2020 Mock Draft: Dallas Cowboys

I’m going to use the Mock Draft Machine provided by thedraftnetwork.com to do mock drafts for all NFL teams.

A few disclaimers:

1. I will use a new draft for each team and have Mock Draft Machine’s predictive board draft for the other teams so the same players will go to different teams in different drafts. This isn’t one mock draft where I draft for each team, this will be 32 separate mock drafts.
2. I’m not an expert, I will use a mix of team needs (according to The Draft Network), “professional” mock drafts, and my own gut instinct to select players. I’m going to try and draft the players I think each team should draft, not necessarily what I think they’re going to draft.
3. There will be no trades, so these mock drafts will certainly not mimic the real thing, this is just for fun.

Team: Dallas Cowboys

Team Needs: CB, EDGE, S, IOL, TE, IDL, WR, LB, LB, CB, OT, QB

The Draft

Round One (17): Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU

It’s tough to pass on OT Jedrick Wills here, since Tyron Smith isn’t getting any younger, but the Cowboys desperately need a CB, and Fulton would automatically be the best one on the team. Jeff Gladney would also be a good pick here, but Fulton seems like the more well-rounded choice, although Gladney is probably better in man coverage. Without knowing exactly what kind of coverage Mike McCarthy is gonna want his secondary to run, I’ll take Fulton.

Round Two (51): Kyle Dugger, S, Lenior-Rhyne

There aren’t a lot of EDGE options here, so we have to choose between DII safety Kyle Dugger and California safety Ashtyn Davis. Although Davis seems to be the more proven player, he’s projected as a FS, and the Cowboys more pressing safety need seems to be strong safety. Clinton-Dix might be nothing more than a one-year stop-gap kind of player, but he should be able to hold the line until Dugger is ready to take over next year. In the meantime, Dugger should be a major contributor on special teams and provide depth for both the SS and WILL LB positions.

Round Three (82): Darrell Taylor, EDGE, Tennessee

This is a very popular pick with Cowboys mock drafts, because of his athleticism and versatility. Taylor has experience playing from two and three-point stances, and playing opposite DeMarcus Lawrence should give him plenty of one-on-one matchups. He should compete with Tyrone Crawford for playing time and hopefully develop more skills to go with his impressive athletic talent.

Round Four (123): Quartney Davis, WR, Texas A&M

Center Nick Harris would have been a nice pick up for depth at IOL, but he went off the board at 116. TE Thaddeus Moss has an impressive NFL lineage (son of Randy Moss), but he apparently inherited none of his dad’s athleticism and already plays like he’s 30 years old. We have several different WR’s to choose from, but I went with Quartney Davis because he projects as a good slot receiver, something the Cowboys desperately need with the departure of Randall Cobb.

Round Five (164): Albert Okwuegbunam, TE, Missouri

This is one of the hardest picks because the Cowboys will have to decide who they can pass on here that will still be available 15 picks later at 179. We’ll go with the vertical TE threat Okwuegbunam and hope that LB Shaquille Quarterman is still available later in the round.

Round Five (179): Khalil Davis, IDL, Nebraska

Well, unfortunately Quarterman went at 169 to Miami, so our gamble didn’t pay off. There are a few intriguing IDL prospects in Bravvion Roy and Khalil Davis. We’ll take the Davis, who has more upside as a pass rusher and projects as a 4–3 DT instead of a 3–4 NT like Roy. The signing of former pro-bowlers Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe to plug the middle of the Cowboys’ defensive line means this position should be steady until Davis or a future pick can take over.

Round Seven (231): Cameron Brown, LB, Penn State

With no sixth round pick, this is the Cowboys last chance in the 2020 draft. Cameron Brown has the length to play the LB position in the NFL, but he’s going to have to develop the strength to match. We’ll take a flyer on Brown and hope he joins the long list of solid linebackers from Penn State (Jack Ham, Paul Posluszny, LaVarr Arrington, Sean Lee, etc.)

Summary

• (17) Kristian Fulton, CB
• (51) Kyle Dugger, S
• (82) Darrell Taylor, EDGE
• (123) Quartney Davis, WR
• (164) Albert Okwuegbunam, TE
• (179) Khalil Davis, IDL
• (231) Cameron Brown, LB,

Recap

Biggest Steal: Kyle Dugger should have significant impact on special teams as well as provide much needed depth at the safety and linebacker positions. Although he’s a DII gamble, his athletic versatility should fill multiple holes for the Cowboys in 2020. Expect to see him a lot.

Biggest Reach: Darrell Taylor is an edge rusher that needs work both as a pass rusher and run defender. Although he has promising upside, the Cowboys might need him before he’s ready. The team can’t afford to waste another early round pick on an edge bust (Taco Charlton). Here’s hoping he figures it out fast.

Biggest Miss: Travis Frederick’s retirement creates even more of a need for IOL depth, an area we didn’t address in this draft. The draft is weak on IOL, especially centers, and we’ll probably have to reach in the second round to get someone who could contribute right away. With more pressing defensive needs, we missed on IOL.