The NFL is just now catching its collective breath from the past weekend’s 2026 draft, but for some, it’s never too early to start looking ahead to the next class of collegiate talent.
Several notable outlets have published their “way-too-early” mock drafts already, and while the projections they contain are nothing more than blindfolded dart throws 11-plus months in advance, they do offer a glimpse into where the experts believe teams will be looking to improve once the cycle starts back up again.
For Dallas, three different mocks suggest that Cowboys fans may want to pay close attention to one position at one college program in particular come Saturdays this fall.
The Athletic, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated all have the Cowboys drafting an Indiana wide receiver in the first round of 2027. The latter two outlets are even predicting the same player, Charlie Becker.
ESPN has Dallas taking Becker at No. 23 overall, with the pick they got from Green Bay in the Micah Parsons deal. The Worldwide Leader’s Jordan Reid points out that a franchise-tagged George Pickens “could be too expensive to keep long-term,” making a new WR2 to bookend CeeDee Lamb a priority for 2027.
“Becker became a go-to option toward the end of last season during Indiana’s championship push,” Reid writes. “He averaged 19.9 yards per catch in 2025, the seventh-best mark in the FBS. He’s a former state champion hurdler, and that leaping ability is apparent on jump balls, as he makes tough catches look routine. He’s inexperienced (eight career starts), but Becker has Round 1 potential if his upward trend continues.”
Daniel Flick of SI obviously agrees with that assessment. In his notes on the Cowboys’ pick of Becker (at No. 26, by the way) he raves about the player’s 6-foot-4-inch height, which is taller than any of the team’s options last year, as just one selling point.
“Becker may have been Indiana’s best receiver over the final seven games of the Hoosiers’ run to the national championship,” Flick explains, “showing elite ball skills, body control and athleticism to routinely finish through contact and hit explosiveness downfield.”
Draft guru Dane Brugler also likes Becker but has him coming off the board in The Athletic’s 2027 mock well before the Cowboys are on the clock. Instead, he believes Dallas could look at Becker’s new Hoosiers teammate, Nick Marsh, with the No. 20 selection.
“A transfer from Michigan State,” Brugler writes, “Marsh (6-3, 215) is a good-sized athlete with playmaking potential.” The Detroit native led the Spartans in receiving the past two seasons but announced he was leaving East Lansing when the school fired its head coach in December. One of the most coveted transfers in the country, Marsh chose the national champions and is sure to get plenty of the spotlight as the program looks to replace the production of Elijah Sarratt.
Marsh made headlines upon arriving with the Hoosiers, wearing gold cleats during a spring practice and drawing the ire of head coach Curt Cignetti. Since then, though, Marsh seems to making a good impression with his new team.
Obviously, plenty can change between now and draft day 2027. The Cowboys could negotiate a long-term deal with Pickens (although they’ve said that’s not in the cards for now). They could tag Pickens a second time next year. Ryan Flournoy could blossom into a stellar secondary option behind Lamb. Technically, so could Jonathan Mingo or Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Heck seventh-round rookie Anthony Smith could explode into a phenom.
But the writing on the wall, or at least in the first versions of 2027’s mock drafts, suggests that Dallas will be shopping for a premier pass-catcher next April.
And Bloomington may be a popular place to look.
Todd is on X at @ToddBrock24f7. Also, follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Multiple early 2027 mock drafts have Cowboys targeting same position, same school
Reporting by Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
