The 2019 NFL Draft is only 2 weeks away and a clearer picture is developing in terms of which players the Dallas Cowboys might select. It is always difficult to predict who will get drafted when and even more so with the Cowboys first selection being pick #58 in the second round. Nevertheless, here is my latest attempt at a Dallas Cowboys 7 round mock draft.
ROUND 2, PICK #58. The Dallas Cowboys select…JUAN THORNHILL, SAFETY, VIRGINA
(Previous selection: Charles Omenihu, DE, Texas) If one thing has become abundantly clear when evaluating the Dallas Cowboys list of 30 visits, it is that they intend to draft a safety early. At pick #58 it is impossible to determine which prospects will already be off the board. It is also difficult to figure out which safeties the Cowboys would prefer to draft. There are 3 prospects who many experts anticipate could be drafted in that range that the Cowboys have shown interest in. They are Taylor Rapp of Washington, Jonathan Abram of Mississippi State, and Juan Thornhill of Virginia. These three safeties are vastly different and they are all viable targets if available at pick #58. Taylor Rapp lacks the athleticism of the other two safeties but may be the best all around player. Jonathan Abram is considered a pure strong safety. He is a hard hitter that may not excel in coverage but would be an excellent compliment to free safety Xavier Woods. Juan Thornhill is not as strong of a tackler as either Rapp or Abram but has excellent ball skills. Seeing as the Dallas Cowboys have struggled in creating turnovers, Thornhill makes a lot of sense for them if he is available at pick #58.
ROUND 3, PICK #90. The Dallas Cowboys select…GERALD WILLIS, DEFENSIVE TACKLE, MIAMI
(Previous selection: Isaiah Johnson, CB, Houston) Defensive tackle is definitely a position of need for the Dallas Cowboys and this draft is deep at the position. Most years, elite defensive tackle prospects tend to slide in the draft and hopefully the same is true this year. In the late third round range, it is possible that a couple of very talented defensive tackles with some character concerns will be available for the Cowboys to draft. Trysten Hill of UCF and Gerald Willis of Miami are two players that fit the bill. I would prefer Hill over Willis as I believe Hill to be a better run defender and potential one technique however he seems to have generated interest among several other teams. Namely, the New England Patriots who have a ton of draft picks. I anticipate Hill to be drafted by the time the Cowboys are on the clock but if Willis were available at pick #90 then he could be the selection. Willis is a disruptive pass rusher who could contribute right away in a rotation with Maliek Collins and eventually replace him after his contract expires.
ROUND 4, PICK #128. The Cowboys select…EMANUEL HALL, WIDE RECEIVER, MISSOURI
(Previous selection: Justice Hill, RB, Oklahoma State) Wide receiver is another deep position in the draft and a lot of these players draft range could stretch from round 2 to day 3. I do anticipate that in the 4th round a wide receiver or a tight end that the Cowboys covet will be available. Tight end is a need for the Cowboys since Jason Witten is on a one year deal but the Cowboys already have 3 “developmental” tight ends on the roster. Furthermore, Jason Garret is also on a one year deal and another young tight end who can’t block will not help him keep his job. If the right wide receiver is available though, that could potentially help the Cowboys this year. I would love to see the Cowboys draft a slot receiver who could contribute as a return man such as Mecole Hardman of Georgia. At this point in the draft, a player with Hardman’s skill set is a desired commodity so I anticipate he will already be off the board. Potentially Emanual Hall, who has struggled with injuries in the past, will be available here. Hall is limited in many ways but he has elite speed and could function as a deep threat for the Cowboys. Additionally, adding another wide receiver could make Allen Hurns expendable which would save the Cowboys $5 million in salary cap space.
ROUND 4, PICK #136. The Dallas Cowboys select…JORDAN WYATT, CORNERBACK, SMU*
(Previous selection: Daylon Mack, DT, Texas A&M) Cornerback remains a sneaky need for the Dallas Cowboys. They are very thin at the position and were fortunate to get by without any major injuries last season. The Cowboys also have to anticipate possibly replacing Byron Jones after this season. During the draft process, the Cowboys have been evaluating some cornerbacks that fit the prototypical Kris Richard mold as long and athletic. Isaiah Johnson of Houston is a talented but raw player that I would love to see the Cowboys draft but I anticipate he will be overdrafted based on physical traits. Jordan Wyatt of SMU would be a great consolation prize if the Cowboys miss out on Johnson. Although this may be considered a reach by many, Jordan Wyatt could be a potential steal in this years draft. Wyatt’s draft stock was impacted by a 2017 ACL injury that limited him last season. Prior to that he had shown great potential as an aggressive corner with impressive ball skills. Recently, Wyatt impressed scouts at his Pro Day and has proven that he may have made a full recovery from that 2017 injury.
ROUND 5, PICK #165. The Dallas Cowboys select…DEVINE OZIGBO, RUNNING BACK, NEBRASKA
(Previous selection: Sione Takitaki, LB, BYU) The Dallas Cowboys relied much too heavily on Ezekiel Elliott in 2018 and their star running back was banged up the majority of the year. This year they will not make the same mistake and have stated their intentions to draft a running back at some point in 2019. Typically, running backs slide in the draft and Dallas should be able to wait until the 5th round to address this need. It is possible that the Cowboys will target a change of pace back to compliment Zeke but more likely they wish to have a potential 3 down back in case Elliott misses any games. Mike Weber from Ohio State could be an option or in this scenario it is Devine Ozigbo from Nebraska. Ozigbo is a punishing runner but he can also contribute as a pass catcher too. He can be used as a 3rd down back, he could play a series or two to give Zeke a breather, and he can also step in and potentially start if required.
ROUND 7, PICK #241. The Dallas Cowboys select…DRE GREENLAW, LB, ARKANSAS
(Previous selection: Jon Duhart, WR, Old Dominion) The Dallas Cowboys have arguably the best linebacking corps in the NFL as well as one of the deepest. Linebacker is not a position of need for the Cowboys but they love to draft them and with Damien Wilson leaving and Sean Lee‘s days numbered, it still makes sense to draft one. The Cowboys have been evaluating projected late round prospects at this position which implies that they are looking for developmental guys or players that could potentially contribute on special teams. Special teams is an area the Dallas Cowboys struggled last season after losing long time coach Rich Bisaccia along with several personnel. Dre Greenlaw would provide excellent value in the 7th round and ideally he can make the roster and become a key special teams contributor. As an added bonus, I am sure Jerry Jones would love to draft player from his alma mater.
This latest version of the Dallas Cowboys 7 round mock draft is predicated on the assumption that the Cowboys are aggressively trying to win now. Bearing that in mind, many of the selections are players that could potentially contribute right away rather than developmental guys with high ceilings. For that reason, several key needs such as tight end, defensive end, and offensive tackle have not been addressed in this mock draft.
*Photo by Marianne O’Leary; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode
Prospect rankings and analysis based in part by information provided by…
NFL.COM2019 Draft Prospects, webpage https://www.nfl.com/draft/tracker/prospects
Lindy’s Sports 2018 NFL Draft Guide annual magazine, published by J. Lindy Davis. Jr. and printed by D.M.D Publications Inc. 2100 Centennial Drive, Suite 100, Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35216
8 Takeways as Cowboys national draft visitors, Dallas Day guys identified, by K.D Drummond, April 5, 2019, 3:22AM Eastern Time, COWBOYSWIRE, cowboyswire.usatoday.com https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/2019/04/05/8-takeaways-as-cowboys-national-draft-visitors-dallas-day-guys-identified/