DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - The NFL is officially on break this weekend for the first time since early September. This is the week Super Bowl teams get to begin making preparations for the big game, while stars from the league's non-championship teams head to Orlando for the Pro Bowl. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no Pro Bowl this year.
Enter: The Senior Bowl.
College football's best seniors will take center stage this weekend in Mobile, Alabama, and the Cowboys can use all the help they can get in the draft after finishing 6-10 this past season.
Here are some names to watch this weekend if you're a Cowboys fan, courtesy of 105.3 The Fan's Jeff Cavanaugh.
Ambry Thomas, CB, Michigan:
Thomas is a bit of a wildcard here as he elected to forego his senior season in order to prepare for the NFL draft. Thomas had 54 tackles and four interceptions in 39 games with the Wolverines.
Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB, Syracuse:
Melifonwu, a red-shirt junior, started the last two seasons for the Orange. He amassed 89 tackles, one interception and 21 pass breakups in three years with Syracuse.
What Cavanaugh says: "He's a giant corner that's really athletic. (He's) kind of good, but someone is going to love him because he's a giant, really good athlete."
Aaron Robinson, CB, UCF:
Robinson had 109 tackles, three interceptions and 19 pass deflections in four seasons between Alabama and UCF. He transferred to UCF after his freshman season with the Crimson Tide.
What Cavanaugh says: "He runs like the wind and tackles like a demon. He's not the best cover guy, guys can separate from him, but you get tracked down (quickly). He can run and he's violent."
Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington
Onwuzurike, a native of Allen, had 95 tackles and seven sacks in his first three seasons with the Huskies. He was on numerous preseason award watch lists but elected to sit out his senior season.
What Bryan Broaddus says: "He's a really good player. He's and under-tackle and is super-active. He gets up the field and makes tackles for loss. He plays outside the box and can pass rush."
Marvin Wilson, DT, FSU:
Wilson had 110 tackles and 9.5 sacks in his four seasons at Florida State.
What Cavanaugh says: "Two years ago, Wilson would have been considered a potential first-round pick. This past year, he didn't put up great tape like he did the two years prior. But he was dealing with a banged up knee. He missed the last three games of the year and he just didn't look the same. But, you're talking about 12 months ago (that guy would have been a first-round pick)."
Rashad Weaver, DE, Pittsburgh
Weaver had 109 tackles and 17 sacks in three seasons at Pittsburgh. He missed the entire 2019 season after suffering a knee injury. He earned first-team AP All-American honors in 2020.
Baron Browning, LB, Ohio State:
Browning, a Fort Worth native, amassed 102 tackles and six sacks in his four seasons with the Buckeyes.
What Cavanaugh says: "He forced a fumble in the National Championship. That dude is an athlete and can run."
Jabril Cox, LB, LSU:
Cox, labeled by Cavanaugh and Broaddus as the only guy who performed on the Tigers defense in 2020, transferred to LSU after he was a three-time FCS All-American at North Dakota State. Cox had 58 total tackles, one sack, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown in 2020.
What Cavanaugh says: "This guy's okay. I watched him last night. He can cover, he's a big guy. He's far from perfect ... but he's a potential second or third-round linebacker."
Tyree Gillespie, S, Missouri:
Gillespie had 146 tackles and 12 pass deflections in his four seasons with the Tigers.
Jeff Cavanaugh believes Gillespie should be a third-round pick and showed out well in Missouri's matchup vs the National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide.
Richie Grant, S, UCF
Grant had 290 tackles, one sack, 10 interceptions and 18 pass deflections in his four seasons at UCF.
What Cavanaugh says: "Richie's a baller. He's your I'm way back here and if you want to try and throw it down the sideline, 'I promise you, I'm going to get there, and it's mine.' And, when running backs run through the hole, and he's got to come forward, (he's) fearless. He's my second-best safety in the class (behind Ar'Darius Washington at TCU)."
Hamsah Nasirildeen, S, FSU
Nasirildeen had a whopping 224 tackles and four interceptions in his four years at Florida State. He returned for the Seminoles final two games of the season in 2020 after he reportedly suffered a knee injury.
What Cavanaugh says: "He's every bit of 6-foot-4, 220 (pounds). You're watching him, and he's lining up at safety, and you're wondering, 'what is gigantor doing back there?'