Cowboys Draft Stock Watch: 5 Players Rising and Falling on Dallas' Board

The NFL draft is about five weeks away, which means the overanalyzation and constant rhetoric are about to kick into high gear. Because of this, each player's draft stock will be a fickle matter that resembles the New York Stock Exchange. 

The Dallas Cowboys are no different, as certain prospects ride the natural ebb and flow of the NFL draft season. 

At the moment, some players are using the predraft process as a way to inflate their draft stock, while others are wishing they could go back to January when their stock was at its peak. 

Things will undoubtedly change, but here are five players whose stock is either rising or falling as we head into April. 

Rising: Kevin Johnson, CB

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One player who the predraft process has been kind to is Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson. In late February, he was rated No. 49 on NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah's big board; however, his stock has risen since, and many believe he will hear is name called during the first round of the NFL draft. 

One analyst who is a huge fan of Johnson's potential is ESPN's Louis Riddick:

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Rookie year starter skills in any scheme u want him to play. RT:@dasteelers724: @LRiddickESPN does Kevin Johnson have a 1st or 2nd rd grade?

— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) March 15, 2015"

Johnson has great size at 6'0" and 188 pounds to go along with efficient footwork and fantastic fundamentals. It is rare that you see a player with Johnson's height have such quick and smooth footwork. 

Another great trait that Johnson possesses is scheme versatility. He has the instincts and awareness to play zone and the size, footwork and athleticism to excel in man coverage. Johnson is one of the few players who could fit in with any team and play well. 

For a while, Johnson appeared to be a possibility for the Cowboys with their second-round pick; however, he could now be gone before the Cowboys pick in the first. 

Falling: Paul Dawson, OLB

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For as well as Kevin Johnson has done in the predraft process, TCU linebacker Paul Dawson has down equally bad. 

After a terrible combine and numerous off-field concerns, Dawson's stock appears to be in free fall. For those reasons, NFL.com's Lance Zierlein had to adjust Dawson's grade:

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Dawson's workouts have thrown a monkey wrench in his draft stock. The tape is still great but teams won't spend a premium pick on a 4.95 LB

— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) February 22, 2015"

On the field, Dawson looks like a premier "Will" linebacker prospect. He has the instincts and playmaking ability to be a fantastic player in the NFL. 

However, his combine workout brings into question if he will be able to athletically compete in the NFL. Dawson's athletic profile was in the 0.4 percentile among NFL linebackers, per Three Sigma Athlete's Zach Whitman.

On tape, Dawson looks like an early-second round pick, but athletically, he is an undrafted free agent. Where he will actually go will probably end up in the middle, which could allow the Cowboys to get a great value in the fourth or fifth round. 

Rising: Chris Conley, WR

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Georgia wide receiver Chris Conley burst onto the scene at the NFL combine, as he put up incredible numbers in every event he participated in. 

This performance likely caused teams to go back to the tape in order to see if his athleticism matched up with his film. One team that appears to be interested is the Cowboys, as they will hold a private workout with Conley in the near future, according to Dane Brugler of CBS Sports.

The Rookie Scouting Portfolio's Matt Waldman illustrates the idea that Conley is much more than just a combine king:

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Not that Conley is bad at football, but most people were more familiar with Conley’s Star Wars fan film than they were with his athletic exploits until Saturday. After last weekend’s Combine, where Conley posted a record-setting broad jump, a 45-inch vertical, a 4.35-second forty, and 18 reps on the bench press, a lot more people are wondering how he looks on a field without a movie camera....

I think Conley is more athletically talented than Marlon Brown and Tavarres King–two of the more recent Georgia receivers with NFL ties. His tape is filled with small gems like these. Don’t be surprised if he earns an earlier pick than most anticipated (early Day 3).

"

Conley shows that he does understand some of the nuances of playing wide receiver, which bodes well for his NFL prospects. With Dwayne Harris gone, the Cowboys have a spot open in their wide receiver corps, and Conley could be a great fit to fill the role. 

Falling: Shane Ray, DE/OLB

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For the majority of the predraft process, Shane Ray has been a near-consensus top-10 draft pick. However, a horrific showing during his pro-day drills, outside of the 40-yard dash, has cast some doubt as to where Ray will fit in on draft day. 

His athletic profile landed him among the 24.3 percentile among NFL edge defenders, per Whitman. While that may not be terribly concerning on face value, a great deal of Ray's intrigue was the thought that he was a fantastic athlete; however, his pro day would indicate that isn't the case. Now it should be mentioned that Ray was coming off a foot injury, which could have hindered his performance. 

ESPN's Todd McShay is one of the evaluators who have cooled on Ray's pro prospects:

"

"He has elite speed and first-step quickness for an edge rusher, but I haven't seen much of a power element to his game -- and when you look at the top pass-rushers in the NFL right now, almost all of them possess the ability to win with power," McShay wrote. "He has a great motor and was very productive at Missouri, but his sack totals are a little misleading, as a lot came against lesser competition."

"

Ray was a player who was a pipe dream for most Cowboys fans, but with his recent developments, it is conceivable that he is available when Dallas is on the clock at No. 27. 

He could give Dallas another talented, young pass-rusher who could be another cog in the defensive line. 

Rising: Damarious Randall, FS

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The Cowboys have failed to get a true free safety since Darren Woodson retired. At the moment, they essentially have two strong safeties playing in their base defense, as J.J. Wilcox and Barry Church lack the coverage ability to play the deep middle on a consistent basis. 

Arizona State's Damarious Randall has emerged as a possible fit to fill that hole for the Cowboys, and it appears Dallas is interested, as Randall will come in for a visit before the draft. 

Bleacher Report's Matt Bowen is one of the Randall's biggest supporters in the media:

"

Was impressed at Senior Bowl. Range, smooth feet. Speed from the middle. RT @slipknottin: @MattBowen41 have you watched any of Randall?

— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) March 18, 2015"

Randall's value isn't only as a free safety, as he can also slide down into the slot and cover receivers and tight ends in man coverage. This ability should allow his stock to get a big uptick, as it is valuable to have a safety who can cover receivers one-on-one. It allows the defense to stay in base against three-wide receiver sets and therefore adequately defend the run and the pass. 

Randall could be the answer to the Cowboys' questions down the deep middle of the defense, but he could rise too high for the Cowboys to get him at a good value.