FanPost

Mocking the Unmockable 1st Edition

Good evening/morning, ladies and gentlemen. Today we'll be taking a trip through the insanity-filled world of pre-draft projections. Players will rise and they will fall as mockers, mediots, and scouts alike find themselves falling prey to the old "he looks awesome now, even though we haven't seen many of the other elite talents at his position, so he's going in the top ten" craze.

Soon pro-days and the combine will shake things up even more, with everyone drooling over the 40 yard dash times of prospects, regardless of where they play, rather than paying attention to the tape of them on the field. A WR that runs a sub 4.4 second 40 yard dash, but was a mid-late rounder before the combine? Look for him to go in the first three rounds because everybody wants speed on the field, even if the kid can't catch.

Moving on from my rant, today I'm going to try and project the first few rounds with two or three options, information on them, and justification of the picks. Once a player has a great showing at the Senior Bowl, I'll probably have to change this around. Then again when the pro days and the combine roll around. As such, I'm going to project as best I can based on where everyone should go after all of this happens.

Round One:

There are two players that I would like to target here, but I'll give a third in the event that both are gone. The first two names are interchangeable as far as priority goes in my mind.

Cameron Jordan, DE, Cal:
290 lbs.; 6' 4"

(Cam Jordan jumps for joy as he hears that he could go to the Dallas Cowboys)

Everybody is in love with this kid, especially now. Count me among them. It's not pretty, but this might be the one opportunity we have this year at adding a legitimate, disruptive force to help our D-line. Every rookie needs work, but we're fortunate to have the opportunity to grab a good athlete with solid technique. Working with Jay Ratliff can only help him and with three of our d-linemen scheduled to hit free agency, this could quickly become a position of need. This kid is the reason I cringe whenever I see a Ryan Kerrigan (if we draft him, I may have to throw my T.V. out the window) or J.J. Watt (I'm just not a fan of him that high at all). He's climbing boards now, but should level out when the underwear olympics start.

Tyron Smith, OT, USC:
285 lb. (should be heavier come Combine time); 6' 6"

(Tyron Smith just heard that the Cowboys were interested in him!)

Select circles are high on Tyron Smith, while others project less talented, though more polished players far ahead of him. His placement in mock drafts varies depending on whom you ask. He's undersized as of the most recent data I happened upon, but look for him to bulk up (ideally without losing any of his athleticism) before the combine to squelch worries about him playing on the line at the NFL level. For a prospect like this, the sky is the limit. He could go on to become an all-pro for you and is only 20 years old. For us, it's easy to see him starting from day one on the right side and giving us 13 or so great years on either side of the line. Why take him over Solder, Carimi, or the like? Because they are OK. Smith could be your next perennial pro-bowl lineman, shutting down elite pass rushers. I only hope that Jerry Jones and Jason Garret agree with me on this.

Robert Quinn, 3-4 OLB, NC:
268 lbs.; 6' 5"

(Quinn is not amused by the fact that he's only the "consolation" 1st round pick for my mock.)

He lost his year to the NCAA and it's ridiculous, possibly biased, nonsensical suspension-stamp. Does that make him any less of an elite talent? Yeah, no. Like Dez Bryant before him, Robert Quinn is one of those special players that can make you say "whoa." Before Von Miller started setting the world on fire, some people had Quinn as one of if not the top prospect at DE or 3-4 OLB. Thanks to Mr. Miller, Quinn could be available even if he has a great showing at the combine (which I expect.) There's always concern with him being in football shape, but he'll be in a rotation with the likes of Victor Butler, Anthony Spencer, and of course Demarcus Ware. As a wise man once said, you can never have enough great pass rushers. Obviously some people may be skeptical of this pick, but if the Cowboys aren't sold on Jordan or Smith...this is the guy I want.

Round Two:

Benjamin Ijalana, OG, V:
320 lbs.; 6' 4"

(Ijalana seen waiting for the Cowboys to call his name.)

Now we're getting to the good stuff. How many of you are tired of watching a guard whom shall remain nameless completely whiff? Benny is that type of athlete where you could let him play right tackle or slide him inside and get, dare I say it, elite production. Scouts at CBS cite him as "dominating" DE's, who are generally the most athletic pass rushers on the line. He gets down field quickly to make a block and free up runners, something which we need, but like any rookie will need work on his technique especially in space. In our blocking scheme, where mobility and technique are paramount, the projection of Benjamin Ijalana inside, on either side, makes me giddy. Jerry Jones, make this happen. For the sake of your QB, your money, and your ego...draft this kid. Don't ask questions. Just do it.

Quinton Carter, S, OU:
211 lbs.; 6' 1"

(Carter letting the Cowboys know that he's ready to fix their poor defensive backfield)

Oh, how I dream of a defense where the safety isn't obviously responsible for half of the fifty yard bombs. He may not be elite, but he can give you at least solid production at the FS position. His stock is on the rise with the Senior Bowl practices over, having displayed better coverage skills than maybe some expected and...fluid hips? That seems to be a point of debate amongst analysts/scouts/mockers. At any rate, he may not pick off every ball thrown down the field, but he can give you around four interceptions a year (that seems to be his magic number, judging by his stats) which would sadly be an improvement. He isn't a finished product, but he's intelligent on the field and a willing (sometimes overly) run-defender. Rob Ryan will love him for his timing on the blitz and physicality, not to mention his overall coverage skills, whether in the slot or deep zone. Not a bad option, if the Cowboys don't love a lineman here. It's a match made in heaven, presumably.

Jimmy Smith, CB, CU:
205 lbs.; 6' 2"

(Jimmy Smith, getting a leg up on the competition for second round pick of the Dallas Cowboys)

He has trouble getting off of blocks and bites on the play-action plays, but he's a willing, highly aggressive run player. He sneaks peaks into the backfield and does a good job of reading the receivers to get a jump on the ball if it comes to a receiver in his area. Good qualities to have in a pressure-intensive system where the ball is expected to come out quickly. He possesses great length and solid speed, combined with solid if not good awareness in zone coverage schemes. He can recover with speed and length, using his long arms to bat the ball away from receivers without interfering, and does a good job of knowing where his help is in zone. His elite-caliber size makes fitting the ball between he and the safety a risky proposition at best. He's very physical in press coverage, utilizing the entire five-yard limit. Not a bad pick by any stretch at this juncture, when you consider that he could climb up boards if he runs well at the combine. Another good fit for our presumed new defensive scheme.

Round Three:

Jake Kirkpatrick, C, TCU:
300 lbs.; 6' 2"

(Jake needs some work, but looks like a great center prospect.)

Like it or not, the Cowboys are in need of an upgrade at the center position. Jake doesn't have as much football experience (he didn't play football until his senior season) as many other prospects, but is easily in the top three to five players at the position coming out. Whether it happens this year or next, Sir Snapsatwill has to be let go. The thing that you will like about him is that he's quick off the line and gets a good push in the run game, which obviously we need. Depending on where you look, he could could go here or much later because he's an unfinished product. With some work on his technique, which hopefully he can get from our coaches, he could be a good starter for us, holding down the center position for a long time. The biggest red flag is that he has supposedly quit on plays. Barring a Wisniewski (Penn State) plummet in the draft, though, he's my guy.

Jerrel Powe, NT, Ole Miss:
330 lbs.; 6' 2"

(Sorry, Jerrel, but we're not currently looking for 300 pound corners. Stop snagging INTs and get that hand on the ground!)

He's not a gap-shooter. He's not pretty. But he's strong at the point of the attack. He should be there for us. As mentioned earlier, we could need some help along the line with all of our free-agents there. In a rotation, he should be able to absorb blockers and make an impact in the run game while helping to push the pocket on passing downs. Not a necessity for our defense and the way it has and might operate in the future, but rotation at the d-line and pass rush positions can only help.

Feel free to critique at will. Dismantle my work if you like. But I hope that more of you will approve than not. I did my best to project players for positions of need now or within the next year. I may add later rounds in later editions, but for now...enjoy!

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