NFL Draft results 2024: Dallas Cowboys select WR Ryan Flournoy with the 216th pick
With the 216th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected Southeast Missouri State WR Ryan Flournoy. The Cowboys let Michael Gallup go in the offseason and don’t have any sure things behind CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks. Flournoy represents another body in the competition for WR3.
Flournoy offers size and football character that is pro-caliber but has areas where he must improve. Against off-man, Flournoy utilizes his size and ball skills to stack catches. Against press, however, he can be tardy off the release and becomes reliant on physicality over route acumen to create throwing windows for his quarterback. The route running is undisciplined but can be sharpened with work. The lack of suddenness could hold him back against tight man coverage, though. Flournoy had some memorable reps at the Senior Bowl, which could make him a Day 3 pick with a shot at a roster spot.
Beginning his career at Central Missouri, then transitioning to Iowa Western Community College, and ultimately finding his place at Southeastern Missouri, Ryan Flournoy emerged as an electrifying addition to an already remarkably talented group of wide receivers.
Flournoy initially captured attention at the Senior Bowl, impressing with his exceptional frame and agility throughout the week. At the NFL Combine, his intangible qualities were further highlighted, evidenced by a remarkable 39.5-inch vertical jump, an 11-foot-0 broad jump, and a blazing 1.53 split in the 40-yard dash. Regardless of his collegiate background, an athlete of his caliber demands serious consideration. Even when facing off against power-five opponents like Kansas State, Flournoy consistently demonstrated why he stands out as one of the most high-ceiling late-round prospects in this draft class.
With Flournoy, from the first reception, you could see he was an alpha. Being able to work all over formations, as a traditional X, slot, and even coming out of the backfield, Flournoy was a guy who could put together and manufacture his own drives when you consistently put the ball in his hands. Excelling as a downfield route-runner, he exhibited a natural instinct for manipulating coverages, exploiting blind spots, and maximizing the drive phase before seamlessly transitioning into another direction. His combination of speed and physique renders him a formidable threat at any point along the field. He pairs this with incredibly consistent and focused hands, even in the face of incoming contact.
- Round 1, pick 24 – OT Tyler Guyton (Oklahoma)
- Round 2, pick 56 – DE Marshawn Kneeland (Western Michigan)
- Round 3, pick 73 – G/C Cooper Beebe (Kansas State)
- Round 3, pick 87 – LB Marist Liufau (Notre Dame)
- Round 5, pick 174 – CB Caelen Carson (Wake Forest)
- Round 6, pick 216 – WR Ryan Flournoy (Southeast Missouri State)
- Round 7, pick 233
- Round 7, pick 244
Cowboys needs:
OT: Tyron Smith is no longer the Cowboys left tackle. That is something we haven’t said in a decade. With the All-Pro moving on and no heir-apparent on the roster, unless you count sliding Tyler Smith outside, the team needs a replacement.
C: Tyler Biadasz settled in with Dan Quinn in Washington, leaving a hole in the middle of the line. Brock Hoffman would be the next man up, but bet on the Cowboys bringing in some competition.
RB: No Tony Pollard after he moved on leaves Rico Dowdle as the top guy on the depth chart. There will be a body added here, it’s just unknown how early they will strike.
LB: The Cowboys lost Leighton Vander Esch to a medical retirement. New DC Mike Zimmer likes bigger, more traditional linebackers. They got Eric Kendricks, but they need more.
DT/DE: The defensive line’s depth was thinned out in free agency as Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler and Johnathan Hankins all departed. More bodies are required.
CB/WR: These two very important positions always need churning of the depth.