The NFL Draft is just over a week away, and there is more local flavor for the Ark-La-Tex than most years. In addition to all of the LSU, La Tech, and ULL prospects, there are some local kids who are getting strong looks from teams.

The most interesting prospect for local fans is former Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott.

Coming into the draft, Prescott is not the highest rated QB in the class, but he brings the most diversified skill set out of all the options. He will more than likely fall out of the First Round after a run-in with the law a few weeks back.

But the idea of pairing him with one of our regions beloved teams has a lot of people paying close attention.

The New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys are both going to be in the market for an understudy to their long-term starters. Tony Romo and Drew Brees are both still going to be the starters for their teams this fall, but they are nearing the end of their careers. So their franchises will be looking for a backup plan.

That's where Dak comes in.

Prescott will not be positioned as an immediate starter for any team, but he will be a viable 'project' that could develop into the quarterback of the future.

This could all be labeled as 'conjecture' if it wasn't for reports from those on the inner-side of the process. Ian Rapoport is recognized as one of the top NFL reporters in the game, and he's looking for the Cowboys to bring Prescott into the fold:

To be completely clear, this isn't something that's going to happen in the first round, this could be second round at best, which means pick #34 overall. That wouldn't be a bad spot for Prescott at all. Getting into the fold for one of the biggest franchises in the league, and having a chance to develop behind Romo, and with QB-genius Jason Garrett, could be huge for someone like Prescott.

As far as the Saints plans go, they're going to be looking for a QB as early as the second round as well. Which means from Prescott to be in their sights, they'll either have to trade up, or hope the Cowboys don't pull the trigger at #34 overall. Because the Saints first chance in the second round will come at #47 overall. Which puts EVERY QB hungry team between them and a second shot at Prescott.

Mississippi State v Mississippi
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So what happens with Dak?

Good news is, he'll still be drafted, even after his recent legal issues. Bad news, it's probably not as early as he would have liked it to be.

There's more good news in there though.

Because he won't be taken at the top of the first round, it means that he will probably be put into a better situation for his growth. Even with all of his abilities and upside, there are still enough question marks that he's going to need time to grow. Hopefully he can get the coaches behind him he needs too. There are teams looking to take 2nd-3rd round QBs that would be perfect for him. The New England Patriots are going to be looking for someone to learn from Tom Brady, and they're a team who doesn't fear legal concerns either.

We don't have to wait much longer to see what happens for Dak, and we know we're not alone watching!

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