The NFL scouting combine is somehow overrated and underrated at the same time.

It’s not as important as some in the analytics and fantasy football communities would have you to believe, but it also provides more value than the old-school film grinders will lead to you believe.

Unfortunately, we on the outside are not privy to the most valuable information at the combine, which comes from the myriad of medical tests and prospect interviews. Nevertheless, the on-field drills still are a small piece of the puzzle, one that can provide valuable information that can improve the evaluation and valuation of NFL draft prospects.

Whether it’s learning what Jerry Jones thinks in the shower or meeting with the representatives of their 20-plus free agents, the Dallas Cowboys have had an eventful combine aside from the on-field drills.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few potential Cowboys targets who impressed at this combine. While an offensive lineman like Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs was incredibly impressive, the Cowboys likely won’t be in the market for an offensive lineman at the draft slot it would take to pick him, which excludes him from the list.

Find our 5 players the Cowboys could target on defense here.

Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor

While all eyes were on Henry Ruggs’ attempt to break John Ross’ record 4.22 in the 40-yard dash, Baylor WR Denzel Mims, who the Cowboys informally met with at the combine, really stole the show among the group of receivers.

Mims’ outstanding week started with his impressive frame and physique during the weigh-ins. Measuring in at 6-foot-3 and 207 pounds with 33-7/8 inch arms and 9-3/8 inch hands, Mims has the size to thrive as an outside receiver in the NFL.

Nevertheless, the show really started when Mims stepped on the field Thursday night at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mims put together a truly epic performance. At 207 pounds, Mims ran an official 4.38 40-yard dash, which ranks in the 90th percentile among receivers, per MockDraftable.

That figure is even better once you adjust Mims’ time for his weight using a speed score, which incorporates a back’s official time in the 40-yard dash with his weight to produce a measure of his speed given his size, per Football Outsiders. A receiver’s speed score has been shown to be one of the more predictive measurements of how a receiver will fare in the NFL, per Rotoworld. Mims’ 115.6 speed score ranked in the 96th percentile among WRs, per Player Profiler.

Monster grab in a contested catch situation by Denzel Mims. pic.twitter.com/O1yMVO8toP — John Owning (@JohnOwning) February 25, 2020

Mims also performed well in the jumps, posting a 38.5-inch vertical (84th percentile) and 10-foot-11 broad jump (94th percentile), which makes sense given his propensity to make difficult catches above the rim during his time at Baylor (above clip).

Mims did post a disappointing 4.43 in the 20-yard shuttle (10th percentile), but he more than made up for it with a 6.66-second three-cone drill (90th percentile).

Another awesome grab by Mims outside his frame. Snatches the ball out of the air and retracts it quickly to his frame to limit the CB's contest. pic.twitter.com/m5E6u0HcJs — John Owning (@JohnOwning) February 26, 2020

Overall, Mims has truly crushed the pre-draft process. Mims followed up his outstanding Senior Bowl week with an outstanding performance at the NFL combine. Mims’ stock should continue to soar once evaluators go back to the tape, as Mims’ film is littered with impressive feats.

Michael Pittman, WR, USC

Measuring in at 6-foot-4 and 223 pounds with 32-1/2 inch arms and 9-1/4 inch hands, not many analysts expected a great performance from USC WR Michael Pittman Jr., who had a formal meeting with the Cowboys at the combine.

Pittman’s performance ended up soaring above expectations, especially once adjusted for size. At face value, Pittman’s 4.52 40-yard dash doesn’t appear to be very impressive, as it ranks in just the 59th percentile. However, Pittman’s 111.2 speed score is outstanding, ranking in the 93rd percentile, per Player Profiler.

Pittman also performed well in the jumps and agility drills for his size, jumping 36.5 inches in the vertical and 10-foot-1 in the broad to go with times of 4.17 in the 20-yard shuttle and 6.96 in the three-cone drill.

USC WR Michael Pittman Jr. reportedly has a formal interview scheduled with the #Cowboys at the Combine.



Here he runs an excellent out vs off coverage. Stems inside, giving the out more room. Creates separation at the top of route because a hard stick/eyes inside sell the dig. pic.twitter.com/kUkB7whcq0 — John Owning (@JohnOwning) February 26, 2020

Those agility times at 223 pounds are nothing to sneeze at, and that kind of agility is evident on tape (above clip).

Pittman has his warts (particularly in his ability to beat press coverage) but he’s a big-bodied receiver with great hands and notable route-running efficiency, which is why he’d be a nice option for the Cowboys in the middle rounds.

Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma

If Jalen Hurts goes on the first two days of the NFL draft, you can bet it won’t be the Cowboys making the selection. However, if Hurts falls to Day 3, then it’s possible the Cowboys could select Hurts as a developmental QB.

During Mike McCarthy’s tenure in Green Bay, the Packers often selected developmental QBs in the middle rounds. The idea was that the QB could develop into a backup QB or trade bait down the road.

Jalen Hurts has often been compared to Dak Prescott throughout the pre-draft process on account of his mobility and leadership, and he could actually grow into the perfect backup for Prescott down the road.

⚡️ @OU_Football's Jalen Hurts was MOVING!



His unofficial time of 4.59 is best among QBs at the Combine.



(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/lu1VjtlRHE — FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) February 27, 2020

Hurts didn’t do the full gambit of tests at the combine, but the ones he did participate in, he passed with flying colors. Measuring in at 6-foot-1 and 222 pounds with 9-3/4 inch hands, his 4.59 40-yard dash showed off his legitimate long speed at the QB position. His 35-inch vertical and 10-foot-5 inch broad jump proved that he’s quite explosive as well.

On top of that, Hurts was impressive throughout the throwing drills, proving that he is, in fact, a QB – not a RB or WR as some have intimated. He showed a smooth release and with good touch, looking comfortable throwing in each drill.

It should also be stated that Hurts biggest issue – his ability to process defenses post-snap – isn’t a part of the combine environment, but it was still an impressive performance overall.

John Hightower, WR, Boise State

The Boise State-Cowboys pipeline is a real thing, and while edge defender Curtis Weaver gets the most attention, WR John Hightower is a notable prospect in his own right.

Hightower did well to improve his stock at the NFL combine. Measuring in at 6-foot-1 and 189 pounds, Hightower proved to be extremely explosive in the linear athletic testing, posting a 4.43 40-yard dash (86th percentile, per Player Profiler) to go with an impressive jumps of 38.5-inch in the vertical and 10-foot-2 in the broad. He also posted the fourth-best 20-yard shuttle among WRs at the combine (4.21).

🎥 1 play. 76 yards. Touchdown.



Bachmeier with the 💣 to John Hightower to double the Bronco lead to 14-0!#BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/rrWFTtHG6F — Boise State Football (@BroncoSportsFB) October 6, 2019

These numbers indicate that Hightower could develop into quite the vertical threat in the NFL, and his tape at Boise State illustrates the same (above clip).

He looked smooth with route-running and showed good ball skills to wrangle the, at times, inaccurate throws by the QBs at the combine.

While Mims and Pittman would likely need to be selected on Day 1 or 2, Hightower is a good name to know on Day 3. If the Cowboys retain Amari Cooper and Randall Cobb and are looking for depth at the receiver position, Hightower would be an exciting name to target.

Darrynton Evans, RB, Appalachian State

With Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard in the fold, the Cowboys won’t be in the market for a No. 1 or 2 RB for the foreseeable future.

Nevertheless, the Cowboys have made a habit of drafting RBs late in the draft in an effort to find a No. 3 RB. In 2016, the Cowboys drafted the uber-athletic Darius Jackson to fill that spot. In 2018, the team drafted Alabama’s Bo Scarbrough in the seventh round before doing the same with Ohio State’s Mike Weber in 2019.

Maybe the fourth time is the charm?

With this TD run, junior Darrynton Evans moves into the top 10 on App State's career rushing list. He's at 2,620 career rushing yards. pic.twitter.com/E5TwagoFu5 — App State Football (@AppState_FB) November 29, 2019

In any event, Appalachian State RB Darrynton Evans is one of the most intriguing Day 3 RB prospects in this draft class, as he can contribute both as a runner and on special teams (averaged over 25 yards per kick return in college) and he made the most of his opportunity at the NFL combine.

For RBs under 210 pounds, the three-cone drill, 40-yard dash and speed score are the on-field drills that correlate most with NFL success, per Rotoworld, and Evans showed well in the latter two. Measuring in at 5-foot-10 and 203 pounds, Evans’ 4.41 40-yard dash ranked him in the 96th percentile, per Player Profiler, while his speed score (107.3) placed him in 86th percentile. He also performed well in the jumps, posting an impressive 37-inch vertical and a 10-foot-5 inch broad jump, which illustrates his explosive traits that were littered throughout his college film.

While it’s possible that Evans’ performance could have pushed him higher than the Cowboys would be willing to take a RB, the position’s value in the NFL is so suppressed that it wouldn’t be surprising if a number of talented backs were available late on Day 3. This is why Evans deserves to be on Cowboys fans’ radar.

Want to see more film room? Click here.

Find more Cowboys stories from The Dallas Morning News here.