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Mock draft season is in full swing, so today we’ll take a look at Mel Kiper’s second mock draft of the year. Last time we visited Kiper, he gave the Cowboys a conerback in Sidney Jones, but this time it’s a different corner.
28. Dallas Cowboys, 13-3
Teez Tabor, CB, Florida*
The Cowboys could see some turnover at cornerback, and teams that need to hold leads can't be short at the position. Tabor could clean some things up in his technique, but he's a playmaker with good ball skills, and he flashes great anticipation. Dallas needs corners and pass-rushers, and Tabor is a fit in this range.
CBS Sports has Tabor rated as the #2 corner and #15 player overall, while we learned earlier today that Mike Mayock has Tabor as his #4 corner. NFL.com also has him as #4.
A quick synopsis by NFL.com reads:
BOTTOM LINE
Tabor has terrific size and quickness, but it will be interesting to see how he times in the forty. While he has some lapses in judgement and awareness in coverage, his nine career interceptions didn't happen by accident. He is a pure cover corner with the ability to pattern match around the field, but don't expect him to be a plus tackler in run support. He has the traits of a first-round cornerback, but some teams may be put off by some of his annoyances.
Those annoyances are that he has a reputation as a pain in the butt. CBS Sports explains:
He comes with a troubling track record off the field, including twice being suspended from the team. He was suspended for the 2016 season opener following a fight with a teammate. Also was suspended a year earlier for declining to take a drug test and then sharing his disappointment on social media, tweeting that the Florida athletic department "sucks." Tabor also made headlines when he tweeted that college football is a "modern form of slavery." He later deleted the tweet and apologized, saying he "went too far."
Already gone in Kiper’s draft that the Cowboys might have been interested in were Taco Charlton (8th), Solomon Thomas (11th), Tre’Davious White (12th), Takkarist McKinley (15th), Sidney Jones 16th), Marlon Humphrey (21st), Derek Barnett (23rd), Quincy Wilson (24th).
In this mock, the Cowboys passed on Charles Harris, Tim Williams and Carl Lawson as potential pass rushers.
How do you feel about Teez Tabor and would you pass on the pass rushers to select him at cornerback?