Kiper/McShay three-round mock has Cowboys addressing 3 major needs

Two of the top draft experts/analysts at ESPN (Todd McShay and Mel Kiper) decided to come together to do a three-round mock draft. The rules? McShay took the odd-numbered picks and Kiper took the even. No trades were allowed. Because the Dallas Cowboys have the 24th, 56th, and 88th overall pick in the first three rounds, Kiper ended up making the decisions for the Cowboys in the entire 105-selection mock.

To be fair, Kiper did make three selections that were based on the Cowboys’ needs. He chose a defensive end, an offensive lineman, and a wide receiver – arguably the three biggest needs for Dallas. However, he yet again ignored an important Dallas fact. None of the three choices he made were members of the Cowboys’ 30 pre-draft prospect visits list. That’s relevant because, since 2006, only two players in the first round were not from the invites list. Those two are Morris Claiborne and CeeDee Lamb.

Mock drafts are made to be criticized. At this point, it’s even fair to argue that guys like McShay and Kiper want to make controversial picks to stir conversation. Regardless, they do get more inside info than the average person, so it’s worth looking into. For the 24th pick, Kiper selected Penn State edge Arnold Ebiketie. At 56th, he selected Washington State tackle Abraham Lucas. And, with pick 88, he chose Rutgers WR Bo Melton.

In the latest ESPN three-round mock, Mel Kiper and Todd McShay select Arnold Ebiketie, Abraham Lucas, and Bo Melton for the Cowboys

The Cowboys certainly need these three positions. However, most Cowboys experts seem to believe that offensive line or wide receiver will be addressed in the first round. Let’s take a look at how/why these three would be good fits.

Arnold Ebiketie, Penn State, Edge: If Ebiketie can be anything like his former teammate Micah Parsons, then the Dallas front office would gladly take him in the first round. Throughout his mock drafts this offseason, Kiper has been very defense-heavy. He seems to believe four of the top seven picks will be defenders. Kiper’s reasoning was that at this point in the mock draft, too many of the top receivers were taken and he felt Ebiketie was the best option. The Penn State edge led the Big Ten with 18 tackles for loss and led his team with 9.5 sacks. After finishing his collegiate career, he continued to impress scouts at both the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine. This kid has the ability to scare quarterbacks and brings versatility others can’t.

Abraham Lucas, Washington State, OT: The size is what stands out most here. The 23-year-old is a whopping 6-7 and 324 pounds. In the PAC-12, Lucas held his own against some of the best pass rushers in this year’s draft class like Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux and USC’s Drake Jackson. Lucas also demonstrates consistency as he was a four-year starter in Washington with 42 career starts as a right tackle. There are elements that he can get better at, but his natural strength and speed will certainly help him at the next level. Lucas is not as highly-coveted as guys like Kenyon Green or Zion Johnson, though (names often paired with the Cowboys these days).

Bo Melton, Rutgers, WR: Somehow in less than a year the Cowboys went from too much depth at wide receiver to one healthy starting-caliber receiver. Not ideal. After losing Amari Cooper and Cedrick Wilson, wide receiver quickly became a glaring need. Melton is certainly more of a sleeper pick but definitely had success in college. In the last two years, Melton caught 62.4% of his targets and collected 1,282 receiving yards on 103 receptions. His 12.45 yards per catch and nine touchdowns were also impressive. Is he a Cooper replacement? Likely not. But, he’d certainly help.