Dallas Cowboys Mock Draft: 7 Prospects the Cowboys Must Target in April

The Dallas Cowboys will conclude a most subpar 2010 regular season in just a matter of weeks. Although many questions remain concerning this franchise heading into 2011, it's never too early to be looking at the 2011 NFL Draft to come next April.

Dallas has no idea who will be head coach in 2011. Free agency could certainly change the Cowboys priorities due to players coming or going. Jerry Jones knows better than we do whether or not there will even be football next year due to the pending labor war between the billionaire owners and their millionaire players.

Having said that and assuming Dallas finishes no better than middle of the pack, we do know that this team is still not in need of a complete rebuild. America's Team is, however, in need of a serious renovation.

We should see significant changes on the roster based on internal decisions that also create havoc for this mock. For example, I do not feel that the Cowboys will carry three running backs, at least not the three they have now. Don't be surprised if wide receiver gets a bit thinner.

The Cowboys could end up with an extra pick somewhere, including compensatory, that also changes. For now, I'm going about this assuming everything stays as is.

So here's a look at some of the players that will undoubtedly be considered by Jerry Jones and whoever should end up his next head coach. Is it safe to assume that there will not be a new GM? Of course.

Round 1: Robert Quinn, DE/OLB, North Carolina

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CHAPEL HILL, NC - SEPTEMBER 19: Robert Quinn #42 of the North Carolina Tar Heels celebrates after a sack with teammate Marvin Austin #9 against the East Carolina Pirates at Kenan Stadium on September 19, 2009 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by St

At a glance, the Cowboys' numerous needs point in directions not including outside linebacker. But the same could be said last year regarding the wide receiver position. That still did not stop Jerry Jones from trading up to acquire controversial but explosively talented wide receiver Dez Bryant out of Oklahoma State.

Like Bryant, defensive end Robert Quinn faced issues with the NCAA brown shirts for violating regulations associated with accepting gifts from an agent. Instead of only playing two games in what would have been his senior year, as Bryant did, Quinn missed his entire junior season of 2010 and will not be eligible to play college football again.

This over basically a couple of diamond watches.

The combination of Quinn's struggles with the NCAA and possibly the removal of a benign brain tumor a year before entering college will likely cause Quinn to slide some. Otherwise, this guy is likely an early first-round selection, possibly first overall had he played as a junior. At 6'5" and 270 pounds, Quinn offers all kinds of versatility in the either a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme. 

Assuming Dallas stays with the 3-4, installed by former head coach Bill Parcells in 2005, Quinn would offer a potentially devastating compliment to All-World outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware.

The Cowboys have chosen numerous linebackers, both inside and outside, in the early rounds of recent drafts. At this point only Ware is a force on the outside while last year's second-round choice of Sean Lee might have brought forth another cornerstone player for this 3-4 alignment. But Lee is an inside guy and the selection of Quinn makes up for previous linebacker whiffs.

First-round pick Bobby Carpenter in 2006 and first-rounder Anthony Spencer in 2007 have both left Dallas still trying to get a dominant pass rush going. Carpenter was traded just before the 2010 regular season for fellow first-round bust Alex Barron from St. Louis. Many feel that this came as many as two years too late. 

Spencer remains a starter opposite Ware on the left side and is a much better player than Carpenter, especially against the run. But Spencer does not get consistent pressure on the quarterback and only cracked the starting lineup in 2009 once Greg Ellis, another fellow Tar Heel defensive end, was allowed to leave for Oakland. 

Still looking for insurance or at least depth where rushing the passer is concerned, the Cowboys chose Victor Butler and Brandon Williams in arguably the team's worst draft ever in 2009. Although Butler has shown some ability in his limited opportunities, neither of these players are in the same class as Robert Quinn.

Should Dallas make the switch back to the 4-3 defense as I believe they should, Quinn stays at defensive end and likely does not skip a beat. In his sophomore season at UNC, Quinn totaled 19 tackles for loss and 11 sacks.

Jones' selection of Bryant has reminded him that talent cannot be passed on in the NFL, especially when the issues concerning a gifted and potential star surround the NCAA's Nazi-like approach to its student athletes.

Round 2: Marcus Cannon, G, TCU

It is no real secret that Dallas has not drafted offensive linemen very well in recent years. Jerry Jones has had to spend big dollars for some quite average talent going back to the days of Parcells—he left following the 2006 season.

Age and salaries are catching up to the Cowboys quickly and these issues have come to a head over the last year.

Franchise left tackle Flozell Adams was released following last season to pave the way for Doug Free. This move has been marginally acceptable, especially given the fact that Free only got his first significant playing time a year ago following an injury to starting right tackle Marc Colombo.

Playing well in Colombo's absence, the Cowboys felt that Free could move to the left side and take on a completely different position. So far so good, but probably not great.

Dallas could address the offensive line a few different ways depending on what players are available. One way is to look just a few miles west to Ft. Worth and the campus of Texas Christian University.

Over the last year you could say that these are not your parent's Horned Frogs, if they even knew TCU had a football team. The Horned Frogs lost a single game last year despite going undefeated in the regular-season. Losing only the Fiesta Bowl last January to Boise State, No. 3 TCU duplicated the feat in 2010 and will take on Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.

The Horned Frogs defense explains much of this program's rise to national relevance in college football. Quarterback Andy Dalton is also included in this picture, but in front of every good quarterback is a good offensive line. Enter Marcus Cannon.

Cannon stands 6'6" and weighs in at 350 pounds, putting him in the same size class as starting right guard Leonard Davis. With plenty of experience at both tackle spots, the Cowboys would have the luxury of trying him at both places.

Chances are, however, Cannon transitions to the inside at the next level, which is great given the fact that the aging, expensive and quite average Kyle Kosier will be a free agent following this season and an upgrade at left tackle has been needed since the departure of Larry Allen in 2006.

Running the football is not a strength for the Cowboys and I don't care what the stats show. The addition of Cannon would change this in a short time.

If Jones remembers what brought him success in the '90s he'll recall guys like Allen, Erik Williams and Nate Newton. It's time to get that element back if the Cowboys want to play deep into the postseason again.

Round 3: Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin

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TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 1: Lineman Gabe Carimi #68 of the Wisconsin Badgers sets to block against the Tennessee Volunteers in the 2008 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium on January 1, 2008 in Tampa, Florida. The Volunteers won 21 - 17. (Photo by Al Mess

Maintaining focus on the offensive line, Dallas takes advantage of the opportunity to replace the rapidly deteriorating Marc Colombo at right tackle with equally gigantic Gabe Carimi of Wisconsin. This move allows the Cowboys to go ahead with plans to leave Doug Free at left tackle for another year while dramatically improving the size, power and youth on the offensive line.

Colombo has not been the same since returning from injury in the postseason last year, which ended with an embarrassing performance at Minnesota. The Dallas offensive line played its worst game since the season finale the year before in Philadelphia in a "win and you're in" Week 17 matchup against the Eagles.

In their last two season-ending losses, the Cowboys were outscored on the road 78-9. Granted, two losses don't tell the entire story, but they say a whole lot.

Defenses travel better than offenses and the only way for an offense to make up for that is to run the ball effectively. Dallas simply doesn't do this. The playoffs mean crowd noise and sometimes horrible playing conditions. The solution is obvious.

Carimi will also be playing in the Rose Bowl against future teammate Marcus Cannon. Carimi does not translate to left tackle in the NFL and this works for both the Cowboys and Carimi.

Dallas still has rookie Sam Young on the roster despite a season-ending injury and could still have Alex Barron in the fold for 2011. Either way, there are numerous candidates to shore up the right tackle position for future seasons in Dallas.

If I'm Jerry Jones, I skip the Week 17 matchup between my Cowboys and Eagles in Philly and get out to Pasadena for that Rose Bowl...it will probably be a better game too.

Round 4: Phil Taylor, DT/NT, Baylor

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COLUMBIA, MO - NOVEMBER 07: Defensive tackle Phil Taylor #11 of the Baylor Bears in action during the game against the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium on November 7, 2009 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Since the installation of the 3-4 defense in 2005, the Cowboys have never used a nose guard any bigger than 305 pounds. I started questioning this after that debut season saw the Cowboys fade yet again late in the year, costing that team a trip to the postseason.

You might be wondering why at this point I haven't predicted that any 3-4 defensive ends be chosen. The answer is simple: Dallas has plenty.

I'm aware that Marcus Spears will be a free agent after the season and that there probably won't be enough cap space to sign him. The reality is that Stephen Bowen and Jason Hatcher bring more to the table than Spears when it comes to getting some pass rush.

And yes, I'm also aware that both Hatcher and Bowen are both free agents as well following the season.

Here's the deal: Jay Ratliff is not a nose guard. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft out of Auburn to play defensive end as both his measurements and skill set clearly illustrate.

Parcells originally brought in Jason Ferguson to play nose guard and this was the case until Ferguson suffered a season-ending injury in the season opener of 2007. Ratliff was moved to nose guard for two reasons. First of all, Dallas had no other option. Second, Parcells' successor starting in '07, Wade Phillips, was apparently lacking in common sense.

Baylor's Phil Taylor stands 6'4" and weighs in at 355 pounds. A guy this big can go wherever he wants and it will generally take two guys to stop him. Nobody else in the NFL agrees that you plug the A gap with a guy who weighs 300 pounds. This has much to do with Phillips being unemployed at this point.

Taylor only needs to play on first and second down, at which point Dallas generally goes nickel anyway. Dallas still has Illinois rookie Josh Brent on the roster backing up Ratliff but he's only 6'2" and 315. Brent is an unknown and Taylor offers a new dimension to the Dallas 3-4 that it literally has never had.

Round 5: Zane Taylor, C, Utah

As the Cowboys approached the 2010 regular season with the idea that they might be playing in their own stadium for their sixth Lombardi Trophy, they did so with a strange idea. In addition to having an unproven kicker attempting field goals for the first time as a pro, they also felt that having only one center on the roster would suffice.

Further, the contingency plan in the event ninth-year starter Andre Gurode might miss time due to injury or too many snaps over the quarterback's head was to call upon the mighty Kyle Kosier, the starting left guard who has no experience whatsoever at center. If you're following along, we've already replaced Kosier as well in this mock.

As the renovation on the offensive line continues, the Cowboys prepare for the future and much better snaps to the quarterback with the selection of Utah's Zane Taylor.

Taylor is likely the best center prospect in the Mountain West Conference, standing 6'2" and weighing 300 pounds. While the measurements are typical of the position, his other attributes are not.

Taylor bench presses 440 pounds and completed 41 reps of 225 pounds, both best on the team. Taylor is also a three-time Academic All Conference Honoree. I'll take this to mean that he'll know exactly when to snap the ball and also where.

Taylor might need a year to catch up to the pro game but the physical tools are there to do so in a hurry...that can't happen soon enough for Dallas fans. 

Round 6: Alex Henery, K, Nebraska

Placekicker is a position Dallas has really struggled with in recent years. Be it Billy Cundiff, Mike Vanderjagt, Jose Cortez, Nick Folk or Shaun Suisham, the Cowboys have not found much in terms of reliability when it comes to putting up three points from reasonable distances over the last five years.

David Buehler was drafted primarily as a kickoff specialist in 2009. He's the only player the Cowboys have from that class that makes a frequent contribution, having led the league in touchbacks as a rookie last year. 

Just as it was very odd to go into the 2010 season with no depth at center and nothing proven or even known at left tackle, the Cowboys also decided to go with David Buehler as not just the kickoff specialist but also the filed goal kicker. Well, Buehler had never done that before and this year it has shown.

Because it is so important to force opponents to start at or close to their own 20-yard line, the Cowboys elect to cover themselves in the event Buehler proves too unreliable long term. The selection of Alex Henery from Nebraska offers some nice benefits.

Henery will not only leave the Cornhuskers as the best kicker in school history, but he's also a top-notch punter. Granted, Mat McBriar is among the best in the business, but if you saw his blocked punt on Week 13 against Indianapolis, you may have had a flashback. McBriar's first blocked punt came against the Cardinals at Arizona in 2008, and resulted in a broken foot and a spot on IR.

Henery offers both insurance and possibly points on special teams. Should the Cowboys trim down in a few areas of the roster they should have no problem carrying two kickers again.

Round 7: Alex Wujciak, ILB, Maryland

To round out the 2011 NFL Draft, Dallas wisely addresses another paper-thin area. At the top of this draft Jerry Jones cashes in on a falling Robert Quinn to address previous shortcomings when trying to balance the pass rush on the outside.

That 2006 first selection of Bobby Carpenter still hurts because it leaves a large void on the inside, regardless of where they thought Carpenter might end up...and they never really knew for sure. Well, Carpenter ended up nowhere on the Dallas roster as of training camp 2010.

This departure preceded by just weeks the release of Jason Williams, the Cowboys' third-round choice in 2009, but also their first of the draft. Williams, in turn, was chosen to replace the departed Kevin Burnett, who could never find a full-time job in Dallas and was allowed to leave for San Diego via free agency.

Bradie James is not getting younger and Keith Brooking, brought in via free agency prior to 2009, turned 35 in October. Last year's addition of Sean Lee probably reduces the concern at this position to a good extent as he shows a lot of potential. But Dallas still needs bodies on the inside and the selection of Alex Wujciak gives the Cowboys exactly that.

Wujciak is a high-motor tackling machine and a standout prospect out of the ACC. His speed won't grab your attention but his production will. He's an instant fit on special teams and could be a candidate for a starting job in a year or two.

Wujciak told ESPN.com in an interview coming out of high school that the New York Giants are his favorite team. Now he has the chance to meet Brandon Jacobs facemask to facemask.