2012 NFL Draft: The Best Fit for the Dallas Cowboys at Every Position

Sports fans, we are just three days and some change away from the National Football League draft. The Dallas Cowboys have only 90-plus hours to decide where to go with this draft.

Should they choose Alabama safety Mark Barron or Stanford guard David DeCastro? Which position is of most need and will the above mentioned players fit the team? This essay-sounding dissertation has been brought to you by cynicism in the Cowboys ability to improve via the draft.

Sure, the team has picked fantastic players over the past few years, like Dez Bryant and DeMarcus Ware, but that hasn't produced any playoff success.

At any rate, instead of attempting to guess what player the team will pick, I will give the best fit for each position on the Cowboys roster. Let's get to it.

Quarterback: Nick Foles, Arizona

Foles is 6'5" and 240 pounds with a great arm and good pocket presence. But he has some accuracy issues and can be a statue in the pocket. He will not start for the Cowboys, obviously, but he is serviceable.

Stephen McGee isn't working out and it's time for Dallas to move on to a new prospect. I think Foles would fit well.

Running Back: Chris Polk, Washington

Polk rushed for 4,000 yards at Washington, good enough for second-most in school history. I would say that would make Polk a pretty good running back. His measurable aren't bad either as he weighs a stout 215 pounds.

He has great interior presence and will grind out the hard yards. The Cowboys have Murray and Jones on the roster, two backs who aren't bruisers. Polk will add a physical nature to their running game if he's selected.

Wide Receiver: Michael Floyd, Notre Dame

Some would expect Justin Blackmon to fit well with Dallas as many believe he's a better Dez Bryant. But because the Cowboys already have one of those, Floyd would fit well here because of his statue.

Floyd weighs 220 pounds and stands at 6'2". Currently, Dallas has no receiver with that type of size. He can be the Roy Williams that Roy Williams couldn't be, understand me? No way does Floyd end up in Dallas as a draft pick, but he would be a fantastic pickup.

Tight End: Ladarius Green, Louisiana-Lafayette

I have Green going to the Cowboys because Dallas is in need of a tight end. May happen, may not, but his versatility is so excellent I believe the Cowboys would be crazy to pass on him.

The NFL is a passing league and having a tight end who is able to split wide or play down would give them a new weapon. Jason Witten is great and will continue to be, but he's getting long in the tooth and the Cowboys need youth at the position.

Center: William Vlachos, Alabama

I am always intrigued by Alabama players because their coach was Nick Saban. His players are disciplined on the field when they are there and for some, it translates over to the NFL.

The talk about Vlachos is that he’s a smart center and has fantastic technique. The center issues for the Cowboys have been well-documented and adding a rook to the fold would not hurt.

Guard: David DeCastro, Stanford

The more I read about this guy, the more I like him. His durable, tough, hard working and could be an immediate impact type of guy. He has great balance and his footwork is good for a rookie.

What I like most about him is that he is one of the best run blockers to come out of this year's draft. With DeMarco Murray and Felix Jones, the Cowboys may be able to develop one of the best running attacks in the league by adding DeCastro.

Offensive Tackle: Brandon Mosley, Auburn

This guy is a beast when it comes to size. He's 314 pounds and almost 6'6". He is one of the biggest linemen in this year's draft and his talent is catching up with his height. Mosley is raw and will need time to develop, which is why he should be on the Cowboys radar.

His balance is good and he's mobile. He'll need work when it comes to pass blocking and learning behind Tyron Smith and Doug Free would do him well.

Defensive Tackle: Josh Chapman, Alabama

Another Alabama guy who can start right away for the Cowboys. A 310-pound defensive lineman, he can rotate with current nose tackle Jay Ratliff.

Chapman is a run stuffer and will not put up large sack numbers. He'll be the cog in the middle to stop runners like LeSean McCoy and Rashard Mendenhall. If he's brought in on third down, the Cowboys can switch Ratliff to end and turn their defensive line into a strength.

Thoughts?

Defensive End: Andre Branch, Clemson

He is still developing his pass-rushing skills, but he has long arms and nice speed, which means he has enough to make an impact. Branch should be able to knock down his share of passes at the line and chase down a few quarterbacks while he's turning into a pass-rusher.

Branch will need to gain some weight after he's drafted, but his raw talent should take him far.

Inside Linebacker: Vontaze Burfict, Arizona State

He’ll have to get over his awful combine showing and his attitude issues, however, his talent and skill should take him far. The Cowboys need a mean guy in the middle and Burfict is the player who has that Hardy Nickerson type of attitude.  

I think Rob Ryan would like him and he can help take the Cowboys linebacking corps to another level.

Outside Linebacker: Ronnell Lewis, Oklahoma

Lewis is a big, hard hitter who has the ability to completely alter an opponent's approach when coming across or up the middle.

He has great awareness and vision and can be a great tackler. The Cowboys need a disciplined player roaming the middle and Lewis won't let many get past him.

Cornerback: Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama

I really thought he would end up as a Cowboy when the first mock drafts were released. Kirkpatrick is brash and has the skills to back it up. He's great at man coverage and plays the press really well.

I think that he would do just fine as a Cowboy because Ryan would enjoy his attitude and on-field demeanor. Seems that Dallas will go corner in later rounds and pass on Kirkpatrick.

Safety: Mark Barron, Alabama

Notice a lot of Alabama players on this list? They are talented and most believe that their players translate well to the NFL.

The Cowboys need safety help and Barron is the best available in the draft. He was the communication's guy in the secondary for the Tide and will do the same for Dallas. He'll have to play the deep ball, a weakness for the Cowboys in recent years.

He has great instincts around the ball and should snatch many more out of the air than Abe Elam.

Kicker: Danny Hrapmann, Southern Miss

The Cowboys are set at kicker and I am about 100 percent sure they will not draft a kicker in this draft. If they do, it will be time to test team owner Jerry Jones’ sanity.

Punter: Drew Butler, Georgia

Again, the Cowboys are set at punter. Mat McBriar is a free agent and the team will probably turn to Chris Jones to take over the punting duties.