Welcome to the second edition of “The Outsider’s Totally Amateur Guide to the Dallas Cowboys’ Draft.” I have zero insider information and do very little research. This column is meant to be a fun thought experiment. There is absolutely no danger the Cowboys will do anything I suggest.
A few rules:
- No trades. Since I have no sources inside the NFL, it seems silly to speculate on what professional GMs will do with the resources that determine their career longevity. I’m making use of established draft picks, no more and no less.
- I’m a writer and a college professor, not a GM. Don’t like what I do here? Feel free to say so, but don’t take it too seriously. Again, I have no influence on Dallas’s plans for the draft. I’m not sure I influence anything, in any area of life. So maybe be nice.
- I will be using the Big Boards on The Draft Network or Pro Football Focus. I’ll switch back and forth and let you know which one I used for a given column.
- Priorities will change according to Dallas’s off-season moves. I’m going with TDN’s list of draft needs: Cornerback, Defensive Interior, Safety, EDGE, Linebacker, Offensive Tackle, Interior Offensive Line, Quarterback, and Tight End. That’s also how I’m prioritizing Dallas’s needs. Safety has already moved from second-most-dire need to third. We’ll see what else happens.
- I’ll justify the picks in a minimal way, but again, this is just one outsider’s often under-informed opinion. I’m not paying to get more information on a college player just so I can have some fun here. I try to find players who represent a good intersection of best player available and need. I try not to reach too badly just for need.
- Since I’m just doing this for fun, I’m not going to agonize over these columns. In other words, you won’t be getting my best writing here. These columns will be written, very lightly edited, and posted as is. You want my best work? Buy my books or seek out my short-form published works. You can find links under the “C.V.” section of this site.
Today’s mocks use TDN’s information.
Pick #10: Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama
Dallas’s greatest need is probably still at cornerback. Most mocks have them taking a CB here unless Surtain is already gone, in which case Kyle Pitts looks to be the most popular choice. If both are gone, things get more interesting. Do they reach for a safety? Take one of the top offensive tackles? Choose Jaycee Horn? In any case, Surtain—this draft’s clear CB1, given how teams are shying off Caleb Farley and his back injury—was available here, so this was an easy pick, especially on TDN.
Pick #44: Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama
Defensive Tackle isn’t the highest priority with the signing of Brent Urban, but he’s on a one-year deal, and Barmore is the consensus DT1 in this draft. Somehow, he fell to 44 in this mock, so I snapped him up. TDN describes him as “a penetrating 3-technique that’s able to create vertical push and disruption.” Though we could still use a 1-technique like Tyler Shelvin, the value was simply too great here.
Pick #75: Jabril Cox, LB, LSU
LB also isn’t the greatest need on team—as of this writing, we’re more concerned with CB, S, EDGE, and TE—but again, it’s a question of fit and value. Dan Quinn wants LBs who can tackle and cover. Cox starred at North Dakota State and LSU, and TDN describes him as a “pursuit-style linebacker that can play man coverage.” Plus, he provides insurance in case one or more of the team’s established linebackers isn’t retained.
Pick #99: Hamsah Nisirildeen, S, Florida State
We signed two veteran safeties in free agency, which reduces the need this year. Both are on one-year deals, though, so we should give the position some attention. I’ve often taken a safety (usually Richie Grant) in the second round in my mocks, but here I waited until 99 and still got a contributor who can learn behind the veterans. TDN describes Nisirildeen as a “positionless sub-package defender” who can play in any scheme. I’d imagine that Dan Quinn can find ways to get him on the field and use that versatility.
Pick #115: Cameron Sample, EDGE, Tulane
Though not the greatest athlete among this year’s EDGE players, Sample also brings versatility to the Cowboys defense. TDN describes him as a stout run defender who can kick inside on passing downs. If Randy Gregory is still going to be used as a pass-rush specialist, the team could get both men on the field at once. If you can find a regular contributor at 115, you’re doing well.
Pick #138: Talanoa Hufanga, S, USC
Again looking to the future of the secondary and to versatile defenders, I chose Hufanga here for both fit and BPA. A violent tackler, he also seems to be ascending as a cover man. He could eventually take over as a starter.
Pick #179: Jamie Newman, QB, Georgia
Amazingly, I can get Newman at 179 on TDN, whereas over on PFF, I usually have to grab him at 115. Either way, I get a good backup for Dak Prescott. Quite a value at 179. (For more on Newman, see the 3-25-21 version of this column.)
Pick 192: Drake Jackson, IOL, Kentucky
Jackson played on the Kentucky OL for four years and is rated as a four-star player on TDN. According to them, he projects as a starting Center, which we’re still not entirely sure we already have on the roster. The question is whether he can adapt his play to Dallas’s team, but taking a third-day flyer on a player of his caliber isn’t the worst idea.
Pick 227: Cornell Powell, WR, Clemson
WR isn’t a position of great need this year, but this was a case of taking the BPA instead of reaching at some other position. Powell didn’t so much at Clemson until last year, when his play more or less exploded. He seems to be getting better and can play any receiving position. That kind of versatility and potential is what day three picks are made for.
Pick 238: Josh Ball, OT, Marshall
Ball played Left Tackle at Marshall and displays scheme versatility, as well as the potential to put on bulk and eventually compete for a starting position. Not bad for pick 238. (TDN has Ball as its 170th top prospect, meaning I got him nearly 70 picks later than his draft position. What a value.)
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