The first wave of free agency is officially in the book, which means the NFL Draft is the next big event on the offseason calendar. In just over one month, the Cincinnati Bengals will officially be on the clock, and the dreams of 100’s of collegiate athletes will finally come true. Trying to predict what will happen during the draft requires a lot of luck, as there are so many variables to account for. However, this Dallas Cowboys mock draft takes a look at the players the Cowboys could go after when April rolls around.
Note that this Cowboys mock draft does not include any trades due to the obvious issues with trying to make decisions for two separate teams simultaneously. Also note that this exercise was performed using the Draft Network’s Mock Draft Simulator, so all of these players have a decent chance of being on the board when Dallas is on the clock.
Dallas Cowboys Seven-Round Mock Draft
1st Round (17th Overall) – Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU
The Dallas Cowboys almost have to take a cornerback with this selection. After watching Byron Jones walk in free agency, Dallas desperately needs to upgrade their secondary, and, fortunately enough, they get a great player in Kristian Fulton. Fulton is coming off a strong season at LSU and should immediately slide into the Cowboys’ starting lineup.
2nd Round (51st Overall) – Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Minnesota
The Cowboys finally address the safety position with Minnesota’s own Antoine Winfield Jr. Winfield Jr is a solid player against both the run and the pass and plays much a much-needed ferocity in the box. While he’s probably never going to be a superstar, he’s a smart pickup in the second round that can contribute right out of the gate.
3rd Round (82nd Overall) – Michael Pittman Jr., WR, USC
The Cowboys don’t necessarily need another wide receiver, but Michael Pittman is too good to pass up in the third round. The USC product is a prototypical possession receiver with ideal ball skills and a fantastic route tree. Finding good route runners in college is hard to do, and his ability to get open on multiple levels of the field should give the Cowboys one of the best receiver groupings in the league.
Michael Pittman NFL Draft Profile
4th Round (123rd Overall) – Damien Lewis, IOL, LSU
The Dallas Cowboys need to invest in the interior offensive line now that Travis Frederick is in retirement. Joe Looney figures to be the favorite to take over the starting center job, which means that the Cowboys are going to need somebody to be the top depth option along the interior line. Damien Lewis played right guard in college but projects as someone that could learn center and left guard. He’s fantastic as a run blocker, although his pass blocking admittedly leaves something to be desired.
5th Round (164th Overall) – Khalil Davis, IDL, Nebraska
The NFL Draft is a crapshoot, but the late rounds are nothing more than just throwing darts and hoping you get lucky. Khalil Davis is a little undersized for the position and will probably never be a three-down starter. However, he can serve as a depth option and rotational piece along a defensive interior that could use a few more pieces.
6th Round (179th Overall) – Tanner Muse, S, Clemson
A safety at the collegiate level, Tanner Muse is probably too slow to stay in that position at the NFL level. Assuming he translates to linebacker, he could be a solid coverage linebacker against tight ends. He’ll need to add some mass to his frame, but taking Muse is worth a shot on Day 3.
7th Round (231st Overall) – A.J. Green, CB, Oklahoma State
The Cowboys need as many cornerbacks as they can get, and maybe they can get lucky with A.J. Green. The cornerback out of Oklahoma State didn’t look like anything special during his collegiate tenure, but he justifies an invite to training camp, at the very least. With nobody else good on the board, the Cowboys take a shot on the best player available at one of the most important positions in football. If they’re lucky, perhaps Green can surprise and become the fourth or fifth cornerback on the roster.
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