A Dallas Cowboys mock draft with a no-trade clause

I am a big believer in drafting a quarterback in every draft. Drafting and developing someone at the league’s most important position can only help your football team. Sitting them behind your starter and allowing them to develop could either help your team on the field in the future or trade the player for decent compensation.

Quarterback Davis Mills is very raw and inexperienced but has some tools to work with. He has a strong arm and enough athletic ability to get around but is in no way a threat as a consistent runner.

Bringing in Mills sends a message to the other non-Dak Prescott quarterbacks in the room that their jobs aren’t as secure as they might think they are. This move also doesn’t limit the Cowboys from bringing in an established veteran.

With very little tape to evaluate, the theory behind drafting Mills is more in line with having a higher pedigree player in your ranks over some of the smaller school projects the front office has taken as of late.

If I were to run a football team I would have to insist that most of my late-round picks be high reward developmental guys with great motors and North Carolina linebacker Chaz Surratt is a perfect example. Surratt has plenty of splash plays but also has some serious flaws.

If a team can get him to consistently be in the right position and learn how to harness his aggression to generate those highlight-reel plays, he could be a real force. The former quarterback turned linebacker is still very raw but has intriguing talent.

His size is a concern as he still might need to put more weight onto his six-foot-one 227-pound frame. He projects to be a smaller quicker linebacker, preferably in a 4-3, who would excel in coverage but his mentality shows a player who has no issue driving his entire body through the ball carrier.

Surratt is smaller than some would like but he is a fantastic athlete whose game speed shows up on film yet still has to learn the nuances of the position. Surratt will be overlooked but could become a fan favorite.

Current Dallas Cowboys linebackers Luke Gifford and Francis Bernard should get plenty of preseason work but they can also assist Surratt with the dos and don’ts of the position as an under-the-radar prospect.