Category: Mock Drafts

Dane Brugler gives Cowboys Tyron Smith protection in 2-round mock draft

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler’s Mock Draft 2.0 brings the Dallas Cowboys their left tackle of the future in Rashawn Slater.

There’s room for optimism moving forward for the Dallas Cowboys. The disaster that was the 2020 campaign can largely be pinned on a rash of injuries not seen around the Metroplex in some time. To believe that the same kind of bad injury luck won’t rear its ugly head going forward would is fair, but not preparing for the worst would be foolish. This means there will be tough decisions for the front office come April’s NFL Draft.

The prevailing thought is that the Cowboys need to draft defense early and often. There’s no doubt that’s where the team has suffered the most over the years, but The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has another position in mind in his Mock Draft 2.0. With pick No. 10, Dallas selects:

Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern
Many fans will disapprove of any pick that isn’t a defensive player, but the Cowboys’ offensive line woes were a constant theme all season. Not only does Slater have NFL-ready talent, he offers the versatility to play tackle or guard, giving the Cowboys much-needed flexibility.

The elephant in the room here is the status of Tyron Smith, perhaps the oldest 30-year-old on the planet. From 2016-2019 he missed three games a season. Last year he played in only two and underwent neck surgery. There’s been a growing undercurrent of concern throughout the season that Smith could hang it up for good. He wouldn’t be the first Cowboys player to retire unexpectedly, but even if he’s able to play the majority of the year, it’s not the worst idea to have a backup plan as talented as Slater ready to go.

Players still on the board at the time are tight end Kyle Pitts out of Florida and cornerback Patrick Surtain II out of Alabama. The age old question of best player available vs. need will be on full display for Dallas in the first round come April. In the second round, Brugler has the Cowboys addressing a hole in the defense that’s existed for nearly two decade.

44. Dallas Cowboys — Trevon Moehrig, FS, TCU
The last time the Cowboys drafted a safety in the first two rounds was when they took Roy Williams in 2002, so Moehrig would go counter to the organization’s drafting history. But he would give Dallas a much-needed upgrade over free safety Xavier Woods.

Adding a safety with a top-50 pick seems like a pipe dream. One would be hard pressed to find another team that’s ignored a position as badly as the Cowboys have ignored free safety. For years it’s been a potpourri of mediocre free agents and mid-to-late-round draft picks manning the spot. This pick is almost too good to be true.

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Mock Draft Monday: Cowboys focus on defense for Dan Quinn’s arrival

The Dallas Cowboys have a new defensive coordinator and Dan Quinn is going to need a lot of reinforcements to get the ship going in the right direction. If the Cowboys can find some spending capital, they’ll need to address some of their biggest …

The Dallas Cowboys have a new defensive coordinator and Dan Quinn is going to need a lot of reinforcements to get the ship going in the right direction. If the Cowboys can find some spending capital, they’ll need to address some of their biggest needs in free agency, and that is even more of the case when looking at the strengths in this year’s draft class.

There isn’t a Top-10 lock player at either defensive tackle or safety, two of the three biggest needs going into 2021. Assuming Dallas addresses those needs in some level of free agency, they’ll still need reinforcements there as well as front-line starters at other positions. Here’s our attempt to round out those positions with impact players using The Draft Network’s simulator and scouting reports.

Todd McShay’s ESPN Mock Draft: Cowboys get secondary help

ESPN’s Todd McShay released his first mock draft, where he gave the Dallas Cowboys one of the drafts top CBs, Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II.

For the Dallas Cowboys, a pivotal offseason awaits. Over 20 Cowboys are set to become free agents, including quarterback Dak Prescott. The 2021 NFL draft will be extremely important for Dallas, as they try to fill in the roster around Prescott (assuming he re-signs with the Cowboys for the hefty price he deserves).

Today, less than a week after the NFL regular season ended, ESPN’s well-know draft expert, Todd McShay, released his first official mock draft. McShay’s too-early projection has the Cowboys staying put at the No. 10 pick and selecting Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II.

McShay justified his pick for Dallas, stating,

“What Dallas does in the draft will likely come down to the outcome of Dak Prescott’s contract situation. The Cowboys will know whether they need a QB by the time they’re on the clock; we just don’t know right now. But considering Surtain is still available, and Dallas hasn’t had a shutdown corner in years, this seems almost too easy.

It wasn’t Surtain’s best season, but he has strong instincts and can redirect wideouts where he wants them. Trevon Diggs — Surtain’s former teammate in Tuscaloosa — appears to be a great value pick for Dallas (No. 51 in 2020), but fellow cornerbacks Jourdan Lewis and Chidobe Awuzie could be coming off the books this offseason. On throws outside the hashes, Dallas allowed the fourth-highest opponent QBR in 2020 (83.5).”

Surtain II currently sits at No. 7 on McShay’s overall rankings, which places him as the second defender in the draft behind Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons, and as the top overall defensive back. McShay’s abbreviated evaluation of Surtain’s game is as follows:

“Surtain, a true shutdown cover corner, has a pick-six, 10 pass breakups and 32 tackles in 11 games. I love his instincts and the way he quickly diagnoses wide receivers’ routes and funnels them where he wants them to go. He is also a natural playmaker, with good ball reaction skills and soft hands. His father, Patrick Surtain Sr., was a Pro Bowl corner in the NFL and a second-round pick in 1998.”

South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn and Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley are two other corners at the top of most draft rankings.

Dallas has been linked to all three prospects throughout early mock drafts, and it’s easy to see why. The Cowboys defense was dreadful in 2020. The Athletic’s Bob Sturm Shared the following statistics.

  • No Dallas team has ever allowed 34 passing touchdowns, until this season.
  • No Dallas defense has ever allowed a passer rating of 100 for a year, until this season.
  • Only one Dallas defense, the 1960 expansion team, allowed more points per game.

Yes, the run defense is arguably a bigger problem for the Cowboys, but so-far this year’s draft noticeably lacks the elite interior defenders that Dallas would certainly consider at pick No. 10.

Dallas defensive struggles aren’t the only reasons Surtain to Dallas makes sense. As mentioned above, the Cowboys have a ton of free agents, especially in the defensive backfield.

Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis, two of the Cowboys top four corners from 2020 are on the market, as well as the clubs starting safety, Xavier Woods.

There is certainly a chance that the Cowboys re-sign one or two of those three for the right prices, but even in that scenario, the addition of a potentially elite cornerback on a rookie deal would be incredibly valuable for Dallas.

The Cowboys secondary moving forward is headlined by Surtain’s former teammate in Tuscaloosa, CB Trevon Diggs, who had a promising rookie year in Dallas.

Reuniting the lanky cover men could pay dividends for a Dallas defense that desperately needs improvement at every level.

Alabama faces Ohio State in the National Championship on Monday, January 11, in what will be a must-watch for fans wanting to scout some of the top NFL prospects.

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Mock draft watch: ESPN’s latest gives the Lions the thrill of the Chase

Todd McShay projects LSU WR Ja’Marr Chase to the Lions

The latest 2021 NFL mock draft from ESPN analyst Todd McShay is the first from the network since the top 18 draft slots were locked in after the season. And McShay’s projection for the Detroit Lions at No. 7 is one a lot of Lions fans can get behind.

With the No. 7 pick, McShay projects the Lions to land LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. The record-setting wideout sat out the 2020 season but posted one of the greatest years in college football history in the Tigers’ championship run of 2019. Chase, listed at 6 feet and 208 pounds, broke the SEC record for receiving yards in a season while playing with Joe Burrow and Justin Jefferson in the pro-style LSU offense under Joe Brady.

He’s a dynamic athlete with great strength and footwork, and he proved a real threat with the ball in his hands after the catch. As McShay notes,

“Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones Jr. and Danny Amendola are all set to be free agents, and Chase is an explosive route runner with great body control.”

The first six picks, for context on the available player pool:

  • Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence
  • Oregon OT Penei Sewell
  • Alabama WR DeVonta Smith
  • BYU QB Zach Wilson
  • Northwestern OT Rashawn Slater
  • Penn State LB Micah Parsons

Smith has been a frequent projection for the Lions, but in this scenario he is off the board much earlier.

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2021 NFL mock draft: ESPN’s Todd McShay has Justin Fields tumbling

The latest 2021 NFL mock draft from ESPN’s Todd McShay doesn’t think much of Ohio state quarterback Justin Fields

If you’re a fan of Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, you probably won’t enjoy the latest 2021 NFL mock draft from ESPN’s Todd McShay.

While some have debated the gap between Fields and Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, McShay has Fields falling out of the top 10 picks entirely, coming off the board at No. 15 overall to the New England Patriots.

After projecting Lawrence at No. 1 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars, McShay sends BYU’s Zach Wilson to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 4 overall.

Here’s his explanation:

OK, it’s time. And what a terrific outcome this would be for coach Bill Belichick. Fields fell to No. 15 here because we aren’t doing trades in this mock. There’s very little chance he makes it this far down the board, especially after his six-touchdown performance in the Sugar Bowl quieted some big-game concerns. Someone will move up to get him.

But what a nice fit Fields makes in New England. The Patriots tied the Giants for the fewest passing touchdowns in the NFL this season with 12, and New England joined the Broncos as the only teams with more interceptions thrown than TDs (14). Cam Newton, who was largely ineffective this season, will turn 32 in May and is set to be a free agent again. Jarrett Stidham doesn’t appear to be the guy, either. Tom Brady is no longer walking through that door, and it’s a different era for the Patriots’ passing offense. But Fields would change that, with plenty of zip on his vertical shots and an ability to create when things break down.

Even without trades, it’s shocking to see multiple teams with a potentially significant need for a young quarterback pass on Fields. It’s one thing to have the New York Jets pass on Fields at No. 2 overall (they shouldn’t), but to do the same with the Detroit Lions (No. 7 overall), Carolina Panthers (No. 8 overall) and San Francisco 49ers (No. 12 overall) is hard to imagine.

Other surprising moves in this projection? The Philadelphia Eagles passing up LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase for Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons at No. 6 overall, Ohio State cornerback Shaun Wade still cracking the top 15 after struggling for much of the 2020 season, and the Miami Dolphins doubling up at wide receiver while ignoring the offensive line (as well as taking Alabama’s DeVonta Smith over Chase at No. 3 overall).

To check out McShay’s full first-round projection at ESPN.com, click here.

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4-Round Mock Draft 3.0: What a no-trade back haul looks like for Cowboys

Team Tank has lost, so what comes next for the Cowboys when it comes to draft options? Plenty, actually, even if there are no trades.

Two months ago, when a top-five draft pick seems ordained for the Dallas Cowboys, the mission was clear. The club, with a 2020 season marred by injury to key performers on offense and hole after hole on defense, would be better served by trading back from their lofty perch to accrue more selections and address more needs. Two months later, and the team finds itself on a three-game winning streak and with a chance to go to the playoffs if things break right in Week 17.

The wins have been great for those invested in the team’s positive vibes, and a catastrophe for those on Team Tank. Dallas went from a shot at the No. 3 overall pick to currently sitting 11th. Even if they miss the playoffs, they could drop down to 16th depending on other team’s results on Sunday. So that brings another interesting aspect to the land of mocks. What happens if Dallas is in a position where no one wants to trade with them, or they don’t want to bail at all?

Trading down is a foregone conclusion in mock drafts. Algorithms are created where value charts and logic rule war rooms. There’s almost always a trade to be made. That certainly isn’t the case in real life, however, and there’s a good chance that Dallas could be in a situation where they leave the draft with their assigned lot of picks. That’s what we’ll do in this iteration, draft according to the positions Dallas is given.

We run mocks to help give a clearer sense of where players could be available, how going after one position early can mean missing out on a different position later and all that comes with the myriad of decisions front offices have to make.

The Cowboys have a variety of needs entering 2021, and although money is tight free agency will certainly impact this list prior to the draft. For now, here is the way we see each position, followed by our four-round haul.

PFF’s latest mock draft addresses the giant pending hole at WR for the Lions

The Lions are losing the top 3 WRs once the season ends

The latest mock draft from Pro Football Focus prominently addresses what could be a massive hole for the Detroit Lions.

With the No. 7 overall pick, the current order after Week 16, PFF projects Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith to the Lions. The rationale is an easy one, seeing as how the Lions are losing their top three receivers to free agency once the season is over.

Even if the Lions re-sign soon-to-be unrestricted free agents Kenny Golladay (27), Marvin Jones (31) and/or Danny Amendola (35), the team still needs more talent at wide receiver. Smith should finish the year with the highest single-season receiving grade in the PFF College era (2014-20) and currently ranks 12th overall on PFF’s 2021 NFL Draft Board.

The players selected before the Lions pick, which is as instructive as who is taken by Detroit’s as-yet-unknown regime:

  1. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
  2. Zach Wilson, QB, BYU
  3. Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
  4. Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
  5. Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU
  6. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

Mock draft watch: Justin Fields to the Lions in Bleacher Report’s latest

It’s an unusual projection for Fields, normally long gone by the time the Lions pick

The latest mock draft from Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller offers an interesting twist for the Detroit Lions. Miller has the Lions landing Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields at No. 11 overall.

It’s an unusual thought exercise, but it would appear to be a no-brainer selection for the Lions in landing the talented quarterback outside the top 10. Normally projected in the top five, Fields plummets to Lions land thanks to a surge in offensive tackles and the rise of BYU QB Kyle Wilson, who goes at No. 4 overall.

11. Detroit Lions: QB Justin Fields, Ohio State
It’s hard to predict what the Lions will do without knowing who the general manager and head coach will be, but Matthew Stafford is 32 years old, and the team could get out of his contract after next season with a limited cap hit. Drafting his replacement would make perfect sense.

As Miller smartly notes, it’s way too early to know what the Lions will do. The team still lacks a GM and a head coach. But this mock shines a light at a possibility that most Lions fans would never see coming.

This is Miller’s final production for Bleacher Report, and as someone who worked with him for over two years while covering the Lions at B/R, I wish Miller nothing but the best in his new path.

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2021 NFL mock draft: Which top QB prospect falls out of the 1st round?

See which top quarterback falls out of the first round in this 2021 NFL mock draft

Every year, the NFL draft conversation starts and ends with the top quarterback prospects, and this year’s class will be no different.

While this crop of quarterbacks could end up yielding as many as four top-10 picks, the next tier of passers appears to have a much wider range of early projections.

Florida’s Kyle Trask and Alabama’s Mac Jones are both having incredible seasons at the college level, but will both of them impress enough to warrant a first-round selection?

That’s not the case in the latest 2021 NFL mock draft from Yahoo Sports, which has Jones cracking the top 32, while Trask is still on the board heading into Day 2.

Jones lands with the Indianapolis Colts at No. 23 overall in this mock, as the fifth quarterback off the board. He follows Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence (No. 1 overall, New York Jets), Ohio State’s Justin Fields (No. 2 overall, Jacksonville Jaguars), BYU’s Zach Wilson (No. 6 overall, Carolina Panthers) and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance (No. 7 overall, Atlanta Falcons).

Yahoo’s Eric Edholm believes Jones would be a good fit in Indy, but admits the Colts could also go the veteran route if Philip Rivers doesn’t return for the 2021 season, and even target Trask in the second round:

Jones feels like someone whom GM Chris Ballard and Co. will end up falling for if they can’t go the veteran route at QB. It also feels like they could go with a short-term vet (or keep Rivers another year) and target Florida’s Kyle Trask on Day 2.

To check out Edholm’s full first-round projection at Yahoo Sports, click here.

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4-Round Mock Draft 2.0: Cowboys get cake, trade it, eat for days

If the Cowboys ended up with 1 first, 2 seconds and 4 picks in the first 25 of the third round, would you be mad if the first player they took was on offense? Let’s ride, ladies and gents. | 2 CBs, a safety, 3 DL, a linebacker for the 2021 DC to play with.

This may not go over well, I already know but bear with me. It’s early in the draft process and rolling out mock after mock with the same players chosen will become repetitive very quickly. In our first mock, run a month ago, we had a small trade back and selected corner-corner-safety to hit the secondary with a barrage of high-level targets. All things being equal, that is likely going to be where we settle once it gets to mid-April.  Bombard the secondary.

But four months prior? It’s imperative to consider every possibility. So what happens if the Dallas Cowboys are not enamored – for whatever reason – with the two cornerbacks most currently see as the top options? What happens if they aren’t enamored with the other defensive options projected for the top of the draft? Could they make moves backwards to stockpile picks, grab the best player on the board when they finally do select and then walk away with a mountain of defensive talent still ranked in their Top 30, 50, 100 players?

That’s what we did in this exercise, ending up with seven picks in the Top 88. This team has a talent deficiency, so rebuilding the base on defense is probably more important than finding a stud at one spot and leaving others to the end of the draft.

Assuming Dak Prescott is still the man in Dallas and will be under center for the foreseeable future, what about adding a fourth dynamic playmaker to his arsenal if it comes with a slew of defenders? Let’s rock.