FRISCO, Texas – Now that the NFL Draft has ended, the Cowboys are expected to sign a group of undrafted rookies to their 90-man offseason roster.
Though not official, 14 undrafted free agents have announced via social media that they plan to sign with the Cowboys in time for next weekend's rookie minicamp. Here's a closer look at two more:
LB Kennan Gilchrist, Appalachian State (6-1, 230)
Can really cover ground from the backside. Runs and moves well. Plays fast and with a burst. Good reactions and range. Plays with stop-start quickness. Can change directions in a hurry. Good body control and balance. Will plant/drive on his pass drops. Doesn't have the best playing strength. Has a hard time when the ball comes right at him. Makes a lot of plays on the move. Will retrace his steps when he gets up the field. Falls back inside to make tackles. Really does a nice job of getting off the ball. Is a hard guy to run wide on due to his quickness. Not an explosive tackler. Will wrap up and get his man on the ground. Is one of those players that's not afraid to throw his body around. Not a cautious player. Does a nice job of covering the running back/tight end in the flat. Aware player. Wasn't lost in his drops or confused. Uses his athletic ability and quickness. Not many pass rush moves on the blitz. Best one is arm over. Didn't make much happen in that area. When free, can make all the plays – has that kind of ability.
RB Jahad Thomas, Temple (5-10, 190)
Plays with vision and balance. Will see the hole, make a cut and plow forward for yards. Has some shake in the open field. Will use a spin move at the line to buy him space. Not an explosive player. Doesn't have the extended speed to finish long runs. You will see him get in the open and then get walked down. The wider that he goes the more trouble he has. Limited upper/lower body strength. Not the type to run through a bunch of tackles. Gets brought down easily. Really works hard to compete and finish but just doesn't have the power. Will use a still arm when he gets in the open field. Best trait is his ability to catch passes. Does a really nice job of adjusting to the ball. Catches it in his hands. Can throw the ball low or high and he's going to make the catch. Can get wide in the pattern or up the field equally as well. Used as an option downfield. Will need work as a pass blocker. Technique is poor. Tends to cut instead of staying square. Needs to develop better awareness when helping across the pocket. There were snaps where he got in the quarterback's way. Nothing flashy about his game – steady and productive. Was used as a punt returner his final season.
