Cowboys Draft 2012: The Big Board Version 3.0 (Pre-Combine)

The big event of the month begins tomorrow. The 2012 NFL Combine will kick off and will run through the 28th. There are three very important parts of the combine - the weigh in, the drills and the interview process. The combine provides us with true height and weight measurements. Schools tend to alter the height and weight numbers in their favor so the combine is great for getting a prospects true size. The weigh in process at the beginning of the combine can be the most boring part of the event, but it is still an important part of the process that every NFL team will pay attention close attention to.

For the past few months, we have debated the Cowboys draft needs. Cornerback, safety, pass rusher, defensive line and offensive line look like our most pressing needs. With all of those needs on our minds, we should then shift our focus to certain areas during the combine.

Below is my latest Top 50 Big Board and break-downs by position group. After that, we'll take a look at how some of the drills relate to specific positions.

Make the jump...

This is the third update of the big board, which includes my fifty best draft prospects. I included changes due to some of the prospect's performances at the Senior Bowl and my ongoing draft research. Take a look over my updated rankings and comment on them below. I love getting feedback from the BTB community and I value everyone's opinion. I expect to alter my board after the 2012 NFL Combine. The combine will give me a better feel for a prospects athleticism. I prefer to grade prospects on game tape, but the combine is another important tool in the grading process.

The Top 50

Rank	Previous	Player	Position	College	Change
1	1	*Andrew Luck	QB	Stanford
2	2	*Robert Griffin III	QB	Baylor
3	3	*Justin Blackmon	WR	Oklahoma State
4	4	*Matt Kalil	OT	USC
5	5	*Morris Claiborne	CB	LSU
6	7	*David DeCastro	OG	Stanford
7	6	*Trent Richardson	RB	Alabama
8	10	Melvin Ingram	DE	South Carolina
9	25	Quinton Coples	DE	North Carolina
10	11	*Michael Brockers	DT	LSU
11	12	Courtney Upshaw	LB	Alabama
12	18	*Riley Reiff	OT	Iowa
13	13	*Luke Kuechly	LB	Boston College
14	15	Janoris Jenkins	CB	North Alabama
15	14	*Nick Perry	DE	USC
16	8	*Dre Kirkpatrick	CB	Alabama
17	9	*Peter Konz	C	Wisconsin
18	23	Michael Floyd	WR	Notre Dame
19	16	*Jonathan Martin	OT	Stanford
20	26	Devon Still	DT	Penn State
21	46	Mike Adams	OT	Ohio State
22	24	*Dontari Poe	DT	Memphis
23	21	*Don'ta Hightower	LB	Alabama
24	NR	Alameda Ta'amu	DT	Washington
25	17	Kendall Wright	WR	Baylor
26	34	Brandon Thompson	DT	Clemson
27	NR	Cordy Glenn	OG	Georgia
28	20	*Alshon Jeffery	WR	South Carolina
29	19	Mark Barron	S	Alabama
30	NR	Vinny Curry	DE/OLB	Marshall
31	22	*Stephon Gilmore	CB	South Carolina
32	31	Chandler Jones	DE/OLB	Syracuse
33	29	Kelechi Osemele	OG	Iowa State
34	36	Mohammed Sanu	WR	Rutgers
35	45	*Lamar Miller	RB	Miami
36	44	*Whitney Mercilus	DE	Illinois
37	27	Coby Fleener	TE	Stanford
38	32	Brandon Washington	OG	Miami
39	35	Orson Charles	TE	Georgia
40	37	Jonathan Massaquoi	DE/OLB	Troy
41	33	Zach Brown	LB	North Carolina
42	38	*Fletcher Cox	DT	Mississippi State
43	40	Jared Crick	DE	Nebraska
44	NR	*Dwayne Allen	TE	Clemson
45	48	Chase Minnifield	CB	Virginia
46	39	David Wilson	RB	Virginia Tech
47	43	*Jerel Worthy	DT	Michigan State
48	NR	Ryan Tannehill	QB	Texas A&M
49	50	*Vontaze Burfict	LB	Arizona State
50	NR	Kendall Reyes	DL	Uconn
Out
- -	28	Alfonzo Dennard	CB	Nebraska
- -	30	Bruce Irvin	LB	West Virginia
- -	41	*Ronnell Lewis	LB	Oklahoma
- -	42	*Jayron Hosley	CB	Virginia Tech
- -	47	Markelle Martin	S	Oklahoma State
- -	49	Jamell Fleming	CB	Oklahoma
(*) denotes underclassmen

Here's how the Top 50 board splits out by position groups

What To Watch For In The Combine

Some drills are relevant to a prospects position. The forty yard dash is a good measure for the secondary players. During the individual drills, pay attention to the cornerbacks and safeties, see how quickly they can cut and how fluid their hips are. The three cone drill is another important activity that relates to a defensive backs athleticism.

The forty yard dash is overrated for defensive lineman and pass rushers. The ten yard split is a good measure for a defensive lineman because it will show how quickly they can get up the field. The vertical jump is something to watch for when judging pass rushers. You can get a good feel for a pass rushers explosion off the line by the vertical jump. The three cone drill is important for pass rushers to display their athleticism and how fluid they are when making quick cutbacks.

When watching for offensive lineman at the combine, look for their bench press numbers. You want to see how strong they are. The individual drills will showcase how well an offensive lineman can move. Other than that, I use game tape to evaluate offensive lineman.

The interview process is very important during the combine process. Teams will get time to sit down with the prospects and get to know them better. Players with questionable character and off the field concerns will need to win teams over in their interviews. Answering a question the wrong way could cost a potential draft pick a lot of money. Teams also fall in love with prospects during the interview process and that may be the reason you see teams reach for a player on draft day.

The Cowboys front office will be highly interested in two prospects during the interview process. Cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Dre Kirkpatrick are both considered to be top fifteen picks. Both have blue chip talent, but they have major off the field concerns. These two young men will have to ace the interview process. The Cowboys will do their homework on both prospects and what happens in the interview process could determine if they draft one of them with the fourteenth overall pick.

The RKG mentality has been implemented into the Cowboys culture by head coach Jason Garrett. If Jason Garrett is not impressed with a prospect's answers during the interview process, then the Cowboys will not draft them. There has been a high emphasis placed on character, and I doubt that strategy will be ignored going forward. Hate it or love it, Jason Garrett wants the right type of players on his football team.

The best advice I can offer about the 2012 NFL Combine is to watch the position groupings related to the Cowboys needs. If you focus on our needs during the combine, you will come away with a better understanding of the prospects at their respected positions. Remember that the combine can me misleading and be sure to take it with a grain of salt.