How many of you have claimed that you could’ve done a better job as the General Manager for the Dallas Cowboys in regards to drafting players?
I’ll be completely honest and say that I’m guilty of such an accusation. I’m sure there are plenty of you out there that will admit to the same.
The Dallas Cowboys have done a much better job of drafting players the last several years, but Jerry Jones still receives a lot of flak for the way he is handles the draft as the GM/Owner.
Now, I know it’s still early to be doing mock drafts, but I thought it would be fun if we all had the chance to play GM for once and select the players we would personally choose for the Dallas Cowboys.
Of course, there has to be rules. To keep things as fair as possible for this exercise we will use CBS Sports player rankings to help us decide where each individual player will be available when it’s the Cowboys turn to draft.
Okay, this is how it will work. You have to draft a player that is within the correct slotted area. For instance, the Cowboys have the 28th overall draft pick in the first round, so you can’t draft anybody that is ranked lower than 28th. This will continue through all seven rounds until you have completed the draft for the Dallas Cowboys.
Simple enough, right? It’s a little bit more difficult than you might think.
Below is my attempt at playing GM for the Dallas Cowboys using the CBS Sports player rankings.
Round 1 (28th overall) – Carl Lawson, DE, Auburn
Round 2 (60th overall) – Fabian Moreau, CB, UCLA
Round 3 (92nd overall) – Chris Godwin, WR, Penn State
Round 4 (132nd overall) – Jeremy Sprinkle, TE, Arkansas
Round 6 (212th overall) – Xavier Woods, S, Louisiana Tech
Round 7 (231st overall) – Treyvon Hester, DT, Toledo
Round 7 (249th overall) – Joe Williams, RB, Utah
With the Cowboys first-round draft pick I decided to try and improve the pass rush with the selection of Carl Lawson. Lawson has an injury history, but I believe he is one of the more pro-ready pass rushers in this draft class.
Fabian Moreau will help improve the secondary and will probably end up being a starter as a rookie. He has the size, speed, and fluidity that you look for in a cornerback and I think he will make an instant impact his first year in the NFL.
In the third round I decided to give Dak Prescott another weapon in the receiving game by drafting Chris Godwin. I think Godwin will be an upgrade over both Terrance Williams and Brice Butler, and also help Dez Bryant see less double coverage.
This is where things started to get a little bit more difficult. There are a lot of players that I like in this slotted area, but I decided to go with Jeremy Sprinkle because of my concerns at the tight end position. Geoff Swaim and James Hanna will be returning from serious injuries, and Rico Gathers is a huge question mark. Sprinkle could be that #1 TE after Jason Witten’s contract expires after the 2017 season.
In the six round decided to add depth to the safety position with Xavier Woods. I think Woods will continue to impress coaches and scouts this off-season and he could be a steal in the sixth round.
The Dallas Cowboys hold two seventh round draft picks. With the first one I added Treyvon Hester, an athletic defensive tackle that I think Rod Marinelli will mold into a good rotational player. Hester is the penetrating type of defensive tackle that Marinelli prefers along his defensive line.
With the Cowboys final draft pick I decided to add a little depth to the running back position with the selection of Joe Williams. Williams would be an excellent complementary back to Ezekiel Elliott. He is a threat to score any time he touches the ball and is a tough runner between the tackles despite his size.
Well, there you have it. Now that you have seen how I would draft for the Dallas Cowboys, it’s your turn.
Use the comment section below to share what you would do as the GM of the Dallas Cowboys using the CBS Sports player rankings.
Round 1….Damarcus Walker….DE/DT…..He can play inside and out, Demarcus Lawerence has not lived up to that ‘QB Hunter’ label on his draft…Dallas needs a double digit sack artist.
Round 2… Raekwon McMillan, ILB, Ohio State excellent for depth, can see him as a starter, however would like to see him improve in pass coverage, but solid against the run. when Dallas subs, he’s a starter regardless, would not be surprised at all if can he play all 3 linebacker positions
Round 3…. Cameron Sutton, CB, Tennessee, he’s a physical corner, teams usually avoided the corner he was in) With Carr and Claibornes future unknown, best to draft one.
Round 4… Jeremy Sprinkle, TE, Arkansas good size, excellent blocker, Witten isn’t getting any younger sadly
Round 6…. Josh Reynolds, WR, Texas A&M…TWill’s contract is up…Brice Butlar’s contract is up, at 6’4 190…would like to see him pack on 15-20 lbs in the offseason..other then that..would love to see him opposite of Dez Bryant and Cole Beasley
Round 7….. Zach Banner, OT, USC , a mammoth individual to see the least, listed at 6’9 344, would love to see him on Dallas O-line, Doug Free is who Doug Free is, not getting any younger and his penelties are just killer for Dallas offense. You can’t rely on Chaz Green to stay healthy. While he’s played on the left side at times for the Trojans, Banner is probably more of a smash-mouth right tackle for the NFL. He has a lot of strength at the point attack and obviously is a massive blocker. Banner showed some athleticism by playing some basketball at USC
Round 7…Like you, I can see Dallas getting Trayvon Hester
Undrafted pet cats
Barry Sanders, RB, Oklahoma State no I am not kidding, name alone, DMC’s contract is up, Dunbars is up, Alfred Morris’s contract is up next year…good for depth
Jason Hatcher, DE, Kentucky Hatcher was stuck behind Bud Dupree and Za’Darius Smith in 2014, but the backup still managed 28 tackles with 5.5 for a loss and 1.5 sacks, you can never have enough pass rushers
Tony Bridges, CB, Ole Miss for depth
Donny, I would be on board with your draft. I’m not a big fan of Walker’s though. I see him more as a DT than a DE. He’s not very explosive off the edge, but would probably be a good 3-tech for the Cowboys.
I’m also not real sure about taking a linebacker so early. That’s the one position that the Cowboys are pretty deep.
I think Walker would be a huge upgrade over Tyrone Crawford, I am not trying to down Crawford because last 2 years he’s had 9.5 sacks, but Walker is one of those pass rushing DT’s at 3 tech we need, I know we got depth at linebackers but I can state the case for Raekwon, at 6’2 243, he’s got good size, never gives up on the play, can rush the passer, can stuff the RB, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7Txm41fQ5Q you can mute it, his highlights, seems allot like the the way Sean Lee plays
I agree that Walker might be an upgrade over Tyrone Crawford, but Crawford isn’t likely going anywhere because of his contract and the Cowboys drafted a 3–tech last year, Maliek Collins.
Don’t get me wrong I like McMillan. I just don’t know if the Cowboys would invest so highly in a linebacker with the starting spots all but locked down.
using standard CBS Rankings witch I tend to find VERY unlikely I always use Matt Millers Rankings since he is always closest to the draft’s but for this purpose only
I do see Mathis and Hendrickson both ALOT higher closer to draft time but if Cowboys draft fell like this then I would be one happy happy camper
28: R1P28
CB
MARLON HUMPHREY
ALABAMA
60: R2P28
S
BUDDA BAKER
WASHINGTON
92: R3P28
TE
JAKE BUTT
MICHIGAN
132: R4P27
EDGE
JOE MATHIS
WASHINGTON
212: R6P27
EDGE
TREY HENDRICKSON
FLORIDA ATLANTIC
231: R7P10
QB
JOSHUA DOBBS
TENNESSEE
249: R7P28
S
DALLAS LLOYD
STANFORD
I prefer Matt Miller’s rankings as well. I honestly don’t see Marlon Humphrey available in the first round for the Cowboys, but if he is I would absolutely write his name down on the draft card.I also kinda doubt that Baker is there in the second. I could see him going in the first round.
Cheating and using Matt Millers BB on this draft
28: R1P28
EDGE DEREK BARNETT
TENNESSEE one of the top 4 Edge Rushers in this draft Slides a bit and Dallas Runs to the Podium
60: R2P28
DL MALIK MCDOWELL
MICHIGAN STATE has his up and down moments that caused him to slide down a little as well but with Rods coaching he could be a first rd talent with a 2nd rd pick
92: R3P28
CB CHIDOBE AWUZIE
COLORADO very good Cb not talked about a lot could be day 1 starter
132: R4P27
WR DEDE WESTBROOK
OKLAHOMA Dez 2.0 tall fast good route running comes with baggage not as much as Nixon from OK does but just like Dez did coming out of college
212: R6P27
RB JAMES CONNER
PITTSBURGH Beat Cancer and can replace DMC with ease
231: R7P10
LB RILEY BULLOUGH
MICHIGAN STATE Home run hitter who some times is WILD and takes him self away from the play but with Rods Coaching just like his team mate can be Sean Lee 2.0
249: R7P28
QB CHAD KELLY
OLE MISS was projected to be top 3 qb last year when talking bout 2017 draft needs work but would be better then Kellen and Dirty Sanchez as a backup
This would be an excellent draft for the Dallas Cowboys. However, I don’t see Barnett or McDowell available for the Cowboys in the first round. I think both players get drafted before the Cowboys on the clock at 28.
So do I but Collins could very well drop to Rd 2 with alot of inconsistency and we could see 3 or 4 qb’s go in rd 2 as well and now Steelers Big Ben throwing a wrench in things as well
That’s why these mock drafts are so fun. There are so many unknown variables that come into play when trying to figure out where each player will get drafted.
I would try to move up and get Solomon Thomas or Derek barrnett
Solomon will be top 10 pick Barnett could fall to mid 20’s
We have to move around we have to get someone of that caliber
We have to move around we have to get someone of that caliber
I’m not as big as a fan of Solomon Thomas as a lot of people. I think he would be better as a defensive tackle in the Cowboys 4-3 scheme. And I honestly don’t like the idea of moving up in the draft for anybody. This draft is deep at the defensive end and cornerback position.
If we could get the top corner or maybe the second top corner I would agree but there are more questions at corner in this draft than defensive end
This is actually pretty deep class of cornerbacks.
If my cowboys are smart they will go defensive end and pick up a corner in free agency maybe Tremaine Johnson
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cowboys signed a DE and CB in free agency
It would be smart to draft Solomon Thomas or Derek Barnett and get trumaine Johnson and resign MO Claiborne then you have a he’ll of a secondary
The Cowboys would likely have to trade up to draft Solomon Thomas or Derek Barnett and I just don’t see them doing that because they would have to give up too much. This is a deep defensive end draft class and they can find good players without trading down.
If they trade up to like 15 they won’t have to give up that much
That would likely take their first and second round draft picks. That’s too much for me
Nah first and fourth that would work
I think that’s wishful thinking, but if that’s the case I would be on board
13 spots is FAR more then adding a 4th rd pick would cost 1 and 2 and could be a 6th too 1 & 2 only gets you like 5 spots so no way a 1 & 4 gets you 13
It could be done with this year’s first and next years first, but there’s not a player in this draft I would do that for with the exception of Myles Garrett.
28 David Njoku. TE. Miami 6’4′ 240. Athletic Freak would give immediate upgrade and stretch capability to the position.
60 Jourdan Lewis, CB. Michigan. 5’10” 186. Sticky coverage guy who is actually better overall than his much more bally hooed teammate Jabrill Peppers.
92. Joe Mixon, RB. Oklahoma. 6’1″ 226. Look no further than what Atlanta did with two explosive RB’s working in tandem. Mixon had off field issues and will slide because of it. He is supremely talented and could help in kicing game as well.
132. Daeshon Hall, DE. Texas A&M. 6’5″ 270. Most overlooked Hall while watching Garrett on the other side, but the kid, while he lacks some technical skills that are coachable, was still very productive.
212. Xavier Woods, SS. Louisiana Tech. 5’11” 203. Simply put… the kid is a playmaker. He would compliment Jones perfectly on the back end. Great value here.
249. Brandon Bell, OLB. Penn St. 6’1″ 233. Senior captained the Nittany Lions on defense and was argubly their best player on defense. Value pick.
Kevin, This is a great draft. I don’t know if the Cowboys will even have Mixon on their draft board. I’m not sure they would want to deal with the negative publicity that he would bring to the organization, especially after what they went through with Greg Hardy.
Get Sidney jones some how some way. Trade romo for the texans 1st rd pick and then trade both our 1st Rd picks for the Browns 2nd pick in the 1st rd. he’s a baller and playmaker. Let him pack on 5-10 lbs and practice against dez everyday and he will have no problem with bigger receivers. I think he’s going to be the best corner in this draft by far and the best to come out in a long time I’ve seen him play and watched his games. He’s from the same school as Marcus peters but I think he looks better than peters did coming out. He’s going to be a REAL shut down corner. He’s got Excellent all around speed, ball skills, back pedal, short area quickness and burst. He’s got confidence and swagger through the the roof. He’s got passion for the game hes a fiery competitor that always get his hands on the ball. Super tight sticky coverage. Uses excellent technique, very good at reading the quarterback and receiver, understands the game, you will see him run the route for the receiver a lot of times. Physical in run support for being a little “under weight”, he could get better with coaching though. Best of all he’s “the right kind of guy” never had any problems off the field and I hear he’s an excellent teammate and locker room presence. A few pounds under desired weight and an inch shorter than most corners doesn’t scare me away He’s a baller a FOOTBALL PLAYER. JERRY JONES, STEPHEN JONES, WILL MCCLAY, GARRETT LET’S MAKE HIM A COWBOY PLEASE !!!
Nick, I also really like Sidney Jones. I’m just not a big fan of trading up in this draft. It’s deep in the positions that the Cowboys need to address.
cowboys won’t have to move up for S Jones but IMO he is Byron Jones 2.0 S Jones is going to be CB 4 or maybe even 5 on most boards you got the 2 fla boys OSU guy Bama CB and OSU could have 2 guys above S Jones
Erie, I don’t think Sidney Jones is like Byron Jones at all. Byron Jones is more of a safety, whereas Sidney Jones is definitely a CB. But you’re right, there are other cornerbacks just as good that might be available without having to trade up.
I love this! I started early doing mocks and it’s interesting to see how players are moving up and down the boards as we get closer. Big disclaimer we all know is Fanspeak drafts do a poor job of replicating reality but it is what it is so without further ado:
1. Takk McKinley, DE-I know he is a bit undersized for DE at 6-2 but his speed on the edge will pay huge dividends and give us that guy we need.
2. Charles Harris, DE- What??? He shouldn’t have been here but he was so I could not let him stay on the board and I double dipped. With McKinley and the other pieces we have on the line things are about to get real and Marinelli is ecstatic.
3. Zay Jones, WR-Playing at East Carolina he may not have got the attention of some big name prospects but at 6-1, 200 lbs and yes 158 receptions his senior season for 1746 yards. He kind of works the middle of the field like Beasley but thinking about Bryant, Jones, and Beasley gets me excited! Unless T-Will signs a hometown discount he can walk and goodbye Brice Butler. If Andy Jones is ready I think we are in good shape with that group at WR.
4. Kevin King, CB-Excellent boundary corner with the height and length Dallas likes at 6-3, 190 and played across from Sidney Jones at Washington.
6. Aaron Jones, RB-Thinking about TE at this slot but the guys I was looking for were gone. The Dunbar experiment is over and it’s time to let him and McFadden walk. Had 1773 rushing yards at UTEP this season and has great hands as a receiver. 5-10 and 200 lbs. But looks durable and powers through tackles showing a fierce stiff arm. Yeah it’s UTEP but I like what I see.
7. Ezra Robinson, CB- 2nd team FCS All American at Tennessee State has 5 INT’s this season with 42 tackles and will add needed depth of we lose some of our backfield through free agency.
7a. Jonathan McLaughlin, OT- Represents an excellent choice as a backup with the potential to start at Tackle down the road. At 6-5, 300 lbs., Playing at LT, he can play either side he was a 4-year starter at VaTech.
Randy, I would absolutely be on board double dipping at defensive end if those were the two players available. I like Zay Jones, but I like Chris Godwin better if he still available in the third. Kevin King would be a great addition to the Cowboys secondary. A TE in the sixth round that I like is Hayden Plinke out of UT El Paso. He 6’5″, 265 and is a good in-line blocker and receiver. If you haven’t heard of him you might check him out
Funny you brought up Plinke. At that pick it was between Jones and Plinke, both out of UTEP. I would be fine with that pick as he has some strong upside. I went with Jones because I’m tired of Dunbar and we still have Hanna, Swaim, and Gathers. Not sure about Hanna’s health, Gathers development, but Swaim showed growth both as a receiver and blocker. If Swaim or Gathers is not the next Witten we have to find him as I think it’s JW’s last season. It will be interesting to see what Dallas might do if OJ Howard or David Njoku are available at #28. I think either could be the next Witten. we have to go BPA and not fill positional needs.
Randy, I’m really hoping that we have seen the last of Dunbar. There are some good backs in this draft that would be an upgrade.
I’m actually a little worried about the tight end position. Swaim and Hanna are both coming back from serious injuries. And Gathers is still an unknown.
Using Fanspeak mock draft tool (with the CBS rating) worked out very well for us:
28: R1P28
EDGE DEREK BARNETT
TENNESSEE
60: R2P28
EDGE DAWUANE SMOOT
ILLINOIS
92: R3P28
CB KEVIN KING
WASHINGTON
132: R4P27
OT CONOR MCDERMOTT
UCLA
212: R6P27
S MONTAE NICHOLSON
MICHIGAN STATE
231: R7P10
DL ISAAC ROCHELL
NOTRE DAME
249: R7P28
WR JEHU CHESSON
MICHIGAN
Mark, I would be on board with this draft.
i have drafted almost that same exact draft on FS before with exception of the Rochell guy I admit I have only scouted around 150 players so far so I have zero clue who he is I do love the KK in the 3rd pick I am very high on all the Wash players really high on Joe Mathis
this is what I am Afraid the Cowboys will do
28: R1P28
TE
O.J. HOWARD
ALABAMA
60: R2P28
CB
JOURDAN LEWIS
MICHIGAN
92: R3P28
OT
TAYLOR MOTON
WESTERN MICHIGAN
132: R4P27
EDGE
BRYAN COX
FLORIDA
I don’t think that would be a terrible draft. Of course, it would all depend on what they did in free agency.
1-Taco Charlton DE Michigan-Speed and strength to be every down player eventually.
2-Amara Darboh-WR-Michigan- Great hands, speed and strength-very good size
3-Jarron Jones-DT-Notre Dame-Penetrater from DT position
4-Vince Biegel-LB-Wisconsin-May not have measurables but the guy is a tackling machine
5-Jalen Myrick-CB-Minnesota-Speed to spare, can also return kicks
6-Dallas Lloyd-SS-Stanford-Playmaker with good size and speed, besides, the name fits
7-Sojourn Shelton-CB-Wisconsin-Smaller but fast and is a playmaker, also can return kicks
Mike, I’m really not that high on Taco Charlton. He has all the measurables you look for in a DE, but he is continuously the last one off the line at the snap the ball and is still really raw as a prospect.
I would be on board with the rest of your draft though
Darboh is one of my Pet Cats but no way I see him as a 2nd rd pick
I have him in that 2-3 round range
Did one last PRE Combine Mock with 1 trade
28: R1P28
S
JABRILL PEPPERS
MICHIGAN
60: R2P28
WR
JOHN ROSS
WASHINGTON
68: R3P4
CB
JOURDAN LEWIS
MICHIGAN
92: R3P28
TE
JAKE BUTT
MICHIGAN
132: R4P27
EDGE
TREY HENDRICKSON
FLORIDA ATLANTIC
212: R6P27
RB
JAMES CONNER
PITTSBURGH
231: R7P10
LB
BEN BOULWARE
CLEMSON
249: R7P28
QB
TREVOR KNIGHT
TEXAS A&M
This would be a fantastic draft! Although, I would like to see DE taken earlier.
Ok so I didn’t didn’t follow the rules and used Matt Millers board which is far more realistic. This may be the best draft yet though it is pie in the sky.
VIEW EACH TEAM’S DRAFT
28: R1P28
WR MIKE WILLIAMS
CLEMSON
60: R2P28
EDGE CARL LAWSON
AUBURN
92: R3P28
CB CAMERON SUTTON
TENNESSEE
132: R4P27
EDGE DAESHON HALL
TEXAS A&M
212: R6P27
DL TANOH KPASSAGNON
VILLANOVA
231: R7P10
RB DE’VEON SMITH
MICHIGAN
249: R7P28
OT JUSTIN SENIOR
I didn’t get a TE and simply followed the board. We all know Williams wouldn’t fall to 28 and Hall and TK aren’t going to fall this far given their Senior Bowl showing but they did this morning. I also would love to have De’Veon Smith as a backup to Elliot as he does everything well.
This would probably be the Cowboys dream draft. How could it not be? I’m right there with you on De’ Veon Smith. He’s more quick than fast, but I love how hard he runs the ball and he’s difficult to tackle.
28. TreDavious White CB
60. Obi Melifonwu SS
92. Tanoh Kpassanon DE
132. Josh Reynolds WR
212. Chad Kelly QB
231. Freddie Stevenson FB
249. Brandon Bell OLB
This wouldn’t be a bad draft for the Cowboys. Although, I don’t think they would draft a fullback. They have Keith Smith and he had a really good year. Brrandon Bell is a little undersized also. I don’t know where he would play. Maybe outside linebacker?
Think they should do what they been doing and take the best player, I think Stevenson is the best fb in the draft, and that should be better than the 15th best at another position
I believe they will continue to take the best player available approach unless there is a similar graded player at a need position.
1… Haason Riddick OLB
2… Zay Jones WR
3… Tanoh Kpassagnon DE
4… Damontae Kazee CB
5… Xavier Woods SS
6… DeAngelo Henderson RB
7… Ben Boulware ILB
I like this draft exercise, Brian. In my latest post on my personal blog, I drafted for Dallas using my own composite big board, but the CBS Sports board is my go-to as a starting place every draft season, so they certainly share some similarities. My 1.0 is as follows:
R1: Derek Barnett, DE, Tennesee
R2: Desmond King, DB, Iowa
R3: Amara Darboh, WR, Michigan
R4: Carroll Phillips, OLB, Illinois
R6: Brian Hill, RB, Wyoming
R7: Brad Watson, DB, Wake Forest
R7: Keith Towbridge, TE, Louisville
Full write-up here:
https://ringsidetosideline.wordpress.com/2017/02/02/drafting-dallas-2017-7-round-mock-draft-1-0/
While it doesn’t quite fall within the rules for the exercise, I was actually able to reproduce the first four picks with the Fanspeak On the Clock Mock Draft Simulator using the CBS big board as I was going through the process of building my mock, so it’s certainly possible. Now, whether the Cowboys would actually draft some of these players is another question. But, as acting GM, I would be quite pleased with this class.
Thanks for commenting Jason. I would definitely be on board with this draft for the Cowboys. I also read your writeup on your blog. Good stuff