A draft excercise

by BudLight on Mar 26, 2008 11:39 AM CDT Comment 9 comments

Heya all. I thought it might be a good idea to see how everyone here stands on the draft. So for this excercise, post your wish list for the Cowboys' first selections (I set my cutoff point at the fifth round, because at that point I don't know enough people to accurately make an assessment-but if you'd like to suggest some D3 linebacker we haven't heard of, nobody minds!).
Also,if you wish, post your first round mock.
I'll go first.
PS: Let's be realistic, people. McFadden's not slipping to 22, Gholston won't be there at 28.

Wish List:
Rd.1, Pick 22: Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon. Stewart is a terrific, game-breaking running back. He won't necessarily be 100% for the start of the season, but Barber can carry the entire load until he is.
Rd. 1, Pick 28: Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan State. It's arguable that no wide receiver in this draft has Thomas' upside. While he comes with his share of concerns, foremost amongst them outcries of Sample Size Theater, he is the gamebreaker Jerry longs for.
Rd. 2, Pick 28: Justin King, CB, Penn State. Sans PacMan, I'd take a Corner like Reggie Smith or Antoine Cason with the 28th pick. His pickup seems to be more and more of an eventuality, however, so I'm going for a solid 2nd round corner. King could play Nate Jones during his rookie season, then take over the nickel when Anthony Henry is let go.
Rd. 3, Pick 28: Frank Okam, DT, Texas. I'm hoping The Rat is moved back to DE next year and Tank is given the brunt of the load at Tackle. In this case, we have absolutely nobody to back him up. Here's where Okam comes in. He's a prototypical Nose Tackle, being arguably the biggest DT in the draft. He has a propensity for big plays, but a reputation for taking some off. As a backup, this issue should be contained rather well.
Rd. 4, Pick 28: John David Booty, QB, USC. Why am I selecting a QB for a team that clearly doesn't need one? Because I've seen the value of a quality backup. Booty is arguably the most pro-ready of any collegiate prospect, doesn't kill his team (although his upside is suspect) and has stated that he would love to become a Cowboy.
Rd. 5, Pick 28:Tommy Blake, DE, TCU. Blake was a surefire first round prospect coming into this year, and then he ran into issues that sidelined him for over a month and kept him above effective playing weight for the remainder of the season. Needless to say, very few prospects have seen their stock drop so precipitously. Blake's and TCU's loss is the Cowboy' gain, as they grab a 4-3 DE (read: pass rusher) almost big enough to play the 3-4. In this scenario, Blake would be close to home, which would help alleviate any of his psychological issues, and the coaching staff would harness his newfound love of food to employ him as a DE in our scheme.

Mock:
1 Miami Dolphins : Chris Long
2 St. Louis Rams : Vernon Gholston
3 Atlanta Falcons: Glenn Dorsey
4 Oakland Raiders: Jake Long
5 Kansas City Chiefs: Ryan Clady
6 New York Jets: Darren McFadden
7 New England Patriots : Leodis McKelvin
8 Baltimore Ravens: Matt Ryan
9 Cincinnati Bengals: Sedrick Ellis
10 New Orleans Saints: Keith Rivers
11 Buffalo Bills: Malcolm Kelly
12 Denver Broncos: Jeff Otah
13 Carolina Panthers: Chris Williams
14 Chicago Bears: Rashard Mendenhall
15 Detroit Lions: Phillip Merling
16 Arizona Cardinals: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
17 Minnesota Vikings: Derrick Harvey
18 Houston Texans: Mike Jenkins
19 Philadelphia Eagles: DeSean Jackson
20 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Limas Sweed
21 Washington Redskins: Quentin Groves
22 Dallas Cowboys (from Cleveland Browns): Jonathan Stewart
23 Pittsburgh Steelers: Brandan Albert
24 Tennessee Titans: Devin Thomas
25 Seattle Seahawks: Kenny Phillips
26 Jacksonville Jaguars: Kentwan Balmer
27 San Diego Chargers: Felix Jones
28 Dallas Cowboys: Aqib Talib
29 San Francisco 49ers (from Indianapolis Colts): Antoine Cason
30 Green Bay Packers: Reggie Smith
31 New York Giants: Dan Connor

Another user-created commentary provided by a BTB reader.

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Comments

my top 5 are as follows

Mendenhall RB

Cason CB

R. Bryant NT

E. Royal WR

T. Wheatley CB

In Romo we Trust

by Terry on Mar 26, 2008 3:16 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Not bad...

...though not a good chance Mendenhall is there at #22.

Stewart could be, though, and would make a good pick.

The Cason pick isn't bad. Getting Royal in the 4th would be a steal. He's got great value as a punt returner and would be a good slot / #3 WR as well.

I still would prefer a WR picked in the first two rounds, gotta get one by the end of the third.

by MPC4LIFE on Mar 27, 2008 12:24 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree Mendenhall more than likely

won't be available at #22 but I also thought there was no way Steven Jackson would be there at #22 in 2004 as well. Usually after the first 5-7 picks, all drafts are extremely unpredictable.

That being said, it was a wish list and I'm really wishing for the beast from Champaign.

In Romo we Trust

by Terry on Mar 27, 2008 12:36 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good point on SJax

I still remember my heart sinking when they announced our trade down, with him sitting there for the taking.

I'd take Stewart as an alternative, I like the kid and think he's got great potential.

Agreed on the unpredictable nature of things. About the only thing I'm banking on is a trade out of at least one of those two spots, and both CB and WR being addressed early.

by MPC4LIFE on Mar 27, 2008 12:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Here goes

Round 1a)RB/KR, Arkansas, Felix Jones, 6'0" 205lbs
Lightning to MBIII's thunder. Maybe could become future starter.

Round 1b)WR, Indiana, James Hardy, 6-6, 217, 4.45
There isn't much here to pick from. He had a good pro day and had a 37 IN. vertical leap at his pro day. Has great potential.

2)CB, Penn St., Justin King
He has great potential, needs time to mature as a pro. He would be given that time if Adam Jones comes to Dallas.

3)WR, Kansas State, Jordy Nelson, 6-3, 217, 4.51
Possibly the best hands and the best route runner. Nelson may not have Desean Jackson's speed but he burned Kansas cornerback Aqib Talib this season. 22 receptions, 1,606 yards and 11 touchdown receptions this past year. I am split between him and Will Franklin, who has great measurables: 6-1, 214, 4.37 and had a decent career at MU.

4)CB, UCONN, Tyvon Branch, 6-0, 204, 4.31
Great measurables. I like the guy and he has been getting alot of looks after his combine performance, including from our very own Dave Campo. He seems like a playmaker in the backfield or the return game. I don't care if we get Pac, and a first day CB, we still need another one.

5)DT, Texas, Frank Okam, 6-5, 347, 5.32
Great talent, but extreamly inconsistent which I think pushes him all the way down to the fifth.

6)RB, Missouri, Tony Temple, 5-10, 192,
Outshined D-MAC in the Cotton Bowl with a record 281 rushing yards against Arkansas. Had a pretty good career at MU after being a heralded high school prospect. Has good speed and I believe could make it in the NFL.
Per NFLdraftscout.com

03/07/08 - Tony Temple dug both hands into the Field Turf that stretched in front of him. He set both feet. He threw his right hand out behind him — as if to accept a relay baton — and assured his balance by placing his left hand on the ground again. And then, at the starting signal at Thursday’s Pro Day evaluations inside Missouri’s Devine Pavilion, Temple stumbled. He didn’t fall. But when the stopwatches held in the hands of scouts representing at least 13 NFL teams stopped, Temple had covered 40 yards in 4.51 seconds. Too slow, Temple told himself. And then someone called Temple over. They wanted to see more. Temple had already run twice. He was being given a third chance. And soon after Temple hit the 40 this time, his former coach at Mizzou, Gary Pinkel, started to smile. "He ran a 4.47," Pinkel said. "That’s fast on Field Turf. It’s just like grass. Last year, when we had Astro Turf, that would have been a 4.37." A 4.37 was what MU teammate Will Franklin ran at the NFL combine in Indianapolis. A 4.37 was in the top five at the combine. And Franklin is a receiver. - Mike DeArmond, The Kansas City Star

7)DT, Texas, Derek Lokey, 6-2, 288, 5.18
I love the guys work ethic. While it looks as though he may not be big enough for the 3-4 by looking at his weight, his stature is good for it. He fits the mold of a 3-4 NT and appears strong enough after pumping 38 reps of 225 at his pro day. Again, he has some if the best work ethic in the draft and with a short stature and great strength, he could be a very good backup to the Tank and would allow Rat to move back to DE.

7)QB, LSU, Matt Flynn, 6-2, 231, 4.71
Good leader with a good arm and some mobility to boot. Helped lead LSU to a National Championship in his only season as a starter. I think he is a true backup QB. I would like to get Dixon here because he has better potential, but when drafting a backup QB in the Cowboys position, potential is a very low need and high floor is the priority.

by Romo9 on Mar 28, 2008 10:26 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Hate to dog ya guy...but...eeeeeeehh ???

2- RB's
2- WR's
2- CB's
2- DT's
1- decent QB pick.....

dude ... you trying to load up Noah's Ark ???

Felix Jones...great pick...

all downhill from there..

True Cowboys diehard since 1975.

by BoyzRback07 on Mar 29, 2008 6:18 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Those are all needs man

Tony Temple could make a very good 3rd running back behind Felix Jones and MBIII. Also, if Barber does leave any time soon Temple may be ready to fill in as a second RB.

Even if Pacman does come to Dallas, we still have a need there. Justin King is probably the best man on the board in the second and Tyvonn Branch will get time to get better for when Henry or Newman leaves. We will need a third or fourth corner. Alan Ball is here, but you can never have too much corner depth.

Our wide recievers are both in their 30s, Terry Glenn is probably on his way out and giving a top-tier player top-tier money in a trade hasn't happened yet. James Hardy is the best WR left here and will be ready to take the second WR spot in a year except maybe Devin Thomas. Jordy Nelson will make a great slot man with great size and good athleticism.

I can understand the DT question. I wasn't planning on taking Okam in the fifth, but I think it is a real possibility he falls that far. But I like Lokey in the seventh more for the value. I change my fifth round pick to:

5)SS, Oklahoma, D.J. Wolfe, 5-11, 207, 4.61
Played corner at OU before winning starting job at SS last spring. Named second team all big 12. He could also play FS.

Also, I would like to add Cornelius Brown as a good undrafted free agent.

S, Mizzou, Cornelius "Pig" Brown, 5-11, 198, 4.55
He was named second team all big 12 last season. That came after only a partial season. He ruptured his Achilles tendon on Oct. 27. He reminds me alot of Bob Sanders. A ball hawking, undersized, tough tackler, safety.

by Romo9 on Mar 29, 2008 7:03 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

As far as third runners go

I'd be very interested in Jacob Hester. He doesn't have the measurables you like from a runner, but as a #3 guy that shouldn't be too big a problem. He's a great locker room guy and could also be the primary fullback.

http://heartbreakplex.blogspot.com/

by BudLight on Mar 30, 2008 9:21 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

i like him Bud.....

If he's still there in the 5th-6th-7th....we should look at him....he's an excellent team guy, great leadership and character....I could see him doing wonders on special teams/ and 3rd down FB.

He's the most complete of the hybrid HB/FB's...more so cuz of his ball skills than his pure blocking...

but he'd be able to work on that and get better.

True Cowboys diehard since 1975.

by BoyzRback07 on Mar 30, 2008 10:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs