IRVING, Texas– University of Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro could fill an area of need in the draft for the Cowboys, who let go of starter Gerald Sensabaugh in the offseason.
Vaccaro talked Tuesday at Texas' Pro Day about heading to the NFL and the interest he's gotten from teams. The projected first-rounder also talked about the hip flexor injury he suffered that stopped him from running the 40-yard dash at the Pro Day.
"I tweaked it on the last day I was training," Vaccaro said. "I worked out for the Cowboys a little bit, tried to push through, but I stopped working out and just wanted to get rested up for Pro Day, because I know those drills matter most."
How did the workout go?
Vaccaro: "It went good. It was a nice little smooth workout. Glad I got here and competed.
"I think I was explosive out of my breaks. I was really happy with how my hip held up. I thought I did a good job today."
Any prediction on where you go in the draft?
Vaccaro: "I want to be the first safety took. I don't care if it's first or second round, I just want to be the first safety off the board. That's just my goal."
A couple mock drafts have you going to the Cowboys. Is that what you'd want?
Vaccaro: "I'm fired up to go anywhere. This has been a dream my whole life. Wherever I go, I'll excel with that team.
"I'm from Texas, I played for the best university in Texas, and to play for America's Team would be great. Like I said, I just want to have the opportunity to play for any organization."
Are you disappointed you couldn't run the 40?
Vaccaro: "I was real disappointed, because I know how fast I am, and I think I put that on tape, and I just wanted to backdoor it with something on paper."
But you still felt good in the workout?
Vaccaro: "I think a lot of those things I did today you can see on tape, covering slots, coming out on breaks, opening up my hips.
"I felt great. I came out my breaks fine. I was slipping a little bit, but still came out fast and caught the majority of my balls. I think I dropped one. I felt really good today." [embedded_ad]
How's the hip feeling?
Vaccaro: "It feels good. I didn't know it was going to feel this good. This was the first day I fully worked out. I was just kind of testing the waters, wanted to get out here and compete."
*DallasCowboys.com's Bryan Broaddus contributed to this story. *
