Cowboys Mock Draft 3.0: Surtain And Moehrig?
FRISCO - In First and 10 my third Mock Draft explores what the Dallas Cowboys could do AFTER that first pick ... plus the top 10 stories of the week ....
1. My Cowboys Mock Draft 3.0
It’s time for my third Dallas Cowboys 2021 7-Round NFL Mock Draft. My last mock, completed two weeks ago and built around the idea of taking Northwestern offensive lineman Rashawn Slater in the first round, is worth a read.
This one is similar, in that we’re going to build it around one player in the first round. This time it’s Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II, a player many have attached to the Cowboys with their No. 10 overall pick.
OK, so the Cowboys pick Surtain. What happens after that?
So, like the Slater draft, I did three different mocks at three different sites, taking Surtain in the first round of all three (somehow he popped up at No. 10 in all three). After that, I sought to take the best player available, with the idea of making sure to hit the Cowboy’s other major needs by the end of round four — defensive line, offensive line and safety. Then, I went with the best ‘fit’ given what had been selected to that point. The idea of doing three mocks was purposeful. Every mock would be different. Starting with the second round, I picked what I felt was the best player from that round from the three mock drafts. You can also find the three mocks below, along with the site I used to execute the mock. Plus, you find links to stories about these players throughout FanNation.com and NFLDraftBible.com.
So, let’s go.
No. 10: CB Patrick Surtain II, Alabama: Naturally, he’s the reason we’re building the mock around him. The idea is that Surtain can join his former teammate, Trevon Diggs, and solidify the Cowboys’ pass defense issues at the corner, especially when the Cowboys have four free agents at the position.
No. 42: S Trevon Moehrig, TCU: I was amazed he came up in my Draft Network mock in the second round. He’s already starting to trend toward being a first-rounder. But, of the three second-rounders, he was the best player and fit. So let’s live in a fantasy world where this can happen for a bit longer, shall we? If it’s not Moehrig, then Oklahoma’s Ronnie Perkins, an edge rusher who came up in my Pro Football Network mock, would be a solid selection here and it seems reasonable he would be there.
No. 74: DT Daviyon Nixon, Iowa: I’ll grab Nixon to help solidify the middle of the defensive line for the Cowboys, which had significant issues stopping the run last year.
No. 99: WR Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State: The other two mocks yielded positions that had been addressed to this point. But I couldn’t pass on Wallace here, especially when Michael Gallup is a free agent after this season and the Cowboys will run up against cap issues trying to keep QB Dak Prescott.
No. 115: LB Dylan Moses, Alabama: Moses is a Top 60 player on the ESPN.com board. That’s hard to pass up at this point, especially when I see the choices behind him. It also makes me wonder how he fell this far?
No. 139: EDGE Patrick Jones II, Pittsburgh: To me, Jones is a solid fit for the Cowboys due to his length and speed. Only real question is whether he lasts this long.
No. 179: OT Jaylon Moore, Western Michigan: The one position I really wasn’t able to address early on, given what was selected. But Moore is a solid, developmental tackle. He doesn’t need to be ready right away. Hopefully the need won’t present itself.
No. 193: EDGE Wyatt Hubert, Kansas State: I’ll double up on the edge here with a Big 12 defender who has generated some buzz this offseason.
No. 236: WR Austin Watkins, UAB: Take another wide receiver late, sit him for a year (on this roster) and then see if he can replace Michael Gallup in 2022, assuming Gallup leaps into free agency.
Overall: This covers all the needs, though I would have liked to have covered the EDGE and offensive line needs earlier than I did. I felt fortunate Jones and Hubert fell as far as they did, though I’m not sure what their NFL ceilings are. The first three picks have the potential to start right away. Wallace and Moses can contribute right away. If half the draft can contribute by Day 1, that’s a win.
The Mock Draft Pool (players in final mock in bold)
Pro Football Focus
No. 10: CB Patrick Surtain II, Alabama
No. 42: T Samuel Cosmi, Texas
No. 75: DT Daviyon Nixon, Iowa
No. 99: S Hamsah Nasirildeen, Florida State
No. 115: LB Dylan Moses, Alabama
No. 138: EDGE Patrick Jones II, Pittsburgh
No. 179: RB Kylin Hill, Mississippi State
No. 194: QB Shane Buechele, SMU
No. 236: TE Tre’ McKitty, Georgia
The Draft Network
No. 10: CB Patrick Surtain II, Alabama
No. 44: S Trevon Moehrig, TCU
No. 75: DL Jay Tufele, USC
No. 99: WR Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State
No. 115: EDGE Janarius Robinson, Florida State
No. 139: EDGE Daelin Hayes, Notre Dame
No. 179: CB Bryce Thompson, Tennessee
No. 194: EDGE Wyatt Hubert, Kansas State
No. 232: WR Austin Watkins, UAB
Pro Football Network
No. 10: CB Patrick Surtain II, Alabama
No. 44: EDGE Ronnie Perkins, Oklahoma
No. 75: LB Jabril Cox, LSU
No. 99: S Andre Cisco, Syracuse
No. 115: EDGE Hamiclar Rashed Jr., Oregon State
No. 138: LB Monty Rice, Georgia
No. 179: OT Jaylon Moore, Western Michigan
No. 194: WR Damonte Coxie, Memphis
No. 236: S Tre Norwood, Oklahoma
Why the different pick numbers late in the draft? The NFL will announce the final compensatory picks in March. Until then, the compensatory picks the Cowboys are expected to receive are a bit flexible.
READ MORE: NFL Draft Tracker: Stats Support Cowboys Picking Farley
READ MORE: CeeDee Is A ‘Win’; Can Dak & Cowboys Both Be ‘Winners’?
2. ‘Danger-Russ,’ Dak, and the Unending ‘Trade’ Drama
Russell Wilson wants out of Seattle. We think. He has the Dallas Cowboys on his trade list. We think. The Cowboys want to get Dak Prescott into a long-term deal. We think.
Welcome to the ultimate NFL hot stove drama of 2021.
Two productive quarterbacks, one with a Super Bowl ring, and one who wants one. One that wants offensive line protection, and one that has it. One that doesn’t feel heard by his organization and one that does.
When you think about it, aside from the Super Bowl ring part, Wilson and Prescott might be interchangeable.
And we’ve been documenting it all week here at Cowboys SI.
Does 'Russell Wilson Wants Dak's Cowboys Chair?’ That’s a question everyone has, and while former Cowboys wide receiver and NFL Network analyst Michael Irvin might have the answer, and he can say that quarterbacks rule the world. But we already knew that.
The Cowboys say they’re 'Focused On Dak,' and Not a Russell Wilson Trade, according to sources mined by our Mike Fisher. But Fish also digs into why the idea of dealing Prescott and acquiring Wilson might be ‘untenable.’
Wilson reportedly has the Cowboys on this ‘trade list,’ and our Mike Fisher broke down what that means earlier this week.
If the Cowboys DO get a long-term deal with Prescott done, a Dak Cowboys contract could be three year, $124.5 Million, according to a long-time NFL agent.
And, all of that leads us to this question: Is Dak Really ‘Like Family’ To Cowboys' Jerry?
3. Cowboys Draft Tracker
It’s 2021 NFL Draft season. And we have our Cowboys Draft Tracker up and running. Throughout the ramp-up to the 2021 NFL Draft, we’ll be updating the tracker with mock drafts from around the Internet — ESPN, CBS, NFL.com, Fox Sports and all the others. You can find it all in one convenient place right here.
So click it, bookmark it and keep our Cowboys Draft Tracker with you wherever you go.
And some other Cowboys and NFL Draft related stories of note:
Our NFL Draft Tracker features a numbers-based reason for the Cowboys to take CB Caleb Farley at No. 10.
NFL Draft Bible had a great list of the Top 100 free agents (not about the draft, but worth the read).
Here’s a great piece on Ohio State defensive end Jonathon Cooper.
NFL Draft Bible also has its Hot Take Tuesday, with great news and notes about potential NFL Draft prospects.
Our new partner, the NFL Draft Bible, now a part of FanNation.com and we’ll be bringing you great content from them leading up to the NFL Draft in April.
4. Is a Jaylon Smith Contract Restructure on the Horizon?
Have the Cowboys — who absolutely need to make some headline-worthy moves in order to accommodate whatever their contract plans are with QB Dak Prescott — approached linebacker Jaylon Smith about a restructure or something even more drastic?
Well, that was the speculation earlier this week. So our Mike Fisher did something that he can do because, you know, he’s a journalist with Smith’s number.
Smith even called Fish ‘Sir.’ Even I don’t do that, though I suppose I should start?
5. Cowboys Free Agency: Could Tre Boston Replace Xavier Woods?
Could recently-released free safety Tre Boston be a fit with the Dallas Cowboys secondary?
We say ... Yes.
The Cowboys’ pass defense was sometimes adequate last year (at least compared to their run defense) but free safety Xavier Woods is a free agent. ... and in our judgment, he’s a run-of-the-mill guy.
More here from Chris Russell. And it’s more than just a talent question.
6. Cowboys' Jerry Jones On Farm Animals' Lovemaking: Top 10 'Jerryisms'
Yep, those are actual words. Here are some more:
“The owls are f-----g the chickens.''
This is, of course, yet another “Jerryism,” one of the many kooky and clever colloquialisms that come flying out the mouth of the vociferous Cowboys owner.
At least until Jerry opens his mouth again. Then we may have to re-evaluate.
7. Cowboys On HBO's 'Hard Knocks'? A Terrible 'Football-First' Idea
Hey, guess what? The Dallas Cowboys are eligible to be on HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’ this season.
Hey, guess who thinks that’s a bad idea? Our Mike Fisher. Here’s why.
8. Cowboys Ex Dez Bryant Reveals Thoughts On Ravens - And His NFL Future
Earlier this week Todd Karpovich wrote about the future of former Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant, and it doesn’t appear to involve the Baltimore Ravens. No bad blood, he said. Just not on the same page.
But does he had a future in the NFL? He hopes so.
9. Whitt’s End: Cowboys Rid Themselves Of ‘Rats & Pipes’
History, forgotten: In 1960, when the newborn NFL team paid its players $5,000 a year, the Cowboys practiced at Oak Cliff’s Burnett Field. They worked out there because it was one of a few practice fields available along with old P.C. Cobb Stadium, which is now the Dallas Infomart. Burnett Field, according to former long-time team exec and Hall of Famer Gil Brandt, was infested with rodents.
“Guys had to hang their jerseys on pipes,” Brandt says, “so the rats didn’t eat them.”
Burnett wasn’t torn down until the minor-league baseball Dallas Rangers moved to Arlington Stadium in 1965.
Today, it’s just a vacant field.
10. Tweet Of The Week
Wanna talk Cowboys? Hit up Postins on Twitter at @PostinsPostcard.
