Cowboys NFL Mock Draft 4.0: Add Farley To Dak
It’s time for my fourth Dallas Cowboys 2021 7-Round NFL Mock Draft. Each one has had a theme, and this one does, too. What if the Cowboys take Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley in the first round? What happens after that?
So, like the last two drafts (Mock Draft 2.0 was Northwestern offensive lineman Rashawn Slater and Mock Draft 3.0 was Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II), I did three different mocks at three different sites, taking Farley in the first round of all three.
After that, I sought to take the best player available, with the idea of making sure to hit the Cowboys’ 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.
1. This Week's Farley-Keyed Mock
So, let’s go.
No. 10: CB Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech: Farley sat out the 2020 season, opting out due to COVID-19. But he’s been consistently among the top three cornerbacks in this draft.
No. 42: OT Dillon Radunz, North Dakota State: He impressed everyone at the Senior Bowl. He has starter potential. He knows how to win. Just ask him to show you his national championship rings.
No. 74: EDGE Dayo Odeyingbo, Vanderbilt: The Cowboys need edge help and they shouldn’t be shy about acquiring it on Day 2 of the draft. In fact …
No. 99: EDGE Payton Turner, Houston: Turner ended up in two of the three mocks, so he’s basically a consensus player.
No. 115: DL Jay Tufele, USC: A pick that would give the Cowboys the interior defensive line help they need.
No. 138: S Richard LeCounte, Georgia: Safety is also a position of need for the Cowboys. Don’t rule out the Cowboys taking a corner and trying to convert him. They’ve done it before.
No. 178: EDGE Jonathon Cooper, Ohio State: Like Turner, he popped up in two mocks.
No. 191: WR Jonathan Adams Jr., Arkansas State: The Cowboys will take one wide receiver, but they don’t need to do it until Day 3.
No. 225: LB Paddy Fisher, Northwestern: It’s really late in this draft to get a player with Fisher’s football IQ.
No. 236: DL Ta’Quon Graham, Texas: Our final consensus pick adds beef to the defensive line.
Overall: It’s a defense heavy draft, and that’s what I’m going for. Three options on the edge, two options on the interior defensive line and coverage at cornerback, safety and linebacker. Radunz could be a starter for other teams. With the Cowboys he’ll be quality depth to start with. I don’t think the Cowboys should be shy about loading up at a certain position in this draft, especially with four compensatory picks.
The Mock Draft Pool (players in final mock in bold)
Pro Football Focus
No. 10: CB Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech
No. 42: OT Dillon Radunz, North Dakota State
No. 75: EDGE Ronnie Perkins, Oklahoma
No. 99: LB Chazz Surratt, North Carolina
No. 115: DL Jay Tufele, USC
No. 138: S Richard LeCounte, Georgia
No. 178: EDGE Jonathon Cooper, Ohio State
No. 191: WR Jonathan Adams Jr., Arkansas State
No. 225: EDGE Demetrius Taylor, Appalachian State
No. 236: DL Ta’Quon Graham, Texas
The Draft Network
No. 10: CB Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech
No. 44: S Richie Grant, UCF
No. 75: EDGE Dayo Odeyingbo, Vanderbilt
No. 99: EDGE Payton Turner, Houston
No. 115: DL Tyler Shelvin, LSU
No. 138: OT Robert Hainsey, Notre Dame
No. 178: EDGE Jonathon Cooper, Ohio State
No. 191: WR Cornell Powell, Clemson
No. 225: CB Tre Norwood, Oklahoma
No. 236: CB Marco Wilson, Florida
Pro Football Network
No. 10: CB Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech
No. 44: EDGE Jaelan Phillips, Miami (FL)
No. 75: OT Spencer Brown, Northern Iowa
No. 99: EDGE Payton Turner, Houston
No. 115: OT Brady Christensen, BYU
No. 138: LB Monty Rice, Georgia
No. 178: EDGE Janarius Robinson, Florida State
No. 191: TE Tre McKitty, Georgia
No. 225: LB Paddy Fisher, Northwestern
No. 236: DT Ta’Quon Graham, Texas
READ MORE: Dallas Cowboys an NFL Playoffs Lock
READ MORE: Dallas-Bound: Top Longhorns Measure for Cowboys
2. The Dak ‘Tick-Tock’
How did Dak Prescott’s four-year contract FINALLY come together? Well our CowboyMaven team followed the story before, during, and after Prescott signed on the dotted line.
Monday
Dak Deal: Cowboys Help From NFL Tag Deadline Change?: Early on Monday, we were thinking that the ‘franchise tag’ deadline could get pushed back.
Dak Negotiations Needs: A Jerry Face-To-Face And One More Cowboys Obstacle: Our Mike Fisher wrote about what had worked for the Jones family in the past when it came to getting negotiations done. And, as it turns out, that’s what happened.
And, Then …
Cowboys BREAKING: Dak Deal Done!: Is this what Cowboys owner Jerry Jones meant by an ‘Imminent’ deal back in 2019?
Deals, as you know, come with details.
Cowboys' Dak Deal: 'Dummy' Years And Did Jerry Win?: Sometimes it’s isn’t just the money. It’s how you write the deal. Fish had the details.
Can Dak's Cowboys Offense - All Signed - Live Up To Hype?: Then, Cole Thompson gauged how the signing could impact the ENTIRE offense (positively, we’ll assume).
Yes, that all that was on MONDAY.
Tuesday
Tuesday started with this:
Dak Deal - And Cowboys Status Of Amari Cooper: Time to make sure Prescott’s favorite target is cool with all this.
'Blame Jerry': Our Cowboys Dak Deal National Pastime: Fish has a point. Jones seems to be damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t.
Wednesday
On Wednesday, Dak, Jerry and Stephen Jones talked with the media. But before that:
Jimmy Johnson: Cowboys QB Dak 'Can't Carry A Team' To Super Bowl: It’s not a dig. It’s just the truth when you think about it.
Staubach's Take On Dak And His Cowboys Contract: We must always check in with ‘Captain America’ at times like this.
Then Dak talked to the media (from an appropriate social distance, of course).
Dak Reveals 'Cowboy For Life' Thoughts: ‘Just The Beginning’: Prescott always envisioned himself as a ‘Cowboy for Life.’ His contract ends at age 32. Just food for thought.
Dak LIVE Injury Update: ‘I’m Healthy,’ Proclaims Cowboys QB: I’m sure the doctors are going to want to weigh in on that.
Thursday
We had plenty of leftovers from Prescott’s press conference.
Dak & Stephen Brag On Cowboys In NFC East, Want ‘Super Bowl Parade’: Stephen Jones and Dak Prescott want the same thing, and it’s not just an NFC East title. But it starts there.
Cowboys Compare Dak 'Heart & Soul' To Tom Brady: Take five seconds, lose your mind about the headline, and then read the story. It will all make sense.
VIDEO: Dak Prescott Shows Off Healthy Ankle In Cowboys Workout: I think this was Dak’s way of saying he’s healthy. What do you think?
Friday
You have to love analysts, right?
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott Better Than Russell Wilson? Find out who that analyst is. He has a familiar last name and a great reputation within the NFL community.
We’re CowboyMaven. We’re not going to miss a single story or angle. There’s the proof.
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.
Meanwhile, check out this draft content, too ...
NFL Pro Day Tracker: The staff at NFL Draft Bible is tracking every Pro Day and you can follow along.
LSU defender JaCoby Stevens may be a popular name on Day 2 in this draft. Find out more about the Tiger.
The NFL Draft Bible Team put together a 7-Round Dallas Cowboys Mock Draft earlier this week.
Plus, the Cowboys found out they would have four compensatory picks in the 2021 NFL Draft.
4. Free Agency is Coming
With Xavier Woods slated to become a free agent and only Donovan Wilson and Darian Thompson as playable names on the current depth chart, the Cowboys are looking for help at safety. And as Mike Fisher wrote, that could lead the Cowboys to a player from defensive coordinator Dan Quinn’s recent past.
5. They’re not trading Zeke. Deal with it.
Barring a some unimaginably marvelous offer, trading Ezekiel Elliott, a source tells CowboysSI.com, is simply not the plan — gossip be damned. And there’s quite a bit of gossip.
6. Let’s go to Oxnard
“We’re going to Oxnard,'' Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said in the middle of the Dak Prescott press conference, during which his new four-year, $160 million contract was made official. "We’re going to do it safe. We’re going to have that stadium full.''
Presumably by ‘stadium’ he meant AT&T Stadium, and not whatever that thing is they practice on out in Oxnard.
7. Need Cap Space? Borrow from the Offensive Line
After Dak Prescott signed his new contract, the salary cap shell game began. And the Cowboys did it by augmenting the contracts of three offensive linemen: La'el Collins, Zack Martin and Tyron Smith. The move created about $18 million in cap space.
8. Dez a Cowboy Again?
Yep, time to resurrect that gem. Mike Fisher has the details. (But no, it's not happening.)
9. Cowboys Dak Signing Changes ... Nothing (Yet) - Whitt's End
I’m seeing a lot of “now the Cowboys need to draft for defense” nonsense. What the what?! Tag, Hell or high water, did folks actually think Prescott was somehow not going to be the starting quarterback in 2021?
But since he’s signed long-term, now – and only now – it’s time to address the worst defense in franchise history?
10. Tweet Of The Week
Wanna talk Cowboys? Hit up Postins on Twitter at @PostinsPostcard.
