Tag: patrick surtain

Dane Brugler’s thoughts on Cowboys’ draft prospects for No. 10

An updated ranking of the top potential Cowboys prospects, from the Athletics’ Dane Brugler

The wait is almost over as the 2021 NFL draft is officially just three weeks away. As the grand event draws near, experts are fine tuning final grades and analysis of the latest batch of future NFL players.

Dane Brugler of The Athletic and one of the hosts of the Dallas Cowboys Draft Show, has become one of the most well-known and respected analysts in the scouting world. On Wednesday Brugler released his final rankings and analysis in his behemoth of a draft guide that NFL fans have come to anticipate annually.

Even though one must purchase a subscription to view the entire guide (available for a limited time at just $1 per month), the price is worth admission to fans itching for all the draft content they can handle. Brugler’s breakdown, titled, “The Beast,” feature’s information on over 600 prospects, including full scouting reports and positional rankings.

With the draft right around the corner and the majority of free agency out of the way, it is somewhat possible to narrow down what players a franchise will potentially have their eyes on, especially in the first night of the draft. With all that in mind, let’s take a look at Brugler’s latest rankings and analysis of some of the more likely first-round draft options for Dallas.

Which Alabama players will be attending the 2021 NFL draft?

The 2021 NFL draft will be held in Cleveland, where players will be able to attend in person. Four Alabama stars have accepted their …

Alabama players are no strangers to being selected in the first round of the NFL draft, and the 2021 draft will seemingly follow the trend of recent years where multiple Crimson Tide players are selected.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, last year’s draft was held virtually. All players involved watched from home. Draftees will have the option to not attend the draft, but the NFL will now welcome them to Cleveland to be there in person.

The NFL announced today which players from the first wave of invitations accepted their invites.

Four Alabama players will be in attendance: quarterback Mac Jones, cornerback Patrick Surtain II, wide receiver DeVonta Smith and defensive lineman Christian Barmore.

There will be more added to the list as more invitations are sent out to draft-eligible players.

PFF 3-round mock nets Cowboys 3 defenders, TE

PFF’s NFC East three round mock draft lands the Cowboys four talented players.

There are just 24 days left until the Dallas Cowboys are on the clock for the 2021 NFL Draft and mock draft season is in full-swing. While the unpredictable nature of the draft can render even the most tuned-in mock draft meaningless, it’s always an interesting exercise to analyze possible draft picks for Dallas. At this point in the offseason, the Cowboys needs heading into the draft are pretty clear; In no particular order, cornerback, safety, linebacker, defensive line and offensive line are all positions Dallas could address in the upcoming draft.

Pro Football Focus’ Seth Galina recently released a three-round mock draft for every team in the NFC East, with the Cowboys coming away with four players. When discussing the draft, there will always be a debate for drafting the teams biggest need or the best player available. However, the melding of the two beliefs sometimes works out the best. So lets get into Galina’s three-round Dallas Cowboys mock draft. 

At this point in the pre-draft process Patrick Surtain II is the player most easily associated with the Cowboys. The overload of information during this draft season has seemed to sour some fans on Surtain, however Dallas would be overjoyed to pair the Alabama product with his former college teammate Trevon Diggs. While Surtain is not the consensus top defensive player on all draft boards, The Athletics’ Dane Brugler, has him ranked as his top defender and the 10th best player overall in the 2021 draft. If the Cowboys wind up drafting the 6-foot-2 corner it would be a result of having one of their highest-rated players at arguably their biggest positional need.

In the second round Dallas would select Alim McNeill, defensive tackle out of NC State. A 320-pound nose tackle, McNeill could immediately help the defense anchor down against the run. However, there is a belief McNeill could take time some to develop into a eventual three-down player. McNeill has athletic traits, but has only been playing on the defensive line since joining the Wolfpack. After taking two top-100 picks in the 2019 and 2020 draft at DT, McNeill might be a reach for Dallas with the 44th overall pick, especially when a higher rated safety, linebacker or offensive tackle would likely still be on the board.

Houston’s Payton Turner could be an intriguing pick at 75 for the Cowboys. Turner could slide into the role that recently-retired Tyrone Crawford once filled. At 6-foot-5 270 pounds, Turner has the ability to play outside and inside on the defensive line. According to Dane Brugler of The Athletic,

“Turner is among the best effort players in this draft class who uses his long strides and speed to chase down ball carriers . . . does a great job keeping his hands and feet in lock step to attack and work off blocks . . . He projects as an eventual NFL starter with inside/outside versatility.”

Turner would be an even better pick for Dallas, if they were able to land a starter in the second round of this mock draft.

While tight end might not be considered a need for the Cowboys, Tommy Tremble from Notre Dame could be a blinking light player for Dallas at pick 99. With the loss of Blake Bell in free agency, the Cowboys could use a tight end that can come in and contribute in the run game. Tremble offers that and more.

Tremble was under utilized as a receiver in college, but has enough upside to develop into a starter.

Overall PFF’s NFC East mock draft gave the Cowboys a decent haul of talent for the future. While a DT in the second round could be viewed as a reach, having a big body in the middle of  the defensive line would help this defense against the run. However, the highlight of the draft would be Patrick Surtain as he we would be the perfect balance of need and best player available for Dallas.

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Falcons trade down for defensive help in PFF’s new mock draft

On Monday, it was reported by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer that the Atlanta Falcons have been in “exploratory talks” to potentially trade out of the No. 4 pick, but that shouldn’t surprise anyone considering the team’s lack of roster depth.

On Monday, it was reported by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer that the Atlanta Falcons have been in “exploratory talks” to potentially trade out of the No. 4 pick, but that shouldn’t surprise anyone considering the team’s lack of roster depth. Ever since the San Francisco 49ers’ blockbuster move to jump up from No. 12 to No. 3, NFL analysts seem to expect the Falcons to move down.

Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus released a new mock draft that has Atlanta passing on Kyle Pitts, DeVonta Smith, Ja’Marr Chase and Trey Lance. Instead, Linsey has the team trading down to the Denver Broncos’ No. 9 selection and picking Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain.

“Most of Atlanta’s pressing needs come on the defensive side of the football, but there isn’t a defensive prospect who makes a ton of sense as a top-five pick in this draft class. Surtain becomes much more interesting here for the Falcons after trading back with Denver.

Neither Isaiah Oliver nor Kendall Sheffield has impressed early on. Surtain brings three years of high-level production in the SEC, consistent technique and high-end athleticism to the table. Pairing Surtain with A.J. Terrell would give the Falcons two cornerbacks to get excited about heading into 2021 in Dean Pees’ defense.”

As pro days have come and gone, many Falcons fans have become enamored with the idea of the Falcons selecting Florida tight end Kyle Pitts. However, Pitts is more of a luxury selection, when Atlanta truly needs to add defensive help.

If the team truly wishes to address defense first with in the first round, then trading back is the only viable solution as there isn’t a defensive prospect highly enough rated to justify taking with the No. 4 overall pick.

Surtain brings SEC competition and NFL bloodlines. His father, Patrick Surtain Sr., was selected in the second round of the 1998 draft and spent 11 seasons in the NFL — seven with the Dolphins, four with the Chiefs. The Falcons would pair Surtain with A.J. Terrell, giving the team two viable outside corners.

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What an ideal 2021 draft looks like for the Cardinals

In what could be an important draft for Arizona’s future, here are some ideal scenarios for the Cardinals.

This could be a pivotal draft for the Arizona Cardinals, one that could make or break their future.

Right now, they have the pieces in place to make it to the playoffs, but there are still holes that they need to fill. While it is true that they can still fill some holes in free agency and have cleared some recent cap space to be able to do so, they still need to have a solid draft to round everything out.

With that in mind, here are, barring any trades, an ideal seven-round scenario for Arizona (and let’s hope this turns out as well as this one):


Cowboys Mock Draft Roundup: Trade down possibility, OT picked almost as often as Surtain

The fit is obvious, the consensus is there. The CB being shipped to Dallas is a foregone conclusion to most, but there’s a name that continues to emerge as a viable alternative to the Alabama standout.

The first two phases of free agency are officially over. While there are still more than a handful of players who can immediately help their squads, two weeks-plus have gone by and the surge is most definitely over. The Dallas Cowboys have brought back seven of their own free agents, added eight from the outside and have done a good job on each individual decision and negotiation, even if the whole is less than the sum of the parts. The focus now and for the next four weeks will be the amateur draft.

Early in the process, mock drafts focus on the teams biggest offseason needs, but teams meet some of those needs during the first phases of free agency, opening them up for other pursuits in the draft. Not the Cowboys, of course, because they only use free agency to plug leaky holes instead of fixing the boat permanently. In this way, their mock draft targets tend to stay consistent throughout the offseason, but the teams which pick ahead of Dallas change, sometime altering the product pool the Cowboys are diving into.

In our latest trek across the land, we find a handful of multiple round affairs, which we’ll line up first. It’s quite obvious that the Alabama corner has achieved consensus status as a whopping 12 of 18 mocks polled shipped Patrick Surtain II to Dallas, and he was already off the board in a couple of the others. However another name has trended upward as a viable candidate for No. 10 overall. Dive in to see who.

Lions 2021 draft: A cornerback for every round

Expect the Lions to address the CB position at some point during the 2021 NFL draft

The 2021 NFL draft offers the Detroit Lions intriguing prospects across several position groups. One of the more important ones for the new-look Lions is cornerback.

Detroit signed veteran Corn Elder this week to help shore up the depth chart, but the Lions can still add more young help to the unsettled corps. Youngsters Jeff Okudah and Amani Oruwariye has shown promise as the starting outside tandem, and Elder can handle the slot, but beyond that, the only other CB currently on the roster is Mike Ford, a special teams player.

Expect the Lions to address the CB position at some point during the draft. After tabbing Okudah at No. 3 overall in 2020, it’s unlikely GM Brad Holmes would dip back into the position at the No. 7 overall spot. But we’ll include an option anyway.

The players listed here are generally projected as fits in the top 10 picks of the round listed, where the Lions would select prior to any trades. Even though Detroit doesn’t currently have sixth or seventh-round picks, we still included a corner for each round.

Could the Cardinals select more than one cornerback in the draft?

Could Arizona follow Tampa Bay’s example in the 2018 and 2019 drafts?

In 2018, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted two cornerbacks. In 2019, they again selected two corners. That worked out pretty well didn’t it?

None of the cornerbacks they drafted — Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting in 2019 and M.J. Stewart and Carlton Davis in 2018 — have been Pro Bowlers or All-Pros yet,  but Murphy-Bunting and Davis were both a part of their Super Bowl run last year.

Could the Arizona Cardinals follow this plan this year?

There are many reasons it would make sense for Arizona to do so.

The most practical reason is that Arizona essentially needs two starting outside cornerbacks beyond this season. Despite the recent signing of Malcolm Butler, he and Robert Alford are only on one-year deals.

We saw that last season, despite signing linebacker DeVondre Campbell, they still selected linebacker Isaiah Simmons with the eighth overall pick.

Another reason is that this draft appears to be deep at cornerback. The Cardinals could, should the chips fall this way, have their pick of one of the consensus top 3 corners in this class in Jaycee Horn (most frequently mocked to Arizona), Caleb Farley (who could fall after a recent surgery) or Patrick Surtain.

They could pair one of the above with a second rounder such as Greg Newsome (who they have met with) or Asante Samuel Jr. (should he fall to pick No. 49) as an example.

It’s not without precedent for Arizona to draft more than one player from a position group, having drafted two defensive linemen last year, three wide receivers in 2019, two offensive linemen in 2018 and two cornerbacks in 2016.

What do you think Cardinals fans? Could Arizona (or should they) draft more than one cornerback in 2021?

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Falcons trade out of the top 10, draft CB in PFF’s latest mock

The NFL draft is just over a month away and the Falcons hold the No. 4 overall selection.

The NFL draft is just over a month away and the Falcons hold the No. 4 overall selection. There are many different directions the team could go, leading many to believe Atlanta will trade down.

Pro Football Focus’ Michael Renner released a new mock in which the San Francisco 49ers trade up to the No. 4 spot and draft Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, while the Falcons move down eight spots to pick No. 12.

So who would the Falcons select in this hypothetical situation? Renner has the team drafting Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain to beef up the defensive secondary in order to compete with an explosive Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense.

“Here we have a mini-run on the cornerback position, as Atlanta simply has to get better there if they’re going to compete with the Bucs in the NFC South. Because of that, they take a page out of Tampa Bay’s playbook and go secondary for the second straight year in Round 1.”

PFF’s mock has Surtain as the third cornerback selected behind Caleb Farley and Jaycee Horn at picks 10 and 11. In addition to edge rusher Jaelen Phillips from Miami at No. 35, the Falcons also used this trade to draft Jalen Mayfield, an interior offensive lineman from Michigan at pick No. 43.

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State of the Chargers cornerback room after re-signing Michael Davis, Brandon Facyson

The Los Angeles Chargers still need to add another cornerback or two before the start of camp.

Outside of adding three offensive linemen through free agency, the other notable moves made by the Chargers were bringing back cornerbacks Michael Davis and Brandon Facyson.

Los Angeles let go of Casey Hayward prior to the start of free agency. Davis will fill in as one of the starters on the outside. Chris Harris, Jr. will mainly man the slot. Facyson is likely just a depth piece.

The team also has Tevaughn Campbell, Donte Vaughn and John Brannon on the roster, but they all don’t have the experience to be counted on as starters.

Therefore, even after re-signing Davis and Facyson, the positional group is not a finished product and they will need to add another player with the ability to start before entering training camp.

L.A. was in the mix for Kyle Fuller, but the Broncos signed him on Saturday. The Chargers could still elect to sign a veteran like Adoree Jackson, A.J. Bouye, Malcolm Butler, Richard Sherman, Bashaud Breeland, among others.

Los Angeles, however, could have their eyes on the draft to upgrade the position. If the team chooses to pass on a left tackle in the first-round, they could be locked in on Patrick Surtain, Caleb Farley or Jaycee Horn.

Let’s say L.A. gets their franchise blindside blocker with pick No. 13, all the attention turns to the second day of the draft. Guys like Asante Samuel, Jr., Eric Stokes, Tyson Campbell, Aaron Robinson, Trill Williams, Ifeatu Melifonwu could be on their radar.

The bottom line is that with strong defensive back play being a necessity in head coach Brandon Staley’s system, the Chargers need to add at least two more cornerbacks before the end of the offseason to piece together a formidable group.