NFL Mock Draft 2010: The Sweet 16 Players the Dallas Cowboys Should Consider

As the NCAA Basketball Tournament kicks off, we thought it would be fun to complete our own bracket of Cowboys’ possible draft selections. Below is our “Sweet 16″—the draft prospects we view as the top 16 possibilities for Dallas in the first round. This is Part One of a three-part series.

Each player is seeded No. 1-16. Match-ups proceed just as in the NCAA tourney. Match-up “winners” are not necessarily the best choice for Dallas, but those which we consider most likely among the two.

 

The Sweet 16

1 Mike Iupati, G, Idaho

vs.

16 Brian Price, DT, UCLA

• In our first match-up, Idaho guard Mike Iupati faces UCLA defensive tackle Brian Price, the ultimate “sleeper.” Many see Price as a three-technique player, but we think he could transition to a five-technique end for Dallas. A No. 1 seed has never lost in the real tourney, however, so Iupati marches on.

• Winner:  Mike Iupati

8 Taylor Mays, S, USC

vs.

9 Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma

• In our closest battle of the Sweet 16, USC safety Taylor Mays faces off against Oklahoma tackle Trent Williams. While we believe Dallas would prefer Williams, Mays gets the nod due to a higher probability that he is still available at pick No. 27.

• Winner: Taylor Mays

5 Maurkice Pouncey, C/G, Florida

vs.

12 Charles Brown, OT, USC

• No. 12 seeds are known to pull off the upset, but it doesn’t happen in this case. We profiled Brown as a potential Cowboys draft pick , but his small frame makes him a less likely fit for Dallas scheme than Pouncey.

• Winner: Maurkice Pouncey

4 Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers

vs.

13 Nate Allen, S, USF

• Our first upset of the tournament is a big one. Anthony Davis, a player who is sliding due to work ethic concerns, cannot hold off a charging Nate Allen—a unique talent who some are now considering a late first-rounder.

• Winner: Nate Allen

6 Earl Thomas, S, Texas

vs.

11 Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State

• The 6/11 match-up in our Sweet 16 features a dream scenario for Cowboys fans. If Thomas and Wilson are somehow both available Jerry Jones will do backflips. Despite Thomas probably being higher on the Cowboys’ board and being a superior fit, Wilson wins this match-up due to a higher probability of actually being available.

• Winner: Kyle Wilson

3 Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland

vs.

14 Brandon Graham, DE/OLB, Michigan

• Campbell as a No. 3 seed...what were the bracket-makers thinking!?  In any event, yet another upset occurs here as Graham—a player we see as the most under-the-radar possible Cowboys’ selections—overtakes Campbell. Watch our for Graham come April 22nd. You heard it here first.

• Winner: Brandon Graham

7 Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State

vs.

10 Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame

• This is a tough match-up because we see both players as unlikely to join the Cowboys. Despite Bryant’s recent fall down some boards, we still think he will be gone by pick No. 27. However, Tate is not a big enough game-breaker to justify Dallas passing on a player at a larger position of need.

• Winner: Dez Bryant

2 Jared Odrick, DT/DE, Penn State

vs.

15 Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers

• We really like McCourty, so it pains us to kick him out of the tourney so soon. Depending how the draft shakes out, though, we see Odrick as very likely to become a Cowboy. We have been pushing his selection for weeks.

• Winner: Jared Odrick

So there you have it. In Part II of our March Madness Cowboys Draft Pick Tournament (should we have chosen a shorter name?), we will detail the “Elite Eight” match-ups, listed below.

 

Elite Eight (coming tomorrow)

1 Mike Iupati

vs.

8 Taylor Mays

5 Maurkice Pouncey

vs.

13 Nate Allen

11 Kyle Wilson

vs.

14 Brandon Graham

7 Dez Bryant

vs.

2 Jared Odrick