FRISCO, Texas –My carefully-laid plans were all for nothing.
This year, with the Cowboys selecting 19th in the 2018 NFL Draft, I decided to wait until April to start studying the mock draft landscape. It's impossible to figure out the No. 19 pick in the draft regardless, but why even bother until free agency had a chance to play out?
After all, Allen Hurns didn't sign with the Cowboys until March 23, so mock drafts from even two or three weeks ago have become outdated.
Having said all of that, waiting all this time has done nothing to build a consensus among the NFL's draftnik community. The Cowboys are picking in the middle of the round, and they have a lot of needs. Team executive vice president Stephen Jones said on Monday that quarterback and running back are probably the only positions the Cowboys aren't considering in the first round.
That leaves a ton of other choices, and you see that play out below. I polled 12 high profile mock drafts from across the NFL community, and couldn't find much of a consensus. Of the 12 mocks, there were six different positions chosen and nine different players.
That's a lot of different options to digest, and all of them make sense for what this team needs. So even though we're closing in on this year's draft, it's safe to say there's still some work to do in figuring out the Cowboys' pick.
Here are the mocks:
Date of Mock:April 5
Pick:UCLA OT Kolton Miller
Comment:"La'el Collins could be a good right tackle, but he'd be a dominant guard with Miller sliding in at RT."
Date of Mock:April 4
Pick: Alabama LB Rashaan Evans
Comment:Evans could replace Anthony Hitchens at middle linebacker and help rush the passer on third downs.
Date of Mock: April 4
Pick: Florida DT Taven Bryan
Comment: An interior pass-rusher with his best football ahead of him, Bryan has elite first-step quickness. He'd fit well in a D-line rotation in Dallas.
Date of Mock:April 3
Pick:Alabama DL Da'ron Payne
Comment: "Payne is an excellent run defender who has potential as a pass rusher, too."
Date of Mock:April 2
Pick:Iowa CB Josh Jackson
Comment:The Cowboys could go Rashaan Evans, however, they can't pass on the ball-hawking Jackson who'd be an immediate impact player on the outside of their defense.
Date of Mock:April 2
Pick:Georgia OL Isaiah Wynn
Comment: "As Dallas looks to return to the playoffs, they might consider wanting to go back to a dominant offensive line. That could happen with the addition of Wynn, a Pro Bowl-caliber interior lineman who can move outside in case of emergency."
Date of Mock:March 31
Pick:Payne
Comment: "The Cowboys need to bolster their defensive front to keep pace in the NFC East arms race with the Super Bowl champion Eagles who win a Vince Lombardi Trophy with the most dominant defensive line in football. Alabama's Da'Ron Payne is an elite run-stopper with tremendous upper body strength to help fight off interior linemen at the next level."
Date of Mock:March 30
Pick:Washington DT Vita Vea
Comment:N/A
Date of Mock:March 30
Pick:Boise State LB Leighton Vander Esch
Comment:"LVE is kind of a lesser version of Tremaine Edmunds. He is uber-athletic and presents uncommon size at the position. If the Cowboys aren't fond of the defensive tackles or receivers here, linebacker makes sense."
Date of Mock:March 29
Pick:Vander Esch
Comment:"The Cowboys addressed their receiver need by signing Allen Hurns, so even though Calvin Ridley is on the board, I have them passing on the position. Dallas has shown plenty of interest in Vander Esch in the run up to the draft, and he'd be an excellent replacement for Anthony Hitchens, who could slot in as the long-term heir to Sean Lee as a three-down tackling machine.
Date of Mock:March 27
Pick:Vea
Comment:The Cowboys have secured some pass rush this offseason, so they need to get a big body in the middle of the defensive line.
Date of Mock:March 21
Pick:SMU WR Courtland Sutton
Comment:"With concern over Dez Bryant's ability to run, Dallas suddenly has a need for an outside target. Sutton's potential is tantalizing—those who've scouted him live have a pretty high opinion of him."
