Dallas Cowboys' Mock Draft: Final 7-Round Predictions
The time has finally arrived, the NFL draft is upon us, and we finally get to see where these draft prospects will go. The rumors, smoke screen and speculation will finally come to an end as teams will finally show their true colors with the players they select through the three days of the draft.
The Dallas Cowboys need a ton of help on defense, but that doesn't mean they won't go offense early, middle or late. Don't be surprised if you see Dallas draft an offensive lineman, wide receiver or quarterback.
On defense, the Cowboys could conceivably draft at every level of the defense, and they have a plethora of needs on that side of the ball.
Without further ado, let's take a look at who the Cowboys could possibly draft with their seven selections on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
1st Round
1 of 6The Pick: Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
Randy Gregory may have his fair share of off-field issues, but he is just too talented to pass up at No. 27. Gregory would likely be a rotational left defensive end who plays a lot as a situational pass-rusher until he gains weight, much like how DeMarcus Lawrence was used when he was healthy.
On the field, Gregory is quite possibly the most talented edge-rusher in this draft. He has the burst, flexibility to bend around the corner and the length to keep offensive tackles at bay. He wins with a variety of pass-rush moves, and he can win with speed to power on a regular basis.
For a player as light as him, he displays some incredible core strength as he held his own against offensive lineman who outweighed him by 70 pounds. Gregory is able to do this because of the way his positions his hands and uses leverage.
Gregory does need to clean up some of his pass-rush moves and put on some weight. If he does both, Gregory can be a potentially elite defensive end for the Cowboys.
In this scenario, the Cowboys get a player could put up double-digit sacks on a consistent basis once he gets settled in the league. This would also give the Cowboys a fantastic young pass rush with Tyrone Crawford, Lawrence, Randy Gregory and possibly Greg Hardy for years to come.
2nd Round
2 of 6
The Pick: Duke Johnson, RB, Miami
With their second-round pick, the Cowboys continue to prosper as they are able to grab the running back who best fits their scheme in Miami's Duke Johnson.
The only concerns you have with Johnson are his injury history and fumbling concerns. He isn't the biggest back, so there are questions of whether he can withstand NFL punishment for a long period of time.
However, when Johnson is healthy, he is one of the three best running backs in this class. He is an extremely explosive running back who demonstrates patience and intelligence when he has the ball in his hands. Furthermore, he is an extremely elusive ball-carrier who can layer multiple moves together to make opponents miss.
In the passing game, Johnson in an elite receiver out of the backfield as he can run a wide variety of routes, and he has the soft hands to catch almost any ball thrown to him. He is a willing pass protector who shows the intelligence to scan defenses and identify blitzers.
Just because Johnson is small in stature, it doesn't mean he can't be a three-down back as he is one of the most well-rounded running backs in the class as well.
The Cowboys get a dynamic running back in Johnson, who will undoubtedly make a ton of plays for the Cowboys in the coming years and lead to fans forgetting who DeMarco Murray even was.
3rd Round
3 of 6
The Pick: Josh Shaw, CB, USC
The Cowboys need help at cornerback, and luckily for them, there are a couple of cornerbacks who can help them in the third.
Oregon State's Steven Nelson could be an option as he has the competitive fire and ability to support in the run game that defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli would love.
Nevertheless, the Cowboys opt to go with a bigger cornerback who fits their size parameters better in USC's Josh Shaw.
Shaw is a big and long cornerback who is physical at the line of scrimmage and great at the catch point. He plays zone coverage very well and his size and length allows him to shrink passing windows extremely well.
He has some stiff hips and he struggles against crossing routes, but he can be coached up on his footwork, which will minimize his stiffness.
He is a willing run defender who isn't afraid to be a force player against outside runs. Shaw also has the versatility to play free safety as he played there at USC from time to time.
Shaw is a cornerback who fits the Seattle Seahawks' archetype and as a team who tries to mimic what the Seahawks do coverage wise, Dallas grabs him here.
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4th Round
4 of 6
The Pick: Rakeem Nunez-Roches, DT, Southern Mississippi
In this scenario, the Cowboys look to improve the depth along their interior defensive line with Southern Mississippi's Rakeem Nunez-Roches.
Nunez-Roches can play nose or under tackle as he can take on blocks, or he can get upfield and penetrate his gap. He keeps his head up well, and he is able to find the ball and get to it in a hurry.
He plays with a nonstop motor, which Marinelli will likely love, as he made several plays down the field that most defensive linemen wouldn't even attempt to make. He needs to play better with his hands and keep his head up while engaging with blockers so he can find the ball.
Nunez-Roches could back up Tyrone Crawford and Terrell McClain and give the Cowboys a fireplug as a rotational defensive tackle. This pick would go a long way toward improving the depth of the interior defensive line and give Marinelli another option in his defensive line rotation.
5th Round
5 of 6
The Pick: Ty Montgomery, WR, Stanford
Finding value is of paramount importance on Day 3 of the NFL draft and that is exactly what Ty Montgomery is in the fifth round, a great value.
Montgomery is a dynamic kick and punt returner who demonstrates the ability to flip the field position each time he touches the ball. He has excellent vision, which allows him to see creases, and the athletic ability to take advantage of it.
As a receiver, Montgomery is still a work-in-progress as he is a sloppy route-runner with questionable hands. Nevertheless, when gets the ball in his hand, he is the best receiver in this class as he has explosive ability after the catch.
If the Cowboys were creative enough, they could design a couple of plays per game to get Montgomery the ball in space and allow him to do what he does best: make plays.
Montgomery would make an immediate on special teams, and he could possibly develop into a No. 3 wide receiver for Dallas down the road.
7th Round
6 of 6
The Pick: Chaz Green, OT, Florida
The Pick: Amarlo Herrera, LB, Georgia
The key to being successful in the seventh round is finding a player with specific skill sets that your team's coaches can develop into potentially impact players.
The first player who fits this profile is Florida's Chaz Green. He is an extremely versatile offensive lineman who has experience at a variety of positions along the offensive line.
He doesn't play with a lot of power and needs to improve his punch, but Green does possess great movement skills that the Cowboys covet in their offensive linemen.
Green is a project, but he has the movement skills and positional versatility that should make the Cowboys coaching staff hopeful that they can develop him into a starting caliber offensive tackle.
Another player who fits that profile is Georgia's Amarlo Herrera. He has very good size (6'1", 244 lbs), and he can play at all three linebacker spots for the Cowboys.
He is a very instinctive linebacker who was extremely productive in the most difficult conference in college football, the SEC. He is one of the few linebackers who shows the ability to stack and shed, and he even shows some promising ability in coverage.
Herrera will likely be a great special teams contributor who backs up numerous spots and fills in when someone is injured from time to time.
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