Jay Ward schedules formal meeting with Dallas Cowboys

It is NFL Combine time, which means franchises are now able to get an up-close, in-depth look at this year’s crop of players making the leap to the next level. For LSU defensive back Jay Ward, that process has already begun. The former LSU safety is setting up meetings with NFL franchises while attending the combine. And according to local writer for the Cowboys Mark Lane, Dallas has scheduled a formal meeting with the former Tiger.

“LSU DB Jay Ward has a formal meeting with the #Cowboys tonight. Says he patterns his game after Budda Baker, and he also keeps in contact with Tyrann Mathieu,” wrote Lane via Twitter.

Ward would be a fine addition to Dallas’ defensive coordinator Dan Quinn’s stout defense. Ward has national championship experience as he was a member of LSU’s 2019 title run. And he wasn’t a spectator, although it was his freshman season. Ward saw ample playing time registering snaps in 13 of the Tigers’ 15 games on their way to the national championship that year.

Ward patterns his game after Budda Baker

The former Tiger knows he can do a lot of different things on the football field, from dropping back as a deep safety to playing in the box against the run. As such, he’s modeled his play after an NFL star who makes plays at every level of the defense: Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker.

The biggest different between Baker and Ward is height — Ward, at 6-foot-1, has three inches on Baker and his 5-foot-10 frame — which should be a big selling point for Ward as he enters the draft process.

After mentioning Baker, Ward also told reporters at the 2023 NFL Combine that he also keeps in touch with former LSU defensive back and Super Bowl champion Tyrann Mathieu, the “Honey Badger.”

At their best, Baker and Mathieu are among the best playmakers in the NFL, offering defensive versatility that modern pro defenses prize. Good role models and company to keep for Ward.