The IBM supercomputer is heating up. Former Cowboys player personnel chief Gil Brandt, now with NFL.com, has released the latest Hot 100 list, his personal ranking of the draft's best prospects.
The rankings are not intended to suggest what slot players might fall to, but considering the sources Brandt has developed in almost 60 years around the league, his list is probably a nice mash-up of how teams view this year's talent, top to bottom.
Of course the Cowboys own the No. 14 overall pick. A couple of the players Brandt has ranked ahead of that selection could still be on the board when they come on the clock, including defensive end Quinton Coples (No. 4) running back Trent Richardson (No. 5), linebacker Luke Kuechly (No. 9), cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick (No. 11) and wide receiver Michael Floyd (No. 12).
As for the 14th best player in the draft, per Brandt, it's LSU defensive lineman Michael Brockers, who has been seen as a possibility for the Cowboys in some mock drafts.
*"Brockers has a big frame with very good upper-body strength, although he has not played a lot of football," Brandt writes. "He's about a year away from reaching his full potential as a defensive lineman. This is a very big man."
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If this read of the top talent is correct, the Cowboys will have plenty of attractive options available.
David DeCastro, Courtney Upshaw, Dontari Poe, Janoris Jenkins, Mark Barron and Fletcher Cox all rank between 15 and 20 on Brandt's list.
