Cowboys Mock Draft 7.0: With NFL Free Agency Comes Some Clarity
So it’s Dallas Cowboys Mock Draft 7.0, and now things start to get a little more real.
We know that Dak Prescott has been tagged, that Amari Cooper, Anthony Brown, Joe Looney, Cooper Rush, Sean Lee and Blake Jarwin are returning. We know that Gerald McCoy is coming to town. We also know that Robert Quinn, Byron Jones, Jason Witten, Jeff Heath, Xavier Su'a-Filo, Maliek Collins and a slew of other Cowboys are leaving town. So now the needs are more pronounced than they were just a week ago.
So as we enter this seventh mock, we can take some of that into account. Of course, the Cowboys will be looking to add free agents in the next couple of weeks. And those additions could fuel how those mocks work.
But, as I did this mock on Wednesday night, I was at least able to take the first wave of free agency into account. As usual, I used TheDraftNetwork.com Mock Draft tool and used its Player Ranking setting. I picked for the Cowboys and the tool picked for everyone else.
So let’s get to Mock Draft 7.0.
Round 1: S Xavier McKinney, Alabama
We’ve been here before — that was Mock Draft 4.0. The Draft Network considers McKinney to be a Day 1 NFL starter. The departure of Jeff Heath to the Raiders makes the need more pronounced, though to be fair the Cowboys needed safety regardless. I thought about South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw here, and I wouldn’t rule him out. But the signing of DT Gerald McCoy means they have their starter inside, though some depth will need to be accumulated.
Jan. 27 Mock: S Grant Delpit, LSU
Feb. 4 Mock: DE K’Lavon Chaisson, LSU
Feb. 11 Mock: WR Laviska Shenault Jr., Colorado
Feb. 18 Mock: S Xavier McKinney, Alabama
March 5 Mock: CB Kristian Fulton, LSU
March 12 Mock: CB Kristian Fulton, LSU
Round 2: DE Curtis Weaver, Boise State
The departure of Robert Quinn means the Cowboys will be without their top pass rusher from 2019. Certainly, the Cowboys are hoping that Demarcus Lawrence has an uptick in his play in 2020. But depth is needed and Weaver is a player that can step in and help immediately. At 6-foot-3, 265 pounds, I think he can play either side of the line and the Cowboys’ “Play the best 11” mentality on defense could benefit him competitively. The last Boise State defensive end the Cowboys selected — Lawrence — worked out all right. But, it took time for Lawrence to develop, too. What you’re hoping for out of Weaver is a player that can contribute immediately, and start by Year 2, and hopefully earlier.
Jan. 27 Mock: DE Bradlee Anae, Utah
Feb. 4 Mock: DT Ross Blacklock, TCU
Feb. 11 Mock: DT Justin Madubuike, Texas A&M
Feb. 18 Mock: OT Lucas Niang, TCU
March 5: DT Justin Madubuike, Texas A&M
March 12 Mock: DT Ross Blacklock, TCU
Round 3: CB Darnay Holmes, UCLA
You can’t really ignore the corner position after losing Byron Jones. The Cowboys have options at this position in the first round, as we’ve evidenced in other mock drafts. If you are targeting a corner, you don’t want to get into Day 3 to find a starter, or at least a player that can contribute immediately. Holmes can do that. At 5-foot-10, 192 pounds, he’s a bit shorter than I would like. But, after reading The Draft Network scouting report, the takeaway here was that the things he needs to improve upon only require coaching. That means he has the foundation and athletic ability to be a good player. That also means he can project to be a better player in a year or two. At the time he was the best corner on the board.
Jan. 27 Mock: WR Denzel Mims, Baylor
Feb. 4 Mock: WR K.J. Hill, Ohio State
Feb. 11 Mock: S Brandon Jones, Texas
Feb. 18 Mock: DE Kenny Willekes, Michigan State
March 5 Mock: S Jeremy Chinn, Southern Illinois
March 12 Mock: DE Darrell Taylor, Tennessee
Round 4: WR Chase Claypool, Notre Dame
I think I forgot to mention that Randall Cobb skipped town for Houston, too. So the Cowboys have a gap on the roster for a receiver. Claypool isn’t necessarily going to be a slot receiver at 6-foot-4, 229 pounds. But he has the right build for the position overall and has value in 50/50 and back-shoulder fade situations right away. I saw him play in 2018 live against Michigan and I was impressed with his route running. He’s not a finished product, but he has the tools to make up ground fast. There are plenty of good receiving options in the third and fourth rounds.
Jan. 27 Mock: TE Jared Pinkney, Vanderbilt
Feb. 4 Mock: S Richie Grant, UCF
Feb. 11 Mock: DE Khalid Kareem, Notre Dame
Feb. 18 Mock: WR Collin Johnson, Texas
March 5 Mock: DE Alton Robinson, Syracuse
March 12 Mock: S Jordan Fuller, Ohio State
Round 5: LB Markus Bailey, Purdue
The Cowboys are bringing Sean Lee back on a one-year deal. Beyond that, who knows. Linebacker is a sneaky depth issue for the Cowboys right now. I saw Bailey in the season opener in 2018 against Northwestern and he was one of the most fundamentally sound linebackers I saw that season. Football IQ is what The Draft Network raves about. At 6-foot-1, 240 pounds, he sounds like a good fit, depending upon how the Cowboys want to use their linebackers this season.
Jan. 27 Mock: CB Levonta Taylor, Florida State
Feb. 4 Mock: OT Jack Driscoll, Auburn
Feb. 11 Mock: CB Essang Bassey, Wake Forest
Feb. 18 Mock: CB Myles Bryant, Washington
March 5 Mock: WR Tyler Johnson, Minnesota
March 12 Mock: WR Michael Pittman Jr., USC
Round 5 (compensatory): Albert Okwuegbunam, TE, Missouri
Oh, don’t roll your eyes at me. You know they’re going to take a tight end, even though they just overpaid Blake Jarwin (did I write that? Did I really just write that?). At least Okwuegbunam has the right athletic build for the position (6-foot-5, 255 pounds) and already has a foundation as a good blocker and can grow into the position.
March 12 Mock: RB Lamical Perine, Florida
Round 7: OT Scott Frantz, Kansas State
The Cowboys have already absorbed some losses on the offensive line. They also know they have continued injury issues with Tyron Smith. Now, Frantz certainly isn’t Smith’s replacement. But he is a solid developmental prospect at the position group, as he was considered one of the Big 12’s best offensive linemen last year. The Cowboys will likely take at least one offensive lineman in this draft, just for depth purposes.
Jan. 27 Mock: DL LaBryan Ray, Alabama
Feb. 4 Mock: CB Lavert Hill, Michigan
Feb. 11 Mock: OT Colton McKivitz, West Virginia
Feb. 18 Mock: DT Robert Landers, Ohio State
March 5 Mock: FB Sewo Olonilua, TCU
March 12 Mock: WR James Proche, SMU
Analysis: This mock hewed close to defense once again. With the losses at safety, defensive end and cornerback I felt the need to find some replacements that all had opportunities to play this season. I think McKinney, Weaver and Holmes can, though I would be wary of putting starter tags on Weaver and Holmes until we see them in camp. Claypool could find a place on this roster, as could Bailey (I feel the Cowboys are thinner at linebacker than most realize). Okwuegbunam and Frantz would most likely hit the practice squad for this team, but that’s the fate of many fifth- and seventh-round picks. What you’re looking for is impact on Day 1 and 2, and I think this Mock Draft certainly heads in that direction.
My next mock draft will appear on March 26.
