TRENT JENNINGS
TACOMA, WASH.
With the draft finally upon us, what's your emergency plan if the Cowboys' top choices are off the board at No. 16?
Bryan: In my final mock draft for the Cowboys, it came down to taking Zack Martin, Odell Beckham or Ryan Shazier. I have been on the bandwagon all spring about the value of taking Martin with that pick if those defensive linemen were gone. In this case they were but with the amount of "11" personnel runs and with no Miles Austin on the roster, taking Beckham was a no brainer for me. He can play anywhere you need him in the formation and be outstanding. This draft is deep enough to grab defensive help in rounds two, three and four.
Nick: So we're talking about Barr and Donald off the board. If Manziel is still around, I think the Cowboys try to get a trade partner and move down. But if they just have to sit there and make a pick, I see Ohio State's Ryan Shazier being a good pick, with either Zack Martin or Calvin Pryor being solid selections as well.
PETE LARGENT
AMES, IOWA
If the Cowboys draft a running back this weekend, what type of back could you see making an immediate impact?
Bryan:At the risk of being called a "homer" give me Jeremy Hill out of LSU. He is different from the other backs in this draft in his size and the ability to [embedded_ad] smash the ball downhill at defenses. He is used to playing with a fullback in front of him or he can even handle the load as a single back runner. He also shows the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and with his size, he is more than sturdy as a blocker.
Nick: Give me a big back who can score around the goal line or in short yardage. Those guys tend to struggle somewhat on special teams, but if you can find a way to get them onto the 46-man roster, they can provide some value. Jeremy Hill from LSU would be that type of guy as a possible second round pick. Also, Carlos Hyde from Ohio State seems to be a good value pick in the middle rounds.
