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In contrast to some previous years, 2013 may turn out to be another year in which the football public will not know who the Cowboys will pick in the first round of the draft until the pick is announced on April 25. But if the draft pundits are anything to go by, it's almost certainly going to be a lineman, either on the offensive or defensive side of the ball.
In fact, of the ten mocks we're looking at today, all ten predict the Cowboys will take a lineman in the first round. And with eight different names being proposed by the ten mocks, the Cowboys look to have a lot of options on draft day.
| Source | Player | Update |
|
DraftAce (Ryan McCrystal) |
Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M |
February 13 |
| Comment: "With so many talented defensive linemen in this year’s class, someone is bound to fall. And the Cowboys will be a potential landing spot considering their need for the right personnel for their new 4-3 scheme. Moore is a prototypical 4-3 end who would fit nicely opposite DeMarcus Ware. " | ||
| Drafttek | Lane Johnson, LOT, Oklahoma |
February 13 |
| Comment: "Many OL prospects who play in a spread system lack the technique to play in a pro-style offense; but Lane Johnson showed me something during Senior Bowl week, as I originally thought he was a finesse player. This young man has a nastiness to the way he finishes blocks and is quite an athlete, having played QB in HS, began the 2010 season at TE for OU before moving to DE halfway through the season, and played ROT in 2011 and LOT in 2012. With his 35" arms, Johnson could easily play the blind side . . . and interchangeable tackles are almost a necessity as most teams in the NFL have excellent pass-rushers on both sides of the line. " | ||
| NEPatriotsdraft (James Christensen) | D.J. Fluker, OT, Alabama |
February 13 |
|
Comment: "The Cowboys offensive line needs upgraded from left guard on over. Adding the massive Fluker to the right side of the line will immediately solve one problem for Tony Romo and company." |
||
|
Ourlads (Dan Shonka) |
Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama | February 13 |
| Comment: "A powerful, explosive, and impressive man when he pulls or folds around to seal linebackers in the run game. Possesses a thick build from head to toe, but is flexible enough to bend. Plays with a stout base and a boxer’s punch in pass protection." | ||
|
CBSSports (Rob Rang) |
Kawann Short, DT, Purdue |
February 11 |
| Comment: "After a long run with the 3-4 defense the Cowboys are making the switch to the 4-3 alignment with new coordinator Monte Kiffin. For Kiffin's famous Tampa-2 scheme to work the team will need to add a penetrating three-technique defensive tackle. Short, powerful and surprisingly quick, has been a playmaker throughout his career for the Boilermakers and enjoyed a strong week of practice at the Senior Bowl." | ||
|
CBSsports (Dane Brugler) |
Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri |
February 11 |
| Comment: " With Warmack off the board, there is a good chance the Cowboys switch gears to their needs on the defensive line, especially as they transition their defensive schemes. Richardson has the skill-set to do just about anything you need, flashing the strength, power and overall athleticism to be disruptive." | ||
|
NFP (Russ Lande) |
Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama |
February 11 |
| Comment: "It seems that in nearly every big game quarterback Tony Romo is under constant pressure, which leads to mistakes and losses. Warmack is the rare guard who has the athleticism to block effectively out in space, while still possessing the strength to be a dominant in-line run blocker and pass protector." | ||
|
Mocking The Draft (Dan Kadar) |
Lane Johnson, LT, Oklahoma | February 11 |
| Comment: "The Cowboys' offensive line has been in need of improvement for several years and Johnson is the best available offensive tackle. Doug Free just hasn't worked at right tackle and could be pushed inside to help the Cowboys' interior line. The only question about this pick is whether Johnson fits the power blocking scheme Dallas employs. He may need to get bigger, but has the mentality and style to overpower defensive ends." | ||
|
WEEI.com (D.J. Bean) |
Larry Warford, OG, Kentucky |
February 10 |
| Comment: "With both Warmack and Cooper off the board, the Cowboys benefit from the fact that this is a rare draft in which there are more first-round talents at guard than there are at quarterback. Dallas needs help at both guard and center, but this would be early for Barrett Jones." | ||
|
Sporting News (Vinny Iyer) |
Shariff Floyd, DT, Florida |
February 8 |
| Comment: "The Cowboys are going to a 4-3 under Monte Kiffin, which means they need more depth along the defensive line and quick tackles in a scheme that won't blitz as much. Floyd or Ohio State's Johnathan Hankins are the best options to address that." | ||
Over the last couple of weeks of mock-watching we've focused almost exclusively on candidates for the Cowboys' first round pick. And just about the only thing we can conclude so far is that there's nothing to conclude. Not a single name has emerged as a potential lead candidate. The upside to that is that we've come to know a lot of the prospects that could be available to the Cowboys on the first day of the draft. And since we've had just about every possible name in these mock round-ups, let's now take a look at some of the prospects that might fall the Cowboys' way later in the draft.
The table below summarizes a couple of mock drafts that go beyond just the first round. Let us know in the attached poll which of these mocks you like the most.
| Source | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th |
| Drafttek | Lane Johnson, LOT, Oklahoma | Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina | Sean Porter, OLB, Texas A&M | Devin Taylor, DE, South Carolina | Brian Winters, OG, Kent State | Knile Davis, RB, Arkansas |
| Draftsite | Barrett Jones, OC, Alabama | Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas | Rashard Hall, S, Clemson | William Gholston, DE, Michigan State | Jawan Jamison, RB, Rutgers | Tom Wort, ILB, Oklahoma |
| Fanspeak | Alex Okafor, DE, Texas | Kyle Long, OT, Oregon | Baccari Rambo, S, Georgia | Brian Winters, OT, Kent State | Josh Evans, S, Florida | Ryan Otten, TE, San Jose State |
| Walter Football | Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri | Eric Reid, S, LSU | Brennan Williams, OT, North Carolina | Devin Taylor, DE, South Carolina | - - | - - |