Editors Note: In the months running up to the Draft the DallasCowboys.com staff will be simulating mock drafts using this **“On The Clock” simulator*. By nature, this can lead to many improbably selections, but that is just the nature of the draft, isn't it? Submit a picture of your favorite drafts to #CowboysMock for a chance to have your selections analyzed by Bryan Broaddus. *
We'll do four rounds again this week, as Nick Eatman and Rowan Kavner get their first shot at it.
Bryan Broaddus
1st Round
- Available: Mike Evans (WR, TA&M), Justin Gilbert (CB, OKST), CJ Mosley (LB, ALA)
- *Gone: *Ryan Shazier (LB, OHST), Darqueze Dennard (CB, MIST), Greg Robinson (OT AUB), Aaron Donald (DT, PITT)
- Selection: Zack Martin OG/OT Notre Dame
Was very tempted to take CJ Mosley here and proceed with plan to move Sean Lee to WILL and Bruce Carter to SAM. I do like Evans a great deal but he plays the same position as Bryant, so my hope is that someone might want to get ahead of Baltimore and this is my trade back, to maybe grab one of those defensive ends. With no calls, I took Martin and moved on.
2nd Round
- Available: Brandin Cooks (WR, ORST), Ra'Shede Hageman (DT, MINN), Jackson Jeffcoat (DE, UT)
- *Gone: *Xavier Su-A-Filo (OG, UCLA), Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix (S, ALA), Deone Bucannon (S, WAST)
- Selection: **Scott Crichton DE Oregon State**
Even with the very talented Brandin Cooks on the board, I just thought that Crichton was just too valuable. I like the opportunity to pair him on that left side with Jeremy Mincey thus giving me the flexibility to work Tyrone Crawford inside at one of the tackle spots.
3rd Round
- Available:Jackson Jeffcoat, Stanley Jean-Baptiste (CB, NEB), Marcus Smith (DE, LOU), Carlos Hyde (RB, OHST)
- *Gone: *Donte Moncrief (WR, MISS), Chris Jones (LB, FLST), Lache Seastrunk (RB, BAY)
- Selection: Jarvis Landry WR LSU
I really feel like I stole one here. On my board Landry is going to be a solid 2nd round selection and to grab him in the 3rd round is an exciting pick. When you watch this kid play on tape, he is a dynamic player in the way he attacks the ball. He can line up on the outside or in the slot and function well. Plays with a nastiness to his game as a blocker. Huge talent. Put him in the mix with Bryant and Williams, then go to work.
4th Round
- Available:Bishop Sankey (RB WASH), Anthony Johnson (DT, LSU), Dakota Dozier (OG, Furman)
- *Gone: *Jeremy Hill (RB, LSU), Marcus Robertson (CB, UF), James Gayle (DE, VT)
- Selection: Aaron Murray QB Georgia
Another selection that I was very happy with. I believe there is huge value for quarterbacks in the middle of the draft and Murray fits what I am looking for. Last week I selected Jimmy Garoppolo in the 3rd round and that worked out well for me as well, so the chance to grab Murray a round later made a great deal of sense to me.
Nick Eatman
1st Round
- Available: Mike Evans , Darqueze Dennard, Aaron Donald
- Gone:Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix, Zach Martin, Kony Ealy (DE, MIZZ)
- Selection: Louis Nix DT Notre Dame
The difficult part about trying to draft right now is free agency is still going on. Let's see what the Cowboys need when we get to early May. And while you can argue to take best player, sometimes you need a tiebreaker. If the Cowboys like both Aaron Donald and Louis Nix, you take the need position. And getting a big, 1-technique player is something they haven't had in a while. That's why I went with Nix over Donald.
2nd Round
- Available: Chris Smith, Jace Amaro (TE, TXT), Scott Crichton
- *Gone: *Jason Verrett (CB, TCU), Derek Carr (QB, FRES), Dee Ford (DE, AUB)
- Selection: Jackson Jeffcoat DE Texas
Ok maybe, I just like the storyline it will provide, but I do think this would be a good pick for this range. Jeffcoat has a tremendous motor and would be a player that could possibly play different positions along the line, especially in the nickel. If he's anything like his dad, Jim Jeffcoat, the Cowboys won't regret this pick.
3rd Round
- Available:Antonio Richardson (OT, TEN), Jarvis Landry (WR, LSU), Lache Seastrunk
- *Gone: *Ahmad Dixon (S, BAY), Cyrus Kouandijo (OT, ALA), Donte Moncrief
- Selection: Telvin Smith LB Florida State
The linebacker wowed teams at the combine with his 4.41 time in the 40. If he's still around, like he was for this mock draft, the Cowboys could certainly use a guy who can like this. Even though linebacker has plenty of questions, adding one who can fly from sideline to sideline won't hurt the equation.
4th Round
- Available:Josh Huff (WR, ORG), Jeremy Hill (RB, LSU), Andre Williams (RB, BC)
- *Gone: *A.J. McCarron (QB, ALA), Dri Archer (RB, KENTST), Tre Mason (RB, AUB)
- Selection: D'Anthony Thomas RB Oregon
I was eyeballing Archer for this pick but Thomas will also do. He might not have run as fast as teams were hoping or expecting at the combine, but you can't deny how fast he plays. They don't put college kids on the cover of *Sports Illustrated *for no reason. Thomas can fly and while his position will be a question mark, a good offensive coordinator – and this team has about three of them – can figure out how to utilize him.
Rowan Kavner
1st Round
- Available: Johnny Manziel (QB, TA&M), Mike Evans, Taylor Lewan (OT, MICH), HaHa Clinton-Dix
- Gone:Aaron Donald, Dee Ford, C.J. Mosley
- Selection: Mike Evans WR Texas A&M
The presence of the stellar Texas A&M duo both still on the board made for a difficult decision. Had this been a real draft, I would have done whatever I needed to do to move back to a team that was willing to trade up and grab Manziel at 16. But the thought of Dez Bryant and Mike Evans on the same squad teaming up with Terrance Williams was too tempting to pass.
2nd Round
- Available: Stephon Tuitt (DE, ND), Kelvin Benjamin (WR, FSU), Bradley Roby (CB, OHST), Jimmie Ward (S, NI)
- *Gone: *Scott Crichton, Calvin Pryor (S, LOU), Chris Smith
- Selection: Jimmie Ward S Northern Illinois
Some may look at this as a reach, but I don't. Benjamin was tempting even after grabbing Evans, but Ward was a tremendously productive safety at Northern Illinois and an absolute playmaker, even if he may not be the biggest guy. He had an interception in six games and added another in his bowl game his senior year before impressing at the Senior Bowl against top-notch talent. Ward can cover and be a strong complement to Barry Church.
3rd Round
- Available:Stephon Tuitt, Jackson Jeffcoat, Marcus Smith, Shayne Skov (LB, STAN)
- *Gone: *Ahmad Dixon, Carlos Hyde, Dominique Easley (DT, UF)
- Selection: Marcus Smith DE Louisville
This was actually the toughest decision in the draft for me. Tuitt is probably the most talented player of the guys available, but I'm not sure what his best fit would be in the Dallas defense. Jeffcoat coming to Dallas would be historically cool, and he can help fill a need with DeMarcus Ware's absence. But so could Smith, who tallied a whopping 15 sacks last year for Louisville and can develop into a game-changing pass rusher.
4th Round [embedded_ad]
- Available:Bishop Sankey, Anthony Johnson (DT, LSU), Kareem Martin (DE, UNC), Aaron Murray
- *Gone: *Demarcus Lawrence (DE, BOISE), Josh Huff, Jimmy Garoppolo (QB, EIL)
- Selection: Kareem Martin DE North Carolina
* *
Almost every time I do this draft, Murray's available in the fourth and I take him. He's tempting once again, but I couldn't pass on the opportunity to bolster a weak part of the team with Martin. The defensive end has the intriguing size, talent and college production to pair with Smith to give the Cowboys a lot of optimism about the future of their pass rushers. Smith and Martin are both coming off of double-digit sack seasons their senior years.
Fan Draft – Shane Todd (@AussieJack72)
1st Round: C.J. Mosley
2nd Round: David Yankey (G, STAN)
3rd Round – Marcus Smith
4th Round- DaQuan Jones (DT, PSU)
Bryan's Analysis: I like what Todd did here with the defensive selections. Mosely gives you the options to move Sean Lee to the outside or like Dane Brugler said on the #DraftShow that he would consider playing Mosely at the WILL. Marcus Smith can put his hand on the ground and give you some explosiveness off the edge. DaQuan Jones is a one technique in my book and a good one at that. Has played all over the line for Penn State, so maybe you can get some other things out of him. I prefer Xavier Su-A-Filo OG UCLA if you are going to grab a 2nd round guard. I don't know if he was available but if he was, that would have been my choice. I worry about the scheme fit for Yankey here but I like his idea to draft a guard.
