DallasCowboys.Com Staff Makes Second Attempt At Seven-Round Mock

IRVING, Texas – With the 2015 NFL Draft drawing ever closer, the focus is narrowing in on the Cowboys' draft targets – and rampant speculation is making for hard guess work.

In its second attempt at a seven-round mock draft, the staff of DallasCowboys.com has attempted to improve upon the guesswork of two weeks ago. Cornerback was the overwhelming favorite to be selected 27th during the first mock draft, but shifting opinions have created a shakeup at the top – not to mention the six other picks Dallas has to make.

Here are the full, second mock drafts from Bryan Broaddus, Dane Brugler, David Helman, Nick Eatman and Rob Phillips.

Bryan Broaddus: The closer we get to this upcoming draft the more I believe that there might not be a running back or cornerback that they really like at their spot in the first round. If that happens to be the case and the opportunity to trade back is not there, then they would look to take a linebacker or defensive end. In this case I selected Eric Kendricks, who is a super productive player. T.J. Yeldon is a second or third-round pick in my book and has some complete running back traits. Josh Shaw has the size for the position and can play either on or off in coverage. Chaz Green played left tackle for the Gators and would make an ideal swing tackle until he gets some experience in the league. If there is a player in this draft that really has my interest it is Frank Clark and it wouldn't surprise me one bit to see him go much earlier than the fifth, but if he is there I am turning in his name. Sean Mannion physically looks like Joe Flacco in the pocket. Like Clark he is probably gone here, but is a steal if he is available. In the seventh round I am just looking for traits to draft. At 6-1, 220 with 4.35 speed, George Farmer is my guy. Like how he plays in space with the ball.

Nick Eatman: Once again, this mock is assuming the Cowboys don't make a trade for a Minnesota running back. But to get a good back, this isn't a great spot for the Cowboys. The 60 spot seems low for the second-tier backs and 27 might be a reach once Gurley and Gordon are gone. So the Cowboys take Coleman at No. 27 and get him for five years. All I keep hearing is that he's "DeMarco Murray with speed." If that's remotely close to accurate then this will be a steal. Carter could be a good player in the second round. He'll draw comparisons to Richard Sherman, but he's a tough, physical player who can find the ball. Lockett immediately boosts the return game and he'll be a playmaker at receiver, too. Philon is an active rusher for his 300-pound frame and White adds some depth at cornerback. Drummond must have done something right at Michigan State to earn All-American honors. I'll take my chances with him in the seventh and Shepherd stays on the board again with his versatility. So going back to the top, are you sure giving up the 27th pick for the best running back we've seen since Barry Sanders is a bad idea? If you have to use it for Tevin Coleman, I think I'd part ways with it and try to land the elephant in the room. 

Dane Brugler: If one of the top cornerback prospects, including Marcus Peters, is on the board with the 27th selection, I expect that to be the Cowboys pick. And while he is arguably a top-20 talent in this draft, Peters could slip to Dallas in the late first round with his baggage, providing the Cowboys' defense with a steal that late on the draft's first day. In the second round, a running back run could force the Cowboys' hand with T.J. Yeldon. The former Alabama back might not be the top runner on Dallas' draft board, but with the 60th pick, he might be the best running back prospect remaining. Since 2002, there have been 165 quarterbacks drafted in the NFL, but only one was by the Cowboys. At some point, whether this year or next, Dallas will likely draft a possible development option and if Sean Mannion is available in the fifth round, that could be an option. Farmer in the seventh round would give the Cowboys a speed demon who has a ton of potential, but isn't yet a finished product.

David Helman: Of all the needs the Cowboys have right now, cornerback is the spot where I feel most comfortable about finding value at No. 27. Even if Kevin Johnson and Marcus Peters are gone, I think there's at least a chance Byron Jones will be there. I'd love to trade my second round pick to acquire either Tevin Coleman or Jay Ajayi, but in lieu of that, I'll take a chance on a supremely gifted and young athlete in Danielle Hunter. His college production was disappointing, but he has the potential to be a force – especially with Rod Marinelli and Leon Lett coaching him. Cedric Ogbuehi might be a first-round pick if he hadn't injured himself in January, so this is really more of a pick for the future – he's got a bright one once healthy. If Dallas doesn't take a running back early, I think Davis could be a physical guy to add to the rotation. The same goes for Nunez-Roches, who could push for playing time behind Tyrone Crawford, Nick Hayden and Terrell McClain. In the seventh, I think Jordan Leslie is plenty polished for a rookie, and Nick Boyle is one of this draft's better blocking tight ends – James Hanna is a free agent after 2015, after all.

Rob Phillips: Assuming the Cowboys don't trade back, I'm waiting on cornerback simply because it's difficult to gauge who's there at No. 27. A lot of teams ahead of the Cowboys could plug a need with a first-round corner, and the edge rushers in this draft are a bit top heavy, so I'm going with Harold there. He's a great fit for the 4-3, and the Cowboys don't know how many games they'll have Greg Hardy at this point. Yeldon seems more likely than Tevin Coleman or Jay Ajayi to be around at No. 60; he's not as flashy but he has three-down skills that DeMarco Murray made so valuable here. D'Joun Smith isn't a big corner, but he's ultra-competitive and versatile with above-average ball skills. Taiwan Jones is highly physical and could provide needed linebacker depth while contributing on special teams. Mancz has position flex as an interior offensive lineman. Laurence Gibson and Tyrell Williams are developmental offensive players.

See The Writers' Previous Mock Draft Here