2025 NFL Draft: Former Kansas State players who could join Conor Riley in Dallas
The Dallas Cowboys recently added former Kansas State coach Conor Riley to Brian Schottenheimer’s coaching staff. He is regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches from the collegiate ranks and will serve as Dallas’ new OL coach, reuniting with Cooper Beebe as well as Deuce Vaughn in Dallas.
If we connect the dots, there are a couple of former Kansas State players Riley should be pretty familiar with who could be of interest in to the Cowboys in the 2025 NFL Draft. We look at these potential prospects to determine not only their fit in Dallas, but approximately where they could be selected in the draft.
CB Jacob Parrish
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Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images
While Riley probably didn’t work directly with Jacob Parrish during their time together a Kansas State, as the offensive line coach and offensive coordinator he should be very familiar with his strengths and weaknesses as a player. That kind of familiarity and direct knowledge could now make him more of a draft target for the Cowboys.
At 5’10”, 196-pounds, Parrish will likely be relegated to the nickel at the next level. He’s feisty and sticky in coverage and would be a replacement in the slot if Jourdan Lewis moves on. He currently sits at 131 on the consensus big board, which kind of puts him in no man’s land for the Cowboys since they currently don’t have a fourth-round draft pick.
RB DJ Giddens
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Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images
Unlike Parrish, DJ Giddens is someone Riley worked directly with on a daily basis together at K-State. He should know exactly what Giddens brings to the table and how to maximize his talent if the two were to reunite together with the Cowboys. Considering the need at the position, this reunion is entirely possible.
At 6’1″, 212-pounds, Giddens has the prototypical build and skill set to be an RB1 at the next level with the Cowboys. He surprisingly shifty and elusive for his size and runs with good burst and vision. He currently sits at 172 on the consensus big board and could be someone the Cowboys target with one of their fifth-round draft picks this year.
