It's all hands on-deck for the Cowboys as they try to guarantee there is no falloff at the cornerback position, adding another former top pick to the depth chart.
FRISCO, TX — The loss of Anthony Brown to a season-ending Achilles injury only exacerbated the issue at cornerback, considering Jourdan Lewis (another starting cornerback) was lost to a season-ending Lisfranc injury in Week 7 against the Detroit Lions. To try and help solve the issue, the Dallas Cowboys have claimed Trayvon Mullen from waivers in preparation for Trevor Lawrence.
Mullen was waived this week by the floundering Arizona Cardinals and, as such, will immediately go to the active roster in Dallas.
With two roster seats vacated by the decision to move both Terence Steele (knee) and Johnathan Hankins (shoulder/pec) to injured reserve on Tuesday, there is no need for a corresponding move. And, for those wondering, there's still a vacant seat available (even with the addition of T.Y. Hilton) in the event eight-time Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith returns to the mix to battle the Jaguars.
But, as for the defensive backfield, Mullen lands in Dallas only one week after the club added Mackensie Alexander to the practice squad — two former second-round picks who now suit up for Dan Quinn and Mike McCarthy.
Mullen, who stands at 6-foot-2 and runs a 4.47-second 40-yard dash (per his 2019 NFL Combine sprint), is a rangy, lengthy cornerback that could fit well with what Quinn likes to do, schematically and personnel-wise. A two-time national champion from Clemson who also earned honors as CFP National Championship Game Defensive MVP (2019), the 25-year-old has both youth and ability on his side.
Alexander is also a Clemson product, by the way.
Mullen enters a CB room headlined by First-Team All-Pro Trevon Diggs, but also youth, with [another former second-round pick in] Kelvin Joseph joining rookie fifth-round pick DaRon Bland in trying to complement Diggs' play; along with Nahshon Wright and possibly Israel Mukuamu (flex).
Mullen logged 26 starts in his first two seasons with the Raiders (3 INTs, 24 pass break ups in that time span) before ultimately landing with the Cardinals in 2022 via trade, but couldn't crack the starting rotation in Arizona.
He now gets a shot at re-establishing himself in Dallas.
