Cowboys Mock Draft 6.0: 'My' Mock vs. the 'Machine'

So it’s Dallas Cowboys Mock Draft 6.0, and it’s time for a Mock vs. the Machine.

With a nod to the possibility that the NFL (including the business-as-usual Cowboys) might follow the NBA COVID-19-related lead and make big changes in how we do sports in the spring), here’s how this worked. I went to TheDraftNetwork.com to use their simulators and did two mocks. The first was done TOTALLY by their computer software using their predictive board. Then I did a second mock draft where I made the Cowboys’ picks and the computer did the rest. The goal was to see how much difference their might be. Both mocks took team draft needs into consideration.

One other new aspect to this mock is that we know that the Cowboys will get a compensatory pick in the fifth round. So, for the first time, we can include that in the mock draft.

So let’s get to Mock Draft 6.0 and see who did better.

Round 1: My Mock: CB Kristian Fulton, LSU; Machine’s Mock: S Xavier McKinney, Alabama

We basically went chasing the same thing in the first round — secondary help. Oddly, Fulton was my pick in my mock last week and McKinney was my pick in my mock before the NFL Scouting Combine. So these are players I’ve gotten familiar with the past couple of months, and I would suggest you start getting familiar with them too. As TheDraftNetwork.com scouts have pointed out, both should be NFL-ready starters. So, if the Cowboys lose, say, Byron Jones, then Fulton might be the right selection. If they feel they need more help at safety, then it could be McKinney. And safety has been a significant trouble spot for these Cowboys for quite some time. And if free agency EVER starts, we might get more clarity.

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

Round 2: My Mock: DL Ross Blacklock, TCU; Machine’s Mock: DL Marlon Davidson, Auburn

Back to the defensive line, as both myself and the software tapped interior help in the second round. I profiled Blacklock in Mock Draft 2.0. To me he’ll make an NFL team very happy has an immediate rotation player with starter ability by the end of season one. I’ve seen him in person and I love his motor and his physicality. As for Davidson, at 6-foot-3, 297 pounds, he feels like an under tackle in a 4-3 system. But here’s the thing — at Auburn he was a 3-4 outside linebacker. But this could be a good thing. We don’t know specifics of what the Cowboys are going to do on their defensive front yet. Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan wants to play the ‘best 11 guys’ but who knows what that means? Some believe that a move to a 3-4 front is possible. If so, then drafting a player with position flex like Davidson would be a good move.

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

Round 3: My Mock: DE Darrell Taylor, Tennessee; Machine’s Mock: CB Troy Pride Jr., Notre Dame

My mock and the machine’s mock spat out two completely new names. Pride could help address needs at corner. At 5-foot-11, 193 pounds, TheDraftNetwork.com’s Kyle Crabbs wrote in his scouting report that Pride had a high football IQ and had experience in multiple coverages, meaning he has flexibility in how he can be used. Taylor, my pick, was too good to pass up there. At 6-foot-4, 259 pounds, he has great quickness off the ball and really looks for any way he can to get to the quarterback, based on the tape that I saw. He’s an unfinished product and he’ll need help developing as a run defender, but the foundation is there when you watch his tape and he could slip into a rotation right away.

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

Round 4: My Mock: S Jordan Fuller, Ohio State; Machine’s Mock: OT Hakeem Adeniji, Kansas

Fuller is a player I’ve looked at in previous mocks but haven’t selected. Since I hadn’t dipped into safety by that point, I took a shot. I saw him play two years ago against Minnesota and I remember that he really stood out for the reasons that TheDraftNetwork.com’s Kyle Crabbs pointed out — his natural athleticism. I saw Fuller range the field against the Gophers, make plays and always be around the football. He might not be the best on-ball defender, but the instincts I saw led me to believe he could become that, and any player you take in Round 4 is going to be unfinished. Same goes for Adeniji, whom I saw play against TCU last year. He is big (302 pounds) and he just moves people around. He had a quality day against TCU’s defense. The thing I would worry about is an injury history that includes surgery on both shoulders for torn labrums. That’s something that will require extensive medical consultation before pulling the trigger.

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

Round 5: My Mock: WR Michael Pittman Jr., USC; Machine’s Mock: WR Tyler Johnson, Minnesota

I’ve been on both of these guys for a while now (Johnson was my selection in the sixth round in my last mock). But this is the first time I was able to take Pittman, who had a quality final season at USC and has good athleticism and route-running ability to work with. He is tall (6-foot-4) so he can be a quality red-zone target and work in the X slot. But the Cowboys may not be able to use him as creatively as they could, say Johnson. But in the fifth round you’re looking for position depth and special teams help. Both Pittman and Johnson could provide that here.

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

Round 5 (compensatory): My Mock: RB Lamical Perine, Florida; Machine’s Mock: DE Jonathan Garvin, Miami (FL)

Perine has been a solid back for the Gators for the past few years, but he’s not going to step onto an NFL roster and be a starter Day 1. Right now I feel TheDraftNetwork’s projection of him is accurate — a third-down back with special teams upside who can serve as depth. The Cowboys have a great starter in Ezekiel Elliott and a solid backup in Tony Pollard. But it’s never a bad idea to have a third back on hand. Garvin (6-foot-4, 250 pounds) is a player that needs time to develop, but has the foundation to add weight and pass rush ability. An NFL team will be hard-pressed to get a start or two out of him in Year 1.

Round 7: My Mock: WR James Proche, SMU; Machine’s Mock: TE Stephen Sullivan, LSU

You knew at some point one of us was going to take a tight end. It was the Machine, in this case, taking Sullivan, who played a role in LSU winning its national title. I saw him play a few times on TV. Definitely has the receiving ability, but not sure if he has the other stuff (run blocking, etc…). Proche was a highly-productive receiver at SMU who could fit into the slot and earn a role on special teams. Some guy named Cole Beasley got his start at SMU, by the way. Just saying.

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

Analysis: The Machine and I aligned largely for the first four rounds, as we addressed defensive needs. I’m partial to my first four rounds, because I think the Fuller selection has the potential to be better than where he was taken, and if so then the Cowboys have four players that can contribute immediately on defense. That’s an infusion the Cowboys could really use. The compensatory pick, to me, really didn’t help either myself or the Machine, as we both ended up with developmental players. Same with the seventh round. But that’s what you’re going to get there.

My next mock draft will appear on March 19.