Dallas Cowboys Connected to Unheralded Iowa Hawkeyes Star

The Dallas Cowboys have been linked to an underrated Iowa Hawkeyes star in the NFL Draft.

Sep 21, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Jermari Harris (27) celebrates his teams win after the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Iowa Hawkeyes don't have a whole lot of big names entering the NFL Draft this year. It's basically running back Kaleb Johnson and linebacker Jay Higgins and then numerous players who aren't exactly known beyond diehard fans.

That's unfortunate, because Iowa may ultimately put a couple of other truly impactful players onto the professional level this spring, and one of them is cornerback Jermari Harris.

Harris played a pivotal role in Iowa's stingy defense throughout his extended tenure with the Hawkeyes, which began back in 2019. He gained an extra year of eligibility after an injury wiped out his entire 2022 campaign.

The 24-year-old is widely expected to be a Day 3 pick next month, and Brentley Weissman of Pro Football Network is projecting Harris to fall to the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the draft.

Given Trevon Diggs' injury history, the Cowboys could definitely afford to add some depth to the cornerback position, and Harris could represent a late-round steal.

The Chicago native is coming off of a 2024 campaign in which he registered 27 tackles, three interceptions and seven passes defended and accumulated eight picks and 19 passes defended during his time at Iowa City.

At 6-foot-1, Harris has terrific size and good physicality that could allow him to play solid press coverage on the NFL level. He is also solid against the run and has good tackling skills.

In a draft class that isn't incredibly deep at cornerback, Harris could end up comprising a massive coup for a team in need of some help at that spot. Like the Cowboys, for example.

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