A couple of new mocks came out today for your viewing pleasure.
Chris Steuber, FOX Sports/Scout.com.
22. Cowboys(from Browns) Felix Jones RB 5-10 207 Arkansas Junior The Cowboys' main priority is to find a quality cover corner who can develop into a quality starter for years to come. But with the top CBs off the board, the Cowboys will add a compliment to Marion Barber in the backfield. Dallas selects Arkansas' Felix Jones.
28. Cowboys Brandon Flowers CB 5-10 189 Virginia Tech Junior The Cowboys added a RB with their first selection and will either select a WR or CB with this pick. Indiana's James Hardy or Michigan's Mario Manningham are possibilities, but the physical nature and ball skills of Brandon Flowers provides the Cowboys with a legitimate playmaker.
Brandon Flowers is a name we haven’t talked much about but every once in a while I do see his name pop up in the first round, mostly to Dallas or Green Bay.
22 RB Felix Jones Arkansas Jr. 6-0 200 We're not budging off of Jones, the "other" Razorback rusher in the first round. Cornerback and receiver are the Cowboys' other needs, but Dallas will address one of those with its No. 28 pick.
28 WR DeSean Jackson California Jr. 6-0 169 Having gotten their running back in Felix Jones at No. 22, the Cowboys land their impact receiver in Jackson at No. 28. Though he's slight of build, the 169-pound ex-Cal star has game-changing speed as both a slot receiver and in the return game. His punt return skills will have even more value if the Cowboys can't land Pacman Jones via trade.
DeSean Jackson is also a name I’ve started to see more for the Cowboys in mocks. Bucky Brooks claims he’s the WR most likely to make an impact this year. But, we know that earlier in the offseason Jerry Jones was cool to the idea of drafting a WR in the first round, preferring to trade for a vet. Here’s what he said about that yesterday.
So make your own interpretation of Jones' answer Wednesday when asked by local reporters if he would consider making a draft-day trade for a veteran receiver such as Roy Williams, Chad Johnson or Anquan Boldin.
"Yes," Jones said before a long pause, followed by a smile and a wink.
Hurry up draft, I can’t wait to see what the Cowboys do.
But really, this is the mock draft you want to concentrate on. It’s from a guy who has been a pro football scout and generally bemoans the "experts’ in the media who make all these mock drafts I like to post, you like to read and that I even participate in. Instead, he says leave it to the real experts, the scouts. Fair enough, but he did relay this hilarious story when he was in the Rams war room for a draft.
Over the years I have seen numerous occasions where scouts and coaches have disagreed with potential selections, but the answer I received regarding [CB Travis] Fisher was truly one for the ages. [The Rams official] said (while holding a stack of seventy-five to a hundred sheets of paper), "Tom, I have read your reports, viewed his touch tape, and compared his workout numbers to all of the other corners in this year's draft. But the problem I have with taking him is that his name does not appear in any of these mock drafts as a potential second-round selection." Fortunately, Mike Martz still had the final say in all personnel matters and pulled the trigger on Fisher, who started for five seasons with the Rams before signing with the Detroit Lions as a free agent in 2007.
Wow, mock drafts do have an impact! Back to his mock draft, here’s the catch: This mock lists the picks in the 7th-round. That seems like an impossible task. But get this, when he did it last year for a bet, he was amazingly accurate, not on a team/player basis, but hitting on players who were actually selected in the 7th round.
For the record, in my first attempt in 2007 I was able to hit on twelve seventh-round selections — a far cry from the twenty-eight of thirty-two first-round hits.
Wow, he actually got 12 players right. So who does he say the Cowboys will draft in the 7th-round?
28-235 Dallas Johnny Dingle DE West Virginia Undersized, one-dimensional player (pass rusher), who is going to have to improve run defending skills to have a chance.
Hat tip to SB Nation’s Panthers blog, Cat Scratch Reader, for the link.
By the way, here’s the full preseason schedule.
Sat., Aug. 9 - at San Diego (KTVT/CBS 11) - 9 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 16 - at Denver (KTVT/CBS 11) - 8 p.m.
Fri., Aug. 22 - vs. Houston (CBS) - 7 p.m.
Thurs., Aug. 28 - vs. Minnesota (KTVT/CBS 11) - 7 p.m.