Dallas Cowboys 7 Round Mock Draft

With the NFL Draft exactly 2 weeks away, I had to join in and post my Seven Round 2012 Dallas Cowboys’ Mock Draft.  Based on last week’s article, (hopefully which you all read)  I justified the selection of DE Quinton Couples with our first round pick. Many draft experts have Dallas targeting three players in round one Dontari Poe of Maryland,  David DeCastro of Stanford, and Quinton Coples of  North Carolina.

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.

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.