Cowboys mock draft: Dallas adds defensive playmakers after humiliating loss in Week 15

Week 15 was a tough one for the Dallas Cowboys as they continued to struggle on the road. They were handed a humiliating 31-10 defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills which dropped them out of first place in the NFC East for a day. Thankfully for them, the Philadelphia Eagles lost in the final seconds to the Seattle Seahawks and that means Dallas is technically back on top due to a tiebreaker.

While they got a reprieve thanks to Seattle, there were still some holes exposed in their loss. Their defense has been amazing for the past two seasons but their inability to stop the run was on full display. They can also use more safeties capable of playing the centerfield role. That's the focus of our latest Cowboys 2024 NFL Mock Draft.

Cowboys Round 1 pick: Tyler Nubin, S, Minnesota

Dallas has done a great job building their safety depth with Jayron Kearse, Donovan Wilson, and Malik Hooker all performing well in recent years. As we were reminded on Sunday, only one of them is strong when it comes to deep safety coverage.

With Hooker out, Kearse stepped in and wasn't up to the task. He wasn't awful but there was still a decline. Looking ahead, the Cowboys should consider adding more youth while also looking for someone with the ability to play single-high coverage. Throw in the fact that Kearse is scheduled for free agency and this position becomes a major need.

That's why their first pick in this mock ends up being Tyler Nubin from Minnesota. A turnover machine for the Gophers, Nubin has 13 picks including five this past season. He's listed at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds and is versatile enough to play alongside Hooker but can also fill in as the centerfielder should the need arise.

The only question with Nubin is whether or not he will be on the board when Dallas picks. Minnesota's all-time interception leader is climbing up boards but if he lasts this long, he should be the selection.