KingintheNorth
Chris in Arizona
- Messages
- 17,743
- Reaction score
- 24,477
Okay, we are at the halfway point of the season so it’s time for another mock.
Here’s the link to the ¼ season mock:
https://cowboyszone.com/threads/2020-1-4-season-cowboys-mock.441917/
1 Javon Kinlaw DT South Carolina
2 Kenny Willekes DE Michigan State
3 Ashtyn Davis S Cal
4 Aaron Fuller WR Washington
5 Cole Kmet TE Notre Dame
7 Lavonta Taylor CB Florida State
Nfl.com has us drafting 21st right now (as the lowest ranked playoff team). I use The Draft Network’s simulator (https://thedraftnetwork.com/mock-draft-machine ) to keep myself honest on the draft board. However, I will be adding some “sleepers” in this version.
1 (21) Derrick Brown DT (6’5” 318) Auburn
https://auburntigers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=12823
People are going to argue that he won’t make it to pick 21, but he’s slid to this range a few times when I ran the simulator. He’s exactly what the current Cowboys regime is looking for in a defensive tackle: 1Tech size with 3Tech traits. He’s the inside disruptive force this defensive line needs and if he’s within earshot of the Cowboys 1st round pick, they need to be working the phones to grab him. Very few other players in range of the Cowboys pick will have the impact that Brown would have for Dallas.
2019 stats: 37 Tackles, 8 TFL’s, 4 Sacks, 2 FF’s
2 (53) Cole Kmet TE (6’5” 250) Notre Dame
https://und.com/roster/cole-kmet/
In the previous mock, I took him in the 5th round; he continues to rise up the rankings. Kmet, who also pitches for the Fighting Irish baseball team, missed the first two games of the season with a broken collarbone. Since his return, he has caught a TD in 5 of 6 games, including his 9 catch, 108-yard debut against Georgia. Kmet is a big, athletic target who catches everything thrown his way. He fits the Travis Kelce/TJ Hockenson mold and will be a consistent match-up issue for defenders.
2019 stats: 27 REC, 318 YDS, 5 TD
3 (85) Kenny Robinson S (6’2” 200) St. Louis (XFL) formerly at West Virginia
https://www.xfl.com/en-US/articles/st-louis-battlehawks-roster
https://wvusports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5483
I promised you sleepers and here is the first one. Robinson will be an interesting case study since he is the only XFL player who had remaining college eligibility. He had some academic issues at West Virginia and since he wasn’t eligible for the Supplemental Draft (only 2 years removed from high school graduation,) he opted for the XFL. He started 20 games in 2 seasons for the Mountaineers and was named first team All-Big12 in 2018. He was considered by many to be a legit NFL prospect before leaving school. His draft stock will obviously depend on his play for the St. Louis Battlehawks in their inaugural season (which concludes the weekend of the 2020 draft), but this is the type of move that reminds me of the Gill Brandt era that made me fall in love with the draft process in the first place.
2018* stats: 77 Tackles, 4 INT, 4 PBU, 1 FF
4 (117) Caleb Farley CB (6’2” 207) Virginia Tech
https://hokiesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=9546
I may be on an island by myself with this kid because no one is talking about him. He just stands out whenever I’ve watched Virginia Tech play the last 2 seasons. A 4-star recruit out of high school, he redshirted his freshman year after he lost his mother to cancer and tore his ACL. He ran 100M, 4x100 relay, did the long jump and triple jump, and was an all-state QB in North Carolina. His athleticism and speed pop off the screen as he’s learning the technical aspect of playing corner. He needs to improve as a tackler but has the size the Cowboys look for in a cornerback.
2019 stats: 17 Tackles, 3 INT, 10 PBU
5 (148) Chase Claypool WR (6’4” 224) Notre Dame
https://und.com/sports/football/roster/season/2019-20/player/chase-claypool/
As a USC homer, it was extremely hard to mock any, let alone two, Notre Dame players to the Cowboys. Claypool is my thesis-in-practice; a big-bodied receiver with basketball skills. He knows how to use his body to position himself and win on contested balls. Displays good explosion and athletic ability to win on jump balls. Strong hands will be valuable in Dallas with concerns about Dak Prescott’s accuracy. His biggest issue, and the reason a talent like him can even be discussed as a possible 5th round pick, will be his long speed. He’s also a bit of a tweener. I can see him having more value as a Y receiver in schemes like Kliff Kingsbury runs.
2019 stats: 37 REC, 554 YDS, 4 TD
7 (212) Hamilcar Rashed Jr. DE (6’4” 235) Oregon State
https://osubeavers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7252
I’ve known Hamilcar since he was a sophomore in high school and he came very close to playing for the community college I coached at before he ended up at Oregon State. Some will argue that he is better suited for a 3-4 scheme, but he has the pass rushing tools and athletic ability to be a pressure RDE. If worried about his lack of weight, he has a similar height and weight as Randy Gregory coming out of Nebraska. Like Gregory, he has the frame to add some bulk without sacrificing speed and explosion. He’s playing lights out right now with 17.5 TFL’s and 12 sacks so his value could shoot up the next few months.
2019 stats: 47 Tackles, 17.5 TFL’s, 12 Sacks, 2 FF’s
Here’s the link to the ¼ season mock:
https://cowboyszone.com/threads/2020-1-4-season-cowboys-mock.441917/
1 Javon Kinlaw DT South Carolina
2 Kenny Willekes DE Michigan State
3 Ashtyn Davis S Cal
4 Aaron Fuller WR Washington
5 Cole Kmet TE Notre Dame
7 Lavonta Taylor CB Florida State
Nfl.com has us drafting 21st right now (as the lowest ranked playoff team). I use The Draft Network’s simulator (https://thedraftnetwork.com/mock-draft-machine ) to keep myself honest on the draft board. However, I will be adding some “sleepers” in this version.
1 (21) Derrick Brown DT (6’5” 318) Auburn
https://auburntigers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=12823
People are going to argue that he won’t make it to pick 21, but he’s slid to this range a few times when I ran the simulator. He’s exactly what the current Cowboys regime is looking for in a defensive tackle: 1Tech size with 3Tech traits. He’s the inside disruptive force this defensive line needs and if he’s within earshot of the Cowboys 1st round pick, they need to be working the phones to grab him. Very few other players in range of the Cowboys pick will have the impact that Brown would have for Dallas.
2019 stats: 37 Tackles, 8 TFL’s, 4 Sacks, 2 FF’s
2 (53) Cole Kmet TE (6’5” 250) Notre Dame
https://und.com/roster/cole-kmet/
In the previous mock, I took him in the 5th round; he continues to rise up the rankings. Kmet, who also pitches for the Fighting Irish baseball team, missed the first two games of the season with a broken collarbone. Since his return, he has caught a TD in 5 of 6 games, including his 9 catch, 108-yard debut against Georgia. Kmet is a big, athletic target who catches everything thrown his way. He fits the Travis Kelce/TJ Hockenson mold and will be a consistent match-up issue for defenders.
2019 stats: 27 REC, 318 YDS, 5 TD
3 (85) Kenny Robinson S (6’2” 200) St. Louis (XFL) formerly at West Virginia
https://www.xfl.com/en-US/articles/st-louis-battlehawks-roster
https://wvusports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5483
I promised you sleepers and here is the first one. Robinson will be an interesting case study since he is the only XFL player who had remaining college eligibility. He had some academic issues at West Virginia and since he wasn’t eligible for the Supplemental Draft (only 2 years removed from high school graduation,) he opted for the XFL. He started 20 games in 2 seasons for the Mountaineers and was named first team All-Big12 in 2018. He was considered by many to be a legit NFL prospect before leaving school. His draft stock will obviously depend on his play for the St. Louis Battlehawks in their inaugural season (which concludes the weekend of the 2020 draft), but this is the type of move that reminds me of the Gill Brandt era that made me fall in love with the draft process in the first place.
2018* stats: 77 Tackles, 4 INT, 4 PBU, 1 FF
4 (117) Caleb Farley CB (6’2” 207) Virginia Tech
https://hokiesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=9546
I may be on an island by myself with this kid because no one is talking about him. He just stands out whenever I’ve watched Virginia Tech play the last 2 seasons. A 4-star recruit out of high school, he redshirted his freshman year after he lost his mother to cancer and tore his ACL. He ran 100M, 4x100 relay, did the long jump and triple jump, and was an all-state QB in North Carolina. His athleticism and speed pop off the screen as he’s learning the technical aspect of playing corner. He needs to improve as a tackler but has the size the Cowboys look for in a cornerback.
2019 stats: 17 Tackles, 3 INT, 10 PBU
5 (148) Chase Claypool WR (6’4” 224) Notre Dame
https://und.com/sports/football/roster/season/2019-20/player/chase-claypool/
As a USC homer, it was extremely hard to mock any, let alone two, Notre Dame players to the Cowboys. Claypool is my thesis-in-practice; a big-bodied receiver with basketball skills. He knows how to use his body to position himself and win on contested balls. Displays good explosion and athletic ability to win on jump balls. Strong hands will be valuable in Dallas with concerns about Dak Prescott’s accuracy. His biggest issue, and the reason a talent like him can even be discussed as a possible 5th round pick, will be his long speed. He’s also a bit of a tweener. I can see him having more value as a Y receiver in schemes like Kliff Kingsbury runs.
2019 stats: 37 REC, 554 YDS, 4 TD
7 (212) Hamilcar Rashed Jr. DE (6’4” 235) Oregon State
https://osubeavers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7252
I’ve known Hamilcar since he was a sophomore in high school and he came very close to playing for the community college I coached at before he ended up at Oregon State. Some will argue that he is better suited for a 3-4 scheme, but he has the pass rushing tools and athletic ability to be a pressure RDE. If worried about his lack of weight, he has a similar height and weight as Randy Gregory coming out of Nebraska. Like Gregory, he has the frame to add some bulk without sacrificing speed and explosion. He’s playing lights out right now with 17.5 TFL’s and 12 sacks so his value could shoot up the next few months.
2019 stats: 47 Tackles, 17.5 TFL’s, 12 Sacks, 2 FF’s