain (Wake Forest), Sam Williams (Ole Miss), and Kyron Johnson (Kansas). There are now two additional names to add in Texas A&M edge Michael Clemons, the 29th offficial visitor, and Oklahoma’s Isaiah Thomas.

The Cowboys have been known to take risk on talented players with some character issues or even a player with an extensive injury history. Clemons and Thomas could provide added depth on the defensive line and both have the physical upside that defensive coordinator Dan Quinn could mold and ultimately help develop them into a productive players if the Cowboys were to select them in the draft.

Texas A&M Edge Michael Clemons

Height: 6-foot-5

Weight: 265

Hometown: Garland, TX

High School: Sachse

Career Statistics:

2021: 32 Tackles, 7 Sacks, 1 Forced Fumble, 1 Fumble Recovery

2020: 14 Tackles, 4 Sacks

2019: 28 Tackles, 0.5 Sack

2017: 19 Tackles, 1 Sack

Clemons is a physical marvel who has the body type to play both on the outside and kick inside as a rusher. He put up impressive pre-draft workout numbers. Clocking a 4.83 40-yard dash time, 35″ vertical, and 24 reps on the bench press.

He also had some freakish measurables with almost 34” arms, 10 1/8” hands and an 82” wingspan. Here is what two well respected media scouts had to say about the player.

Dane Brugler, The Athletic

STRENGTHS: A fully-developed man with prototypical measurements and cut -vantage … connects with strong, active hands and transitions well off his initial strike …noticeable burst and bend to wrap the outside shoulder of the tackle … stays home as a run defender and sets a physical edge … no concerns about his motor on tape… named a senior captain, and the Texas A&M coaches are quick to point out his leadership and the adversities he has overcome.

WEAKNESSES: His hands are active and heavy but often out of control and mistimed … lacks diversity in his rush setup and attack … his lack of counter measures will stall his pass rush … slow off the snap and must improve his first step anticipation … will get tall in the run game and must improve his run game leverage to strengthen his anchor … more missed tackles on tape than you want to see for a player with his length and power … over-aged and will be 25 before his first NFL game … his extensive injury history is a red flag, including a foot injury (August 2018) that led to him redshirting in 2018 and ankle surgery (November 2020) that sidelined him for the second half of the 2020 season … his off-field decision-making deserves scrutiny after he was arrested twice in a three-month span in 2021.

SUMMARY: Overall, Clemons has several red flags (age, injury history, off-field decision-making), but he owns NFL physical traits with the functional strength vs. the run and speed-to-power rush skills to handle edge responsibilities.

He projects as a rotational NFL end who can play in either even or odd fronts (his flashes are reminiscent of Darrell Taylor at Tennessee).

Grade: 5th Round

Lance Zierlein, NFL.com

Strengths:

• Impressive production since 2020.

• Broad shoulders with long arms and big hands.

• Measurables and toughness to play DE in odd or even front.

• Cement in his hands adds pop to his punch.

• Gets full arm extension to separate quickly.

• Twitchy and powerful shedding blocks.

• Play strength and motor bring him to the ball.

• Knocks blocker off-balance with punch-and-pull technique.

• Works hard at eliminating his blocker’s outside hand in his rush.

• Chop-slap-rip is a fruitful go-to move.

Weaknesses:

• Tight lower body with short upfield strides.

• Segmented movement is tough on the eyes.

• Lack of bend gets him widened off the mark by kick-out blocks.

• Too upright and stiff, leading to missed tackles.

• Below-average athleticism for quick rush transition.

• Rush gets hung up and stalled by quality tackles.

• Lacking agility to thrive in twisting fronts.

• Suspended for 2021 season opener after arrest on charges that included marijuana possession and unlawful carrying of a weapon.

Grade: 6.17 Good Backup with Potential to Develop into a Starter

Oklahoma edge Isaiah Thomas

Height: 6-foot-5

Weight: 266

Hometown: Tulsa, OK

High School: Memorial

Career Statistics:

2021: 38 Tackles, 8 Sacks, 3 Forced Fumbles, 1 Fumble Recovery

2020: 31 Tackles, 8 Sacks, 1 Forced Fumble, 2 Fumble Recoveries

2019; 7 Tackles, 2 Sacks

2018: 4 Tackles

Dane Brugler, The Athletic

STRENGTHS: Long, moldable frame and looks the part … heavy-handed rusher who gets blockers moving in reverse … go-to rush move is a forceful chop/swipe to knock down the reach of blockers … long-arm and spin moves have improved with each game … able to make himself skinny to barrel through gaps … good pursuit from the backside … holds ground vs. double-teams and not easily rerouted in the run game … sees through blocks to contain the run on the edge … four forced fumbles the past two years … outgoing people-person with a positive attitude that helped make him a senior captain in 2021 … led the team in sacks each of the past two seasons.

WEAKNESSES: Average athlete … tight-hipped and change-of-direction lags … below-average tackler and leaves too much production on the field … plays out of control, which puts a dent in his ability to finish … doesn’t have the technique or know-how to quickly shed blocks once engaged … pass rush quickly loses life once his initial attack is stymied … uninspired secondary moves … inconsistent motor and may shut down before the whistle … arrested and charged with misdemeanor DWI (June 2021) and didn’t play the season opener vs. Tulane.

SUMMARY: A two-year starter at Oklahoma, Thomas lined up at defensive end (usually the field side) in former defensive coordinator Alex Grinch’s 3-3-5 base scheme. Although he doesn’t have the same athleticism or rush skills as teammate Nik Bonitto, he led the Sooners in sacks each of the past two seasons. Thomas is a stout edge-setter and creates consistent movement at contact when he rushes with momentum, displaying inside/outside versatility. However, he is slow to collect his feet, redirect or break down in space, and the missed plays/tackles pile up on tape. Overall, Thomas has subpar get-off quickness and finishing skills, but he has NFL-level size, length and strength to be a rotational defensive end in a 4-3 base defense, kicking inside in sub packages.

Grade: 4th-5th

Lance Zierlein, NFL.com

Strengths:

• Long-levered with patient hands in his rush.

• Builds up speed at the turn.

• Turns and leans to hide his frame from tackle’s punch.

• Activates windmill chop, opening the edge at the top.

• Flattens and elongates stride to smack a quarterback.

• Plays off the block quickly to attack the pocket.

• Snap quickness to shoot the gap.

• Uses arm-over to pull through B-gap.

• Plays with hustle down the field to make a tackle.

Weaknesses:

• Linear, upright body type with narrow hips.

• Rush take-off hindered by short, slew-footed strides.

• Lacks power through his counters.

• Lacks hip strength to battle through redirect blocks.

• Change of direction is somewhat inhibited.

• Run blockers can bump and seal him inside.

• Rarely controls and sheds quickly at the point of attack.

• Arrested in June 2021 on suspicion of driving while impaired and because of an outstanding warrant for failure to appear on petty larceny charges.

Grade: 6.13 Good Backup With Potential to Devlope into a Starter

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