Small school draft prospects Dallas could draft
Here’s a list of the top small-school prospects in this year’s draft for Cowboys fans to take note of, mixing current draft buzz with the traits that translate on Sundays.
1. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
He is the small-school prospect Cowboys fans should bet on earliest because he looks like a real NFL starter, not just a fun draft day story. McNeil-Warren gives a defense length, range, and coverage value on the back end, and that matters because teams are asking safeties to cover more grass and handle more matchup stress than ever. PFF graded him at 92.1 overall and 91.8 in coverage in 2025, both second among safeties in the class, and there’s a very real possibility he goes in the first round. Fans should take note because he has the frame, instincts, and role versatility to become the kind of safety who lets a coordinator disguise everything.
2. Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State
Johnson is a top Group of Five corner in the class because the tape, production, and athletic profile all line up. On the consensus board he ranks 43rd overall, PFF credited him with a 91.6 overall grade and a 92.4 coverage grade in 2025, and he ran 4.40s forty yard time at the combine. He brings outside-corner movement skills, ball production, and enough poise in zone to stay on schedule instead of panicking at the top of routes. Fans should care because he looks like the kind of small-school corner who can win a starting job much faster than people expect.
3. Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State
Lance has the best blend of upside and translatable receiver traits in the FCS group. He’s 87th on the consensus board, and his combine was ridiculous with a 4.34s forty time, 41.5-inch vertical, 11-foot-1 broad, and the top estimated athleticism score among wide receivers. Add in 1,079 receiving yards in 2025 and FCS Football Central’s number one FCS ranking, and you are looking at a vertical X receiver with real starter traits.
4. Charles Demmings, CB, Stephen F. Austin
Demmings is the best pure FCS defensive back in the class because his movement profile screams NFL player. At the combine he was one of the biggest winners, and earned the top athleticism score among cornerbacks. He also finished his career as Stephen F. Austin’s all-time leader in passes defended with a total of 35 breakups. His ball skills and traits give him a real shot to become a boundary corner and not just a camp darling.
5. Red Murdock, LB, Buffalo
Murdock is one of the more NFL-ready small-school defenders because he already plays with the kind of urgency and violence that earns snaps early. Most evaluators have Murdock as a Day 3 projection, but his 2025 grades were excellent earning a 91.2 overall, 91.3 against the run, and 86.5 in coverage. He really is a big defensive sleeper here because of his pass-rush output and physical play style. He projects as the type of linebacker coaches trust on special teams immediately and then grow into a real rotational defender.
6. Kaleb Proctor, DT, Southeastern Louisiana
Proctor is the kind of small-school defensive tackle NFL teams keep talking themselves into for good reason. He was ranked fourth among FCS prospects by FCS Football Central, produced 43 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and nine sacks in 2025, and then went to Indianapolis and tested like a much bigger name, including a 4.79s forty time and the fourth-best athleticism score among defensive linemen. Interior defenders who can move like that are hard to find, and Proctor has both the production and the explosive testing to stick as a rotational penetrator with upside for more.
7. Daniel Sobkowicz, WR, Illinois State
Sobkowicz is not the most explosive receiver on this list, but he may be one of the safest bets to help an NFL passing game. He was ranked the second among FCS prospects, set Illinois State career records with 262 catches and 41 receiving touchdowns, and his tape shows advanced route running, strong hands, and real possession-receiver value. He brings the kind of craft and body control that lets offenses keep the chains moving.
8. Cole Payton, QB, North Dakota State
Payton is one of the most interesting developmental quarterbacks in the class because he offers real athletic upside with actual production, not just gadget appeal. In 2025 he threw for 2,719 yards with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions while adding 777 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns, and his combine numbers were outstanding that ranked near the top all-time for quarterbacks. He gives an offense designed-run ability, movement-passing value, and enough arm talent to be worth a real developmental investment.
9. A.J. Pena, LB, Rhode Island
Pena is the kind of small-school front-seven player NFL teams love on Day 3 because he plays angry and produces. He posted 72 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks in 2025, won CAA Defensive Player of the Year, and he’s a prospect that is a hot-motor edge rusher with a violent play style. He is not built like a classic NFL edge, but he wins with urgency, leverage, and disruption.
10. Erick Hunter, LB, Morgan State
Hunter is one of the more intriguing HBCU prospects because his game gives you real range and versatility. He finished his career with 226 tackles, 35 tackles for loss, nine sacks, and seven forced fumbles. He projects as a developmental linebacker with big-nickel and special teams value.
11. Jalen Jones, CB, William & Mary
Jones is a good reminder that ball production still matters, especially at corner. He was a Buck Buchanan Award finalist, a first-team All-CAA selection, and finished his career second in school history with 51 passes defended. He brings speed, length, and the kind of instincts and on-ball competitiveness that can translate to depth corner and special teams work right away.
12. Jalen Walthall, WR, Incarnate Word
Walthall had 70 catches for 847 yards and eight touchdowns in just 10 games in 2025 and was ranked seventh on the FCS Football Central’s postseason list. He looks like the kind of receiver an NFL team can use as a field-stretcher, motion piece, and developmental depth option.
13. Malachi Cooper, EDGE, San Diego
Cooper is more sleeper than consensus pick, but the production demands attention. He has 16 career sacks, 26.5 tackles for loss, and three straight All-Pioneer Football League selections. He brings a sturdy frame and real edge production, which at least gives him a puncher’s chance to stick in camp.
14. Joe Cooper, OT, Slippery Rock
Cooper is the lower-division name to keep in the back of the mind because offensive tackles with his size and résumé get chances. He’s 6-foot-7, 320 pounds of man mountain, an East-West Shrine Bowl standout, and started 38 straight games while helping a Slippery Rock line that allowed only 10 sacks in 2025. He is still more projection than polish, but tackle is a premium position and he has the kind of frame teams stash.
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