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Now that the Cowboys 2020 season is over, there is only one thing to do - mock drafts! Yes, it’s that time of year when we look at all the possibilities for the Cowboys in the upcoming draft. This year the Cowboys have the tenth overall pick in the draft. They have multiple holes to fill on their roster, but defense seems to be the real problem area.
ESPN analyst Todd McShay has a mock draft out, and for the Cowboys, he went defense.
Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama*
What Dallas does in the draft will likely come down to the outcome of Dak Prescott’s contract situation. The Cowboys will know whether they need a QB by the time they’re on the clock; we just don’t know right now. But considering Surtain is still available, and Dallas hasn’t had a shutdown corner in years, this seems almost too easy.
It wasn’t Surtain’s best season, but he has strong instincts and can redirect wideouts where he wants them. Trevon Diggs — Surtain’s former teammate in Tuscaloosa — appears to be a great value pick for Dallas (No. 51 in 2020), but fellow cornerbacks Jourdan Lewis and Chidobe Awuzie could be coming off the books this offseason. And on throws outside the hashes, Dallas allowed the fourth-highest opponent QBR in 2020 (83.5).
There’s not a whole lot to argue with in McShay’s analysis. The Cowboys three defensive backs from the 2017 draft will be in free agency (Awuzie, Lewis, and Xavier Woods), so re-stocking the secondary will be necessary. Given the uninspiring play from all three over their time in Dallas, it’s not inconceivable the Cowboys could move on from all of them, or try to re-sign one or two on one-year prove it deals.
Suratin would give the Cowboys an all-Alabama duo at outside corner with Trevon Diggs, and allow Anthony Brown to be the slot guy. Surtain has NFL bloodlines and has long been thought of as one of the top corners in this draft. His main competition for that spot, Caleb Farley, goes at pick number 12 in this mock to the 49ers.
You have one more chance to check out Surtain in action when he plays on Monday night in the CFP Championship Game against Ohio State.
What do you think of the Surtain pick?