If you've been following our mock draft round ups here on Blogging The Boys with any type of regularity over the last couple of months, you'll have noticed a common theme running through almost all of them: the lack of a consensus pick for the Dallas Cowboys.
But while there may be a degree of comfort to be found in having a consensus pick identified fairly early - like Tyron Smith last year - not having a consensus pick is actually even better if you're a Cowboys fan. And it's not because that keeps the excitement level high, far from it.
The draftniks are unable to arrive at a consensus pick for the Cowboys because the Cowboys have already addressed most of their areas of need. You can always debate the quality of the free agents acquired, but ask yourself this: Do the Cowboys really need to pick a safety in the first round? Do they really need to take a corner with their first pick? Do they really need to take a guard with the 14th pick? I would suggest that the answer to all three questions is "No."
The Cowboys have the luxury of not having to pick for an obvious need, which makes it very hard to predict which player they'll select with the 14th pick, or whether they'll stay at number 14 at all.
After the break, we review 10 recent mock drafts. And if you follow the line of thinking outlined above, the fact that the mocks propose six different names should bode well for the Cowboys.
Here are the latest mocks for the Cowboys. For your reading convenience, they are arranged by player.
Mark Barron, S, Alabama
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| The Phinsider, 4/16/2012 |
The Cowboys have the luxury of filling a number of positions after a solid week of free agency when they shored up a number of holes, especially on the defense. While Janoris Jenkins is still a possibility even after signing Brandon Carr, they could go with Upshaw to help with their pass rush or with Barron to solidify their secondary. The Cowboys have quietly had one of the better off-seasons and have put themselves in position to go for the best player available. |
| Lou Pickney, DraftKing, 4/15/12 |
The time-honored tradition of Jerry Jones tipping off his team's draft plans has happened yet again, with the Cowboys owner indicating the distinct possibility that the Cowboys will trade down from this position in the first round. It's not a huge surprise though, and it might prove to be a savvy move to slide down. Barron makes the most sense as far as team need and draft value spot goes, but there are several other teams (e.g. San Diego at #18) that could be interested in moving up to take Barron, or Stanford OG David DeCastro, or any other number of players. |
| Al Fronczak, ECSportsnews, 4/13/12 |
The Cowboys fill a huge need with this pick and feel Barron will provide a huge upgrade to their secondary. |
Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis
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| Clint Clearwater, The Football Expert, 4/16/12 |
Poe enjoyed a tremendous combine and now will likely be a top 15 pick. You just don't find guys that are that big and can move that fast. I had a first round grade on Poe before the combine but I never imagined him to put up the numbers he did. He is incredibly strong, powerful and can easily clog up the middle of the defensive line. He's got some issues with his awareness and aggressiveness but he’s got a ton of potential to be a stud in the NFL. I am a fan of Poe; if he is still available here I believe the Cowboys will take him. |
| NE Patriots draft, 4/16/12 |
Poe is an incredible athlete, there is no denying that. Moving the way he does at nearly 350 pounds doesn’t seem humanly possible. If a team is willing to develop Poe into a football player, they could have a perennial All-Pro on their hands within a couple of years. Out of the box, Poe is going to make some flash plays. |
| Walter Football, 4/14/12 |
The Cowboys had the option of picking J.J. Watt at No. 9 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. They went with Tyron Smith, who has been great thus far, but they're hurting at the defensive end position as a consequence. Kenyon Coleman should not be starting anymore. Dallas could draft Dontari Poe in this spot and then move Jay Ratliff over to defensive end. The Cowboys are reportedly smitten with Poe, so he would be a likely pick if he dropped to No. 14. |
Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
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| Drafttek, 4/13/12 |
Although his production slipped his senior season from his junior campaign, from no less an authority than Butch Davis, "the turmoil surrounding the UNC program impacted Coples' performance . . . not lack of effort!" There's no doubt if you were to clone a pass-rushing DE for the Cowboys' defense, Quinton would be the mold . . . size, length, speed and agility, with him on one side and Hatcher on the other, Dallas will maintain its NT tag-team of Ratliff and Brent. |
Fletcher Cox, DE, Mississippi State
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| Matt De Lima, FF Toolbox, 4/16/12 |
Adding Cox would allow the Cowboys to retool their defensive front. In particular Jay Ratliff could slide outside to end. Dallas is also showing interest in Dontari Poe. |
Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
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| Ryan Van Bibber, SBNation, 4/16/12 |
Some still think of Brockers as the best defensive lineman in the draft. Rankings aside, he has everything needed to be a difference maker in the pros. Dallas can also afford to ease his transition into the starting lineup. |
Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois
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| Draftseason, 4/13/12 |
This may be a bit of a shock for fans looking for Decastro here. Jerry Jones doesn’t like using his first round picks on offensive lineman, but he does like to make the flashy pick. Mercilus brings straight line speed to the table and could have very favorable matchups opposite Demarcus Ware. I look for him to be a 6-8 sack guy here who slowly develops as a run defender. |