We usually do these mock draft round-ups towards the end of the week here on BTB, but as I was leafing through some of the mocks released last week, I was struck by a thought that surprised me a little.
When reading the mocks, I usually would look at the number nine spot and then would look at the names of the players taken by the teams ahead of the Cowboys. The occasional sigh would escape my lips as I marveled at how close we were to getting this or that player. But what I hardly ever did was look at the players that the Cowboys passed on in a particular mock draft.
Today we remedy that by looking at a bunch of mocks, who they have the Cowboys picking, and just as importantly, which potential top ten pick they have the Cowboys passing on. The results after the break.
The basis for this list is the BTB grade that rabblerousr gave each scout in his recent post "Scouting The Scouts". To my knowledge, Mike Mayock and Gary Horton, who both graded out very high, have not released their mocks yet, so they aren't included in this overview for now.
| BTB Grade | Source | Date | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1st |
Nolan Nawrocki (Pro Football Weekly) | 2/8/11 |
J.J. Watt | DE | Wisconsin | Passed on Prince Amukamara |
| 1st |
Wes Bunting (Nat'l Football Post) | 2/10/11 |
Robert Quinn | DE | North Carolina | Passed on Marcel Dareus, Amukamara |
| 2nd |
Russ Lande (Sporting News) | 2/15/11 |
Prince Amukamara | CB | Nebraska | Passed on Cameron Jordan |
| 3rd-4th |
Dan Shonka (Ourlads) | 16/2/11 |
Nate Solder |
LOT | Colorado | Passed on Jordan, Dareus, Watt, Von Miller |
| 5th-6th |
Scott Wright (Draft Countdown) | 15/2/11 |
J.J. Watt | DE |
Wisconsin | Passed on Amukamara, Jordan |
| 5th-6th |
Mel Kiper (ESPN) | 16/2/11 |
Prince Amukamara | CB |
Nebraska | Passed on Robert Quinn, Jordan |
| 5th-6th |
Todd McShay (ESPN) | 10/12/11 |
J.J. Watt | DE | Wisconsin | Passed on Quinn, Jordan |
| 7th |
Walter Football | 16/2/11 |
Prince Amukamara | CB | Nebraska | Passed on Quinn, Jordan |
| 7th |
Draft Season | 14/2/11 |
Von Miller | OLB | Texas A&M | Passed on Dareus, Watt, Jordan |
| 7th |
Great Blue North Draft Report | 14/2/11 |
Prince Amukamara | CB |
Nebraska | Passed on Quinn, Jordan, Watt |
| UDFA | Mocking The Draft | 5/2/11 | Prince Amukamara | CB | Nebraska | Passed on Dareus |
| UDFA | Draft Ace | 20/2/11 | Marcel Dareus |
DE | Alabama | Passed on Watt, Amukamara |
| UDFA | Drafttek | 15/2/11 | Anthony Castonzo |
LOT | Boston College |
Passed on Miller, Dareus, Watt |
In the 13 mocks above, Prince Amukamara is the Cowboys' pick five times, J.J. Watt comes in second with three picks. If we look at the players who would still have been available, Cameron Jordan would have been available at pick #9 eight times, followed by Marcel Dareus (5), Watt (5), Amukamara (4), and Robert Quinn (4).
Given these options, do you think the Cowboys will be spoiled for choice at the number nine spot, or should they trade down and grab an O-lineman?