Potential No. 1 NFL Draft pick Cam Ward shades Cowboys defense

The Dallas Cowboys defense struggled in a big way under Mike Zimmer in 2024.

And one of the top prospects in the NFL Draft isn't shy about letting that be known.

When asked about NFL defenses following his Pro Day at Miami, potential No. 1 overall d raft pick Cam Ward took an opportunity to take a shot at Dallas and their pass coverage last season.

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"On film, it looks the same as college," Ward said, per Bleacher Report. "Some teams in the NFL did a lot of two-high stuff, like Dallas, called a lot of Tampa, a lot of cover-two. They leave way too much space on the sideline down the seams," Ward said.

Ward isn't entirely wrong either, 21st in the league in pass defense, 25th in passing touchdowns against, 28th in opponent's QB rating, and 31st in the NFL in passes given up of 40 yards or more.

Of course, that is not entirely the full story either. Did Dallas struggle in pass defense, and play far too much soft coverage in a predominately Tampa 2 and Cover 2 heavy scheme? Absolutely. Did they surrender far too many big plays as a result? Yes.

Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin catches the game-winning touchdown against Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

That said, they were also severely depleted in the secondary due to injury as well. No. 1 corner Trevon Diggs played just 11 games in 2024, while their other top corner DaRon Bland played just seven games, with both suffering season-ending injuries.

As a result, the Cowboys were forced to rely on corners such Caelen Carson, Amani Oruwariye, Kemon Hall, Josh Butler and Andrew Booth to help veteran Jourdan Lewis and try fill those voids, to mixed results.

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That said, Ward's initial evaluation of NFL defenses being 'the same as' college defenses is a little short-sighted in and of itself.

In other words, Ward could be in for a rude awakening once he gets to see an NFL defensive scheme and the true speed of the game at the pro level in action.

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