The NFL Draft is officially just weeks away, and you can be sure that the front office evaluations are well under way, which means the prognosticators are hard at work as well. No one knows exactly what will happen when Dallas is on the clock, but one thing is for sure: The Cowboys need to come away from the draft with some players who will be ready to contribute sooner than later.
So, with experts all around the country attempting to forecast the first round of the NFL Draft, we'll periodically take a look at who some of those experts slot in for the Cowboys No. 10 overall pick in our mock draft roundup.
This week, we polled 21 different mock drafts and, at least for the moment, a consensus is starting to form on who the Cowboys should draft. But there are some new names surfacing as well, even picked by one of the Cowboys' contributors.
Scroll below to find out which player most experts think Dallas should select in the first round and which other players are being predicted.
As we inch closer to the NFL Draft later this month, the mock drafts around the world are starting to narrow in on a certain Alabama cornerback. But he's not the only name being picked at No. 10. In fact, one Cowboys insider has a different take.
Patrick Surtain II - Cornerback, Alabama, Junior
Picked by: Ryan Wilson (CBS Sports), Mel Kiper Jr. (ESPN), Dana Brugler (The Athletic), Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com), Dalton Johnson (NBC Sports), Pete Prisco (CBS Sports), Walter Cherepinsky (Walter Football), Charlie Campbell (Walter Football), Brad Weiss (Fansided), John Owning (Dallas Morning News), Josh Edwards (CBS Sports), David Helman (DallasCowboys.com)
There's no doubt the Cowboys needed help at secondary, and that's before even considering that Chidobe Awuzie left in free agency. If you ask these 12 experts right now, they'll tell you that the Cowboys are planning on pairing second year cornerback Trevon Diggs with his former Alabama teammate, Patrick Surtain II.
Caleb Farley - Cornerback, Virginia Tech, Junior
Picked by: Jon Machota (The Athletic), Oliver Hodgkinson (Pro Football Network), Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News)
Farley is a huge risk considering he opted out of the 2020 college football season and he recently had to undergo back surgery, but he was considered arguably the best cornerback in the draft class just three months ago. Could the Cowboys outsmart the league by taking him in the first round?
Rashawn Slater - Offensive tackle, Northwestern, Junior
Picked by: Adam Rank (NFL.com), Lance Zierlein (NFL.com), Jonny Auping (DallasCowboys.com)
Tyron Smith missed the entirety of the 2020 season with a neck injury, highlighting a horrible year for the team's offensive line and forcing the Cowboys to reckon with the reality that they will not be able to rely on one of the greatest offensive tackles of all time forever. Some, including myself, believe Dallas should use their No. 10 overall pick to draft an eventual replacement for the former No. 9 overall pick.
Zaven Collins - Linebacker, Tulsa, Junior
Picked by: Chris Trapasso (CBS Sports)
The Cowboys' defense needs to drastically improve in the offseason, and Collins is a player that can do everything. He can rush the quarterback, he had four interceptions in 2020, and he scored two defensive touchdowns.
Jaycee Horn - Cornerback, South Carolina, Junior
Picked by: Todd McShay (ESPN)
If Surtain II is drafted before the Cowboys are on the board they may opt to select Horn, which could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. The former Game Cock is projected to be a terrific press-man cornerback.
Alijah Vera-Tucker - Offensive Tackle, USC, Junior
Picked by: Bucky Brooks (NFL.com)
Brooks believes that an offensive tackle is the right investment for the Cowboys, and if Slater is off the board, he's seen enough from Vera-Tucker to believe he is worth the value of a No. 10 pick.
