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At the end of March last year, Tyron Smith had just completed his Pro Day, with Jason Garrett and Hudson Houck in attendance. Here on BTB we were asking ourselves "Is Tyron Smith To Cowboys A Foregone Conclusion?" The answer, as it turned out, was a resounding 'yes'.
At the time, popular opinion had narrowed down the Cowboys' choices largely to Tyron Smith and J.J. Watt. This year, it feels like almost every day there's a new name being linked to the Cowboys. Earlier this week we looked at ten different mocks that offered nine different prospects for the Cowboys, and we're in a very similar situation today.
After the break, we'll once again review ten different mocks, with the difference that this time we 'only' have seven different names to ponder.
Last year I was irritated that the consensus pick was arrived at fairly early in the process. This year I'm irritated that there is hardly any consensus at all. Perhaps I'm just easily irritated, but one thing seems to be clear, the Cowboys will have a lot of options on draft day.
Walter Football, 3/21/12: David DeCastro, OG, Stanford
The Cowboys had major issues on the interior of their offensive line last year. They signed two guards this offseason, Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau, but the latter is just a backup. David DeCastro will still be a strong option if he's available at No. 14.
DeCastro is one of the top interior linemen prospects to come along in years, and he's the highest-ranked prospect on the board. This is a perfect match.
Dan Kadar, Mocking The Draft, 3/20/2012: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
After signing cornerback Brandon Carr, the Cowboys no longer need to add a No. 1 cornerback through the draft. Instead, the team can start to get younger along its defensive line with Brockers, arguably the best 3-4 end in the draft. There will be plenty of corners for the Cowboys to target in later rounds.
Chad Reuter, NFL.com, 3/20/2012: Fletcher Cox, DE, Mississippi State
Cox's athleticism at the combine impressed 3-4 teams looking for potential stars at the five-technique defensive end spot. The Cowboys addressed needs at guard and cornerback in free agency, so adding to the line would be a smart move.
Peter Schrager, Foxsports, 3/21/2012: David DeCastro, OG, Stanford
The Brandon Carr signing makes for a tremendous upgrade at cornerback for Dallas, but there are some who’ll be clamoring for the Alabama safety, Mark Barron, if he’s still on the board, here.
Dallas' defensive backfield was the team’s Achilles' heel last year, but they could use a cerebral mauler like DeCastro on the offensive line. Guards got big money in free agency this year. Taking one with the 14th pick in the draft isn’t considered too high anymore.
Peter Schrager, Foxsports, 3/16/12: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
The Brandon Carr deal was big, and I think it’s one of the better signings of the week.
Carr’s an underrated cornerback, worthy of Pro Bowl consideration a year ago. I don’t think Dallas is done with cornerback. A 6-foot defensive back with top-flight speed (think Patrick Peterson speed), Alabama’s Kirkpatrick is the rare tall cornerback who can keep up with the game’s fastest receivers.
I wouldn’t be shocked if Dallas went O-Line or picked up another pass rusher — but in this new era of pass-heavy offenses, you can’t go wrong with another stud at the cornerback spot.
Cory Bonini, KFFL.com, 3/21/2012: Melvin Ingram, OLB, South Carolina
Dallas is in an interesting position with their options, and a rotational edge linebacker makes sense in case they cannot lock up Anthony Spencer beyond his franchise tag. I have a strange feeling Dallas takes Michael Floyd here, although I am not brave enough to mock it yet.
Dane Brugler, CBSsports 3/19/2012: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
The Cowboys paid a lot of money to secure the services of cornerback Brandon Carr and will more than likely look to address weaknesses in trenches in the first round of the draft. While DeCastro might be tops on their draft board, he is off the board in this scenario, forcing Dallas to look to the defensive line. Brockers doesn't boast an impressive resume with only average production as a one-year starter in college, but he does possesses immense upside with his rare combination of size, strength and athleticism.
Dallas Cowboys Mock Draft overview (min. three rounds deep)
| Site | Date | 1st Round | 2nd Round | 3rd Round | 4th Round | 5th Round | 6th Round | 7th Round |
| Draft Tek | 3/21 | Whitney Mercilus, OLB, Illinois |
Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina |
Philip Blake, OC, Balor |
A.J. Jenkins, WR, Illinois |
Keenan Robinson, ILB, Texasi |
Derek Wolfe, DE, Cincinnati |
George Bryan, DE, NC State |
| Draftsite | 3/21 | David DeCastro, OG, Stanford |
Chase Minnifield, CB, Virginia | Bobby Massie, OT, Mississippi | George Iloka, S, Boise State | Trevin Wade, CB, Arizona | Matt Conrath, DE, Virginia | Jaye Howard, DT, Florida |
| Walter Football | 3/21 | David DeCastro, OG, Stanford | Ronnell Lewis, DE/OLB, Oklahoma | Billy Winn, DE, Boise State | Ben Jones, C, Georgia | Tony Bergstrom, OT/G, Utah | ||
| Great Blue North | 3/20 | Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama | Vinny Curry, DE, Marshall | Billy Winn, DE, Boise State |