Previewing the NFL Draft

With the draft starting tomorrow night I'm going to take a look at the guys that I think the Cowboys will be keeping an eye on in the first 3 rounds.
Round 1

The cowboys have said that they want to address the OT position in the first round. There are 7 OL that I think are worthy of going in the top 30-Williams, Okung, Davis, Bulaga, Brown, Iupati(G), and Pouncey(C,G). Williams, Okung, Bulaga, Davis will be gone. Brown, Iupati, and Pouncey all will most likely be gone, but they're is a chance that one could fall with Brown being the most likely.

If all of the OL are gone look for the Cowboys to look at taking a Safety.

1st Round Possibilities

• Earl Thomas, Safety - University of Texas: Thomas is a guy who has consistently been linked to the Cowboys, but has also consistently been gone before the Cowboys pick in all mock drafts. Thomas is an extremely fast, ball-hawking safety who had 8 picks and 17 pass deflections last year. He would be a great fit in the Cowboys secondary. I would be very surprised if he falls to us and am guessing the Eagles will take him at 24. Kiper- Broncos (11), McShay- Eagles (24)
  

• Charles Brown, OT- USC: Brown is a very athletic OT who is a former TE at USC. He shows good footwork and knows how to use his hands. His biggest weakness is his weight. He struggles to even reach 300 lbs which is small for a OT. Brown has been going anywhere from the Packers at 23 to outside the first round. I think this is the guy most likely to fall to the Cowboys at 27 of the OT, and is the guy I expect to be drafted by the Cowboys. Kiper- Cowboys (27), McShay- Packers (23)

• Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho- Iupati, a finalist for the Lombardi trophy, is not exactly what the Cowboys are looking for (OT), but may be to big of a talent for the Cowboys to pass up if Brown and Thomas are gone. Iupati allowed 0 sacks this year on a team that was 12th in the country in Passing YPG. Iupati has been mocked to anywhere from Oakland at pick 8 to the Colts at 31. Kiper- Packers (23), McShay- Steelers (18)

• Taylor Mays, Safety- USC: Mays was a Pre-Season top 10 pick but had fallen to a 2nd round pick before the combine. Mays put some extremely impressive numbers at the combine including a 4.43 40 time which was the fastest of any DB. That speed, combined with his 6'3" 230 lb frame, has put him back into the late first round. Mays is a hard hitting safety that will help in run support, but has problems covering WRs and can be a little stiff in the hips. He has been compared by some to former Cowboy 1st round pick, Roy Williams. He doesn't fit the Cowboys need for a ball-hawking safety but he still has the potential to be a top notch NFL Safety. Kiper- Vikings (30), McShay- Cowboys (27)
  

2nd Round Possibilities

What the Cowboys do here will hinge a lot on what happens in Round 1. A Safety and an OL will still be the top priorities here.

• Bruce Campbell, OT- Maryland: He was linked to the Cowboys in the 1st round in the early mocks after his impressive combine workouts, but has fallen into the 2nd round since. Campbell is considered the most athletic OL in the draft barely edging out Brown. If he is available in the 2nd round and we don't draft an OL in the first, we will take Campbell. McShay- Cowboys (59)

• Dexter McCluster, Rb/WR- Mississippi: An all-around player at Ole Miss he reminds me of Felix Jones in a lot of ways. He was the Wildcat QB, the #2 WR, and their leading runner accounting for 1,716 yards from scrimmage. He would be a great addition to the offense but I don't know that he fits a need at all. McShay- Jets (61)

• Nate Allen, Safety- USF: Allen is a ball-hawking safety in the Earl Thomas mold who I would love to see the Cowboys draft. He's projected to go early to mid first round, and I don't expect him to fall here. Allen has good size (6'1") and has great instincts and range. He isn't a huge hitter, and doesn't have the pure speed that Mays or Thomas possess. If we take an OL in the first, or if Mays and Thomas are gone in the first, don't be surprised if we make a trade to get Allen. McShay- Ravens (57)

• Lamarr Houston, DT- Texas: A former Running Back, Thomas is very athletic and quick for a DT. He will most likely be gone at this point as well, but has been linked to the Cowboys. The Cowboys are looking for a DT who can plug the gap and give Ratliff a rest. McShay- Rams (33)

Others: Brian Price-DT, John Jerry-OG, Navarro Brown-OLB, Major Wright-S, Gene Atkins-DT.

3rd Round Possibilities

This is very difficult to predict so I'll just give a few names I think the Cowboys will look at.

• Jordan Shipley, WR- Texas: Record setting WR was the favorite target of All-American QB Colt McCoy. He is perfectly suited for the slot position in the NFL and would be a great addition to the Cowboys suspect WR corps. Crayton is not the long-term answer in the slot and Shipley should be ready to play immediately. I've seen him pegged by a few publications as a 3rd round pick, but others (McShay) have him as a 4th rounder. McShay- Cowboys (125)

• T.J. Ward, Safety- Oregon: A solid safety who is better at coming up and hitting rather than coverage. Had only 1 INT last year, and is not considered a great coverage guy. Will immediately help on special teams, and may develop into an above-average Safety. McShay- Cowboys (90)

• Chad Jones, Safety, LSU: Played in all 40 games of his career at LSU. Possesses above-average speed, and, at 6'2", is a bigger Safety. He's considered above-average at all aspects of the Safety position: Run support, ball skills, coverage skills, instincts, closing burst. He was also a baseball player at LSU, and played on special teams at LSU. McShay- Browns (92)

• Arthur Jones, DT- Syracuse: A huge 300 lb DT, Jones is an excellent, run-stuffing, gap-filling DT. He is considered exceptionally tough and extremely strong. His biggest weakness is he is not much of a pass rusher limiting him mostly to 1st and 2nd downs and short yardage plays. McShay- Vikings (93)

Others: D'Anthony Smith-DT, Perrish Cox-CB, Akwasi Owusu-Ansah-CB/S, Javier Arenas-CB, Torrell Troup-DT, Rashad Jones-S, Donald Butler-LB (personal favorite), Selvish Capers-OL, Riley Cooper-WR.



Based on the research I've done into the draft these are the guys that I think are most likely to be future Cowboys. Safety, OL, DT, WR, and LB are the areas that need to be addressed the most. If things fall right we could possibly grab a couple of guys who can come in and help quickly. After the draft this weekend I'll recap the picks and see how my projections worked out.

Projections:
1st- Charles Brown, OT-USC
2nd- Nate Allen, S-USF
3rd- Arthur Jones, DT-Syracuse
4th- Jordan Shipley, WR-Texas