The Daily Score: Cowboys Mock Draft 2.0
By Bill Jones | @CBS11BillJones
After a wild and wacky April Fools Day Cowboys Mock Draft 1.0, we settle down a bit this week as we preview what the options are for Dallas in this NFL Draft, which runs April 30-May 2.
We empty our 2015 Big Green NFL Draft Scouting Notebook with 8 new names this week. This mock comes complete with three trades.
1st ROUND - #27 – DALLAS: TRADE
DALLAS deals its 1st round pick (#27) to NEW ORLEANS for a 1st rounder (#31), and two 5th rounders (#148 and #154).
The Saints need a tight end, having traded Jimmy Graham to Seattle. There's only one tight end prospect in this draft that warrants a 1st day draft pick. That would be Minnesota's Maxx Williams. The Saints want to move ahead of Denver at #28 because they think the Broncos are going to take Williams to replace Julius Thomas, who signed with Jacksonville. Dallas gladly moves back four spots since top RB's Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon are off the board.
1st ROUND - #31 – DALLAS: TRADE
DALLAS sends this 1st round pick to HOUSTON in exchange for a 2nd rounder (#51), a 3rd rounder (#82), and a 5th rounder (#152).
This leaves the Cowboys with two 2nd round picks (51, 60), plus two 3rd rounders (82, 91), a 4th rounder (127), four 5th rounders (148, 152, 154, 163), and two 7th rounders (237, 244).
Houston trades up to select Baylor QB Bryce Petty, paying a steep price to get into the 1st round so that they have a 5th year option on Petty.
2nd ROUND - #41 – ST. LOUIS: TRADE
ST. LOUIS deals #41 to DALLAS for the Cowboys 2nd rounder acquired from Houston (51), a 4th rounder (127), and two 5th rounders acquired from New Orleans (148, 154).
So, after the dust settles, Dallas traded its 1st (27) and 4th (127) round picks for a 2nd (41), 3rd (82), and 5th (152).
By moving down 14 spots to 41, you are still able to select one of your 5-6 top tier players that you could have had at 27. And just as importantly, you move up from 127 in the 4th round to 82 in the 3rd and add a 5th round pick. The difference between the player you get at 127 and the one you pick at 82 could be immense. You expect a mid-3rd rounder to eventually become a starter. Usually, a 4th rounder is a role player. And, keep in mind, you gave up a mid-3rd round pick last year to move up to get Demarcus Lawrence at the top of the 2nd round. You basically are getting back that potential "3rd round starter" with this move.
Wheeling and dealing done, let's pick players:
2nd ROUND - #41 - MARIO EDWARDS, DT, FLORIDA STATE
The Cowboys couldn't afford to wait until 51 and hope Edwards would still be there. This junior from Denton Ryan High School can play several positions along the defensive line. He was primarily a right DE at Florida State. Go watch the 2013 national championship game. Edwards played the game of his life against Auburn's Greg Robinson, who was the 2nd pick in the draft last year. Some questioned his motor in 2014, but I think the fact he was playing about 20 pounds heavier affected his quickness and probably his conditioning too. At 6-3, 279, Edwards could turn out to be the consummate 3-technique in Rod Marinelli's defense. He's strong (32 bench reps) and, with a 33 vertical and 10-foot broad jump, possesses similar explosion traits to Tyrone Crawford. Edwards was the top recruit in the nation coming out of high school (2011 Landry Award finalist) and is the son of former Cowboys cornerback Mario Edwards Sr. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets picked late in the 1st round.
2nd ROUND - #60 – JAY AJAYI, RB, BOISE STATE
In a deep running back class, the Cowboys should do cartwheels if this Frisco Liberty product (2010 Landry Award finalist) is still available late in the 2nd round. After Gurley and Gordon, there's differing opinions on who are the next best RB's in the draft. Some say Ajayi. Others like Indiana's Tevin Coleman, Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah, or Miami's Duke Johnson. Of that group, Coleman and Ajayi probably fit the Cowboys the best. For the purposes of this mock draft, we assume Coleman is off the board. If so, Ajayi's the man. A 6-foot, 221 pounder, he may be the most complete back in this draft and without the injury issue Gurley has…rushed for 1823 yards and 28 TDs in 2014, plus he caught 50 passes for 4 more scores. I would have no problem if the Cowboys drafted either Edwards or Ajayi in the first round, so to get both in the 2nd round would probably be too good to be true.
3rd ROUND – #82 – JOSH SHAW, CB, USC
-Clearly, the Cowboys have a big need at the cornerback position and, fortunately for them, this draft appears to be fairly deep at the position. Much like wide receiver, you might get just as good a cornerback in the 3rd round as you could in the late 1st round. However, I think the odds of landing a potential starter grow much longer after the mid-3rd round. Shaw is a confident, intelligent, muscular former Parade All American from Palmdale, California who started his collegiate career as a Florida Gator before transferring back home to USC….had 4 interceptions his junior year splitting time between CB and FS…6-0, 201 pounder who plays a physical game and competes….red flag from his senior year when he fabricated a story about how he sprained his ankles in an off field incident, claiming he was injured making a heroic pool rescue…but after admitting he lied, he's handled the aftermath of the incident and 10-game suspension admirably…he was even chosen to speak at the USC graduation ceremony…earned a sociology degree…sources say he interviewed very well with teams…intelligent player who played in five different defensive schemes at his two college stops.
3rd ROUND - #91 – CHRIS CONLEY, WR, GEORGIA
This may be the single most amazing person in this draft…first, as a football player, this 6-2, 213 pounder is off the charts when it comes to athleticism…4.35 forty (1.53 split), with incredible 45 vertical and 11-7 broad jump…you see those numbers and you think he's merely a workout wonder…but he was also highly productive on the field with 117 career receptions for nearly 2000 yards and 20 TDs…on tape, his explosion really shows up…tremendous quickness out of his breaks….but he's even more impressive off the field, involved with so many extracurricular activities that I'm sure some teams won't draft him because they think he's not fully committed to football…Conley earned his journalism degree in 3 ½ years, the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year, Georgia's Strenght and Conditioning and Coaches Leadership Award recipient, 2-time team captain, community spirit award, 1st team Senior CLASS Award, one of 11 players nationally on the AFCA Good Works team, SEC and NCAA Student Athlete Advisory Committee, he's even a consultant to NCAA President Mark Emmert…Georgia head coach Mark Richt: "Everybody who ever met him wants to hire him. Whoever coaches him is going to fall in love with this guy because of his ability, his coachability, leadership, how he'll affect the locker room."…perhaps, most amazing is the fact he's done all this and he is also a film director and screenwriter, having produced a 26 minute film that you can find on YouTube called "Retribution" which was shot on the Georgia campus and features cameo appearances from Richt and Gurley and dozens of Georgia students…truly a professional production for which he personally raised money and had to get NCAA clearance….how does he have time to do all these things? Conley says, "I'll sleep when I'm dead." Oh, and by the way, he was All State in Choir at North Paulding High School in … get this … Dallas, Georgia.
5th ROUND - #152 – JAMON BROWN, OT, LOUISVILLE
With the loss of swing tackle Jermey Parnell in free agency, the Cowboys need to find a replacement. This 6-4, 323 pounder with 34 inch arms just might be the man….a three year starter at Louisville, Brown started 13 games at right tackle as a sophomore before moving to the left side to protect Teddy Bridgewater's back side as a junior…not sure why Brown is being projected as a late round pick…maybe because he wasn't invited to the combine but he tested very well at his pro day: 5.08 forty (1.74 split) with a 4.61 shuttle and 7.36 cone drill, which are very similar to what Doug Free did at the combine (4.53ss/7.38c)…probably the reason scouts haven't rated him high is because he's had a weight issue, tipping the scales at 348 pounds in January…he says he got down to 323 by his Pro Day by avoiding Burger Boy, a popular Louisville burger joint….earned a justice administration degree in 3 ½ years…and in keeping with the multi-talented nature of this draft class, Jamon Brown is an accomplished singer, as evidenced by his impromptu rendition of John Legend's "Ordinary People" at the Russell Athletic Bowl luncheon.
5th ROUND – JACOREY SHEPHERD, CB, KANSAS
The 3rd DFW product in this draft class, this 5-11, 199 pounder out of Mesquite Horn High School, injured a hamstring at the Senior Bowl and wasn't able to test at the combine…an accomplished receiver in high school, he has good ball skills, intercepting 3 passes as a senior and returning one 32 yards for a TD against TCU as a junior….27 career starts at CB and 2 at WR…intelligent with good leadership ability, Shepherd was a Senior CLASS Award finalist…management and leadership degree…comes highly recommended by former Cowboys head coach Dave Campo, whose specialty is the secondary and was his defensive coordinator at Kansas.
7th ROUND – CHRIS HACKETT, S, TCU
Cowboys need to draft a safety and while I think the playmaking Hackett should be drafted higher than this, his 4.81 forty at the combine could drop him to the late rounds…what also works against him is the fact that safeties typically just aren't drafted as high as cornerbacks are….also, Hackett is smallish for a safety (6-0, 195) and didn't post explosive numbers (32 vertical, 9-2 broad jump, 11 bench reps), but you have to love his playmaking numbers…Hackett decided to turn pro after his junior season following a 7 interception season…Tyler John Tyler product who started 3 years at TCU, totaling 12 picks and 5 forced fumbles…2nd team Parade All American in high school who also picked off 12 passes as a HS senior, so he's been intercepting passes his whole life.
7th ROUND – DARIUS ALLEN, LB, COLORADO STATE-PUEBLO
Dallas would like to add to its linebacker mix and why not take a 7th round flyer on this 2-time Little All American and Gene Upshaw Award winner…used primarily as a rush end in college, he'll need to make the transition to linebacker in the NFL at a shade under 6-2 and 241 pounds…went to high school in Pueblo, Colorado…not highly recruited by excelled at the small college level…could be a sleeper.
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