Editor's Note: The 2024 NFL Draft is fastly approaching at the end of April, and the draft process is in full swing as the Dallas Cowboys and other teams work their boards to see who would be good fits at the next level. The staff at DallasCowboys.com will provide Possible Picks before the draft to provide context on potential Cowboys targets when they hit the clock. Next up is Texas running back Jonathon Brooks.
- Name: JC Latham
- Position: Offensive Lineman
- College: Alabama
- Height/Weight: 6-6 / 342 (verified at combine)
- Combine Testing: N/A
- Did You Know? Out of high school, Latham was the highest-ranked prospect (No. 3 recruit, according to 247Sports Composite) of all of the draft available talent in 2024. Caleb Williams is the next highest-ranked at No. 7.
Strengths & Weaknesses
A true human bulldozer, Latham brings versatility between left and right tackle and the guard position with his stocky frame that works in the interior but the athletic movement and plus-length needed to play tackle. He simply moves defenders in the run game, as his play strength matches his weight room strength throughout a game. Coming out as a junior, Latham has a little bit of work to do on recognizing pass rush stunts and accounting for schematic pre-snap looks, but his ceiling is higher than arguably any other offensive line prospect.
Where He's Projected
Latham will be picked comfortably in the first round, but where exactly he is slotted remains the mystery. He could go as early as No. 11 if the Vikings trade out of that slot (e.g. the Chargers trading back and still taking a legit tackle in exchange for Minnesota moving up to take J.J. McCarthy) or as late as the late twenties of the first round. For the Cowboys, it will come down to other teams prioritizing different tackles such as Amarius Mims or Tyler Guyton over Latham in the late teens for him to slip to No. 24.
How He Helps the Cowboys
While he primarily played right tackle in college with a sprinkle of guard work as a freshman, Latham insists that he has “the ability to be dominant, regardless.” His versatility would give the Cowboys immediate flexibility. If they view him as a guard, sliding in on the left side to Tyler Smith's right would be just as huge as having Smith to his right if he projects best at left tackle. Regardless, Latham brings high character, a churning on-field motor and a skillset that doesn't come around too often in any given draft class.
