Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer of the Dallas Cowboys met with receiver Robby Ballentine before the NFL draft.
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Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer of the Dallas Cowboys met with receiver Robby Ballentine before the NFL draft.
The Dallas Cowboys are inching closer to what will be a critical NFL draft, one in which the team holds two first-round picks and is expected to load up on as much defensive talent as possible. But that does not mean, of course, that the Cowboys won’t be looking at other areas and avenues to add talent–even if it means dropping down to Div. III to find players.
And there is a small-school player from DePauw who had an impressive Pro Day for the Colts on April 7–Robby Ballentine, who shattered North Coast Athletic Conference records while playing for the Tigers, including his 253 career receptions, his 3,783 yards receiving and 54 touchdowns, which were the most by any active player in college football last year.
Ballentine had 92 catches for 1,314 yards this season, an average of 109.5 yards per game–his second straight season with more than 100 yards per game on average.
Turns out, the Cowboys have had a predraft meeting with Ballentine, along with a handful of other newly interested teams.
Cowboys Meet With Robby Ballentine
That’s from KPRC in Houston reporter Aaron Wilson, who wrote on Twitter/X this week that Ballentine has piqued the attention of several teams, with the Cowboys among them.
Wrote Wilson: “Depauw@DePauwTigersFBAll-American wide receiver-returner Robby Ballentine excelled at#Colts Pro Day workout. Record-breaking Division III standout has also met with#Seahawks #Broncos #Vikings #Chiefs #Cowboys #Commanders #Giants”
Having played at DePauw, Ballentine is not big on the mock-draft circuit, and it might actually be better for him to go undrafted in two weeks. Many times, players and agents prefer to go undrafted if they know that they can be signed as a UDFA, which allows them to pick a situation that might be best suited for the players.
Ballentine obviously would welcome the opportunity to dip his toe into the NFL waters, but it should be pointed out that he is also an Academic All-American who had a 3.92 GPA as a biochemistry major.
‘Route-Running and Strong Hands’
As for the Cowboys, the interest and fit for Ballentine might not be just right, especially if the plan for him coming into his NFL career is to start out on special teams. The Cowboys do have a very good return man in place, KaVontae Turpin, and not a lot of room in the wide receiver room, with CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy and Turpin in place, and Parris Campbell and/or Jonathan Mingo returning.
Still, with the way special teams has moved to the fore, some teams are ensuring they have multiple returners. And Ballentine thinks he can contribute as an NFL receiver.
He told the site NFLDraftDiamonds.com: “I am a top prospect at wide receiver on the 2026 draft because of my route running and strong hands paired with a combination of size, strength, and athleticism. I work extremely hard to accomplish my goals, and my favorite thing to do on the football field is to win. I am extremely coachable, and I love getting new ideas from new coaches and other sources to help my game.”