I did some research and watched some game action on these three players while taking into account there 2011 stats and combine numbers. Poe did have a very impressive workout at the combine, but in my opinion he doesn’t get a consistent push in the middle, if any at all, and disappears on most plays.  He is not a NT in the NFL, he is a rush DE, who seemed very weak against the run.  I propose, if the Cowboys want to invest in a project at NT, Ishmaa’ily Kitchen of Kent State is a good stable player and can be drafted in round seven, although his combine numbers aren’t as good as Poe’s, they are very close in all key areas. Kitchen can be brought along slowly with less risk. DeCastro has no weakness, but I like Cordy Glenn of Georgia better as an OG, he is larger and more physical, that combined with the money Dallas has already spent in free agency at OG makes his position less of a need area.  Coples, as I stated last week is a Beast and Pro Bowl player waiting to happen.  He is versatile, and has consistently applied pressure from both the DE and DT positions throughout his college career. Coples can also rotate positions with NT Jay Ratliff, opening up many new d-line possibilities in Rob Ryan’s 3-4 scheme.

Apr 28, 2011; New York, NY, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell during the 2011 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

In Round 2, 3, and 4, I went with players who are not only good football players but have standup character and fill immediate needs.  Harrison Smith of Notre Dame is a steal in round 2, he is the best safety in the Draft and has great leadership and ball skills.  He reminds me of a young John Lynch of Tampa Bay.  Blake is our future starting center and will replace undersized Phil Costa by week 1.  My favorite “can’t miss”  day 2 player is WR Ryan Broyles, of Oklahoma.  Broyles is coming off an injury, but is  a great wide receiver that set all kinds of records at Oklahoma, can you say Demarco Murray -  part 2.    He runs excellent routes, has great hands, and will be an immediate replacement for the departed Laurent Robinson as Tony Romo’s  wide receiver in the slot.

My next 2 picks are risk/reward players who have great talent, but have some character issues.  Bruce Irvin of West Virginia would make perfect use of our 4th round comp pick, he can  be a 3^rd down OLB pass rusher, while Cliff Harris of Oregon is a 5th round steal at CB if he can grow up an finally stay out of trouble.  Harris has great cover skills and can play in the dime defense immediately.  I selected Terrance Ganaway of Baylor in the 6th round based on his great Bowl game performance and I feel he can help immediately in the goal line offense and in short yardage, something the Dallas offense is currently lacking.

So there you have my Mock Draft if I was calling the shots in “Big D” instead of GM Jerry Jones. Hmmm… what an interesting idea. But that’s a subject for another time. Next week, I will be posting my full 2012 Draft first round predictions for each NFL team, with analysis. So be sure to look for that.

The reason for my uncertainty is the fact that the Cowboys have to draft an immediate impact player who is not only productive, but who also fills one of our 3 major needs : (1) Defensive Back  (2) Offensive Guard  and  (3) Defensive End.

When the off-season began in February, I have to admit, I first targeted Alabama  CB Dre’ Kirkpatrick as our #1 pick. But that changed due to free agent signing  of future Pro-Bowl Chief’s CB Brandon Carr.  Following that signing, Saints Pro Bowl OG Carl Nicks signed with Tampa Bay. So once again, I switched my potential draft pick to OG prospect David DeCastro of Stanford, the best OG to come out of college since Steve Hutchinson in 2001.  That pick would once again change as a result of the Cowboys adding two offensive guards with starting potential via OG Mackenzy Bernadeau and OG Nate Livings. Thus, making the next logical choice, the best defensive end in the draft DE Quinton Coples of North Carolina. 

Sep 17, 2011; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels defensive end Quinton Coples (90) fights off a block during the quarter against the Virginia Cavaliers at Kenan Stadium. Carolina defeated Virginia 28-17. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-US PRESSWIRE

Coples is one of the most dominant defensive line players to come out of college since former Tar Heel and current Chicago Bears Pro-Bowl DE Julius Peppers, whose play he practically clones.  Coples was named 1^st team All ACC in both 2010 & 2011.  During that two year period, Coples recorded 114 tackles, 30 tackles for a loss, and 17.5 sacks.   Some scouts have stated that Coples lost intensity at times in his play in 2011 but I feel that was more due to him being shifted all along the D-line. That limited his sack statistics more than any perceived lack of effort.

Coples is the perfect size at 6’6” 290lbs to play the 5 technique as a DE in the 3-4 defensive scheme. And he is an instant upgrade over current starters Jason Hatcher and Marcus Spears.  What makes Coples even more valuable is that  he saw extensive action at both defensive end and defensive tackle during his college career.   That factor is especially attractive to the Cowboys because that allows Coples to be able to rotate with current Dallas Pro Bowl NT Jay Ratiff and vice versa, giving Rob Ryan a new flexibility advantage along his D-line and more pass rush pressure to help the defensive secondary.

Now that I have pinpointed the player the Cowboys  need to add to the Dallas Defense, the problem is having Coples staying available to the #14 pick in the first round.  In order to have that opportunity, a couple of teams  (sorry keep doing that Coples/Couples thing) must pass on Coples in round 1.

The first team is Jacksonville at #7 and the second is Seattle at #12. Most mock drafts and draft experts have Coples going to Jacksonville at #7, but I think free agency has already had an effect on that. The Jaguars re-signed DE Jeremy Mincey after most mocks came out. But they only signed one wide receiver, former Cowboy Laurent Robinson, who is talented but is not a #1 playmaking wideout. Robinson is a clear #2 receiver. That all adds up to Jacksonville adding either WR Justin Blackman or Michael Floyd at #7.  The pick which Dallas fans need to hold their breath during is Seattle at #12. The Seahawks need a DE for their defense badly and Coples fits their need. But two factors Seattle will have to consider are the talent of OG David DeCastro and MLB Luke Kuechly. Another factor could be with Head Coach Pete Carroll’s familiarity with ex-USC Trojan DE/OLB Nick Perry.

Nov 6, 2011; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware (94) defensive tackle Jay Ratliff (90) and defensive end Jason Hatcher (97) during a time out during the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Cowboys Stadium. The Cowboys beat the Seahawks 23-13. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-US PRESSWIRE

So when you turn on the draft on April 26^th, remember the prediction you were given from The Landry Hat’s newest writer.  North Carolina DE Quentin Coples will be the Dallas Cowboys first pick at #14, because of his unique talent and versatility. And I also predict that Coples will someday become  a  Pro-Bowl defensive end in Rob Ryan’s Championship defensive unit in Dallas. Albeit, it may still take a COUPLE of years.

]]> http://thelandryhat.com/2012/04/05/coples-only/feed/ 0 http://thelandryhat.com/2012/04/04/2012-dallas-cowboys-draft-prospects-dl-coples-vs-curry/ http://thelandryhat.com/2012/04/04/2012-dallas-cowboys-draft-prospects-dl-coples-vs-curry/#comments Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:00:51 +0000 cowgirlcas http://thelandryhat.com/?p=14777 Every year the media has their lists of top 25 players in the NFL draft. My past experience as a draft enthusiast and player analyst, tells me these rankings, many times tend to be flawed. To me, it seems like it is more of a popularity contest than it is about smash-mouth football players. There [...]

2012 Dallas Cowboys Draft Prospects DL: Coples VS Curry - The Landry Hat - The Landry Hat - A Dallas Cowboys Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

Every year the media has their lists of top 25 players in the NFL draft. My past experience as a draft enthusiast and player analyst, tells me these rankings, many times tend to be flawed. To me, it seems like it is more of a popularity contest than it is about smash-mouth football players. There is no denying the fact that the “Big School” athletes get the most exposure. I am going to do a series of articles that will be comparing top 25 prospects to later round picks in the draft. This, being the 1st, will be on the defensive line. We all know that the Cowboys need help in the pass rush department.

Sep, 3, 2011; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; James Madison Dukes quarterback Justin Thorpe (7) is sacked by North Carolina Tar Heels defensive end Quinton Coples (90) in the fourth quarter. The Tar Heels defeated the Dukes 42-10 at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-US PRESSWIRE

Quinton Coples, DE N. Carolina

6-6   285

4.78 40   7.57   3 cone

Coples is currently ranked as the #1 defensive line prospect in the nation. Many analysts say he is the most athletic and gifted defensive prospect in the 2012 draft. He is projected as a top 10 pick. The biggest concern about him is he seems to disappear for stretches at a time. (Become a non Factor at times.) His motor is the biggest question mark. When addressed by the media he was riddled with questions about the problem. His reply was:

“You know, I’m a big guy. I’m a long-strider, things of that nature, so where it may come fast to me in a game, on film it’s slowing down a little bit,” Coples said. “People have their own opinions. Some people don’t even think it was a problem. So it’s different opinions and you just go for what it is.”

Coples amassed 17.5 sacks over the last two seasons in college. NFL scouts like his versatility. He played both inside at DT and outside at DE in N. Carolina.

“I take pride in being versatile,” he said. “It definitely has raised my stock in that it lets teams know that I can play inside or out. “I’m definitely prepared for whatever defensive scheme that a team has.”

It’s not his athleticism that’s keeping him from getting an even higher grade, but his tendency to disappear for stretches throughout the season. (His sacks came in bunches.) The other knock on on him, is the question as to weather or not he is a team player. Coples resisted cooperating with the coaches when they wanted to move him inside for fear that it would hurt his draft stock.

“A lot of people have a lot of high expectations for me, and I appreciate that,” Coples said. “But when you’re playing the game of football, you have things that happen that don’t go as planned. I think it was a situation that happened that I learned from, I matured from, and I think I’ll reap the benefits at the next level.”

Coples has the size, speed, and athleticism coveted by NFL teams. He is solid against the run, but doesn’t have a large variety of pass rush moves. He handles double teams well and has good burst off of the line. He gets good leverage and maintains good body control. He handles protecting the edge against run plays as well. The biggest knock on him is his motor. He will need a solid coach at the next level who will be able to keep him motivated and bring out his full potential as an NFL pass rusher.

Read the rest of my story, on the next page…..

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