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If you thought the Combine would lead to a new favorite emerging for the Cowboys, you can pat yourself on the back, because that's exactly what happened - but it may not be the favorite you imagined.
When we looked at the mock draft landscape 12 days ago, we found that Myles Jack and Jalen Ramsey were the consensus favorites for the Cowboys. Since then, the NFL Combine has re-arranged big boards across the nation, but has that changed the names mocked to the Cowboys?
Not really. In fact, quite the opposite: where the 50 mocks we last looked at had 11 different players as potential targets for the Cowboys, the 25 post-Combine mocks we look at today only have five different players as potential Cowboys picks.
But there's been an almost seismic shift in which players are mocked to the Cowboys. Where Myles Jack and Jalen Ramsey combined for 50% of the picks less than two weeks ago, Joey Bosa and Jared Goff now combine for 56% of the mock draft vote, as the chart below illustrates:
Feb 20 (50 mocks) March 3 (25 mocks)
Myles Jack 30% 24%
Jalen Ramsey 20% 16%
Joey Bosa 18% 36%
Carson Wentz 10% 4%
Jared Goff 4% 20%
Others 18% - -
In today's round-up, we look at 25 of the latest mocks published over the last few days, including mocks from SI.com, NFL.com, USA Today, a whole armada of mocks from CBSSports and many others. All the mock draft goodness is summarized below.
Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State
NFL.com (Brooks), Mar 2 Rod Marinelli would welcome an energetic pass rusher with terrific hand skills and a knack for disruption.Draft Season (Lupagus), Mar 2 If I’m the GM of the Cowboys I’m taking Goff here. But I’m nothing but a lowly wannabe draft analyst. So I’m gonna go with what I think will happen and have the Cowboys grabbing pass rushing help.
ESPN (McShay), Mar 2 Bosa plays with great leverage and is masterful at using his hands to shed blockers. He didn't have the best showing at the combine, but once you turn on the film, it's clear that Bosa is a top-tier player in this draft. Dallas needs impact defenders, and Bosa would be ready to start from Day 1 in Rod Marinelli's 4-3 scheme. CB Jalen Ramsey is another option here.
PFF (Palazzolo), Mar 2 Bosa falls from No. 1 to No. 4 and the Cowboys are the beneficiaries as they get the top-graded edge defender in college football over the last two years. Bosa projects as a top-notch run defender on the edge while providing a punch as a pass rusher, whether going up against tackles on the outside or kicking in to rush against guards. His +44.1 pass rush grade ranked second in the nation among edge defenders in 2015 after leading the way at +56.6 in 2014.
Walter Football (Cherepinsky), Mar 2 I could see Joey Bosa slide to the Dolphins or Buccaneers because of his character concerns, but Dallas is a strong possibility as well. Jerry Jones has shown that he's not afraid to take a chance on a talented player with some off-the-field questions. With Greg Hardy on his way out, and Randy Gregory now one strike away from a year-long suspension, Bosa makes a ton of sense for the Cowboys.
NFL.com (Jeremiah), Mar 1 The Cowboys can't count on Randy Gregory, and Bosa will have an immediate impact.
CBS Sports (Brugler), Mar 1 The Cowboys need to address the defensive line this offseason and if Bosa is still available at pick No. 4, I don't think he'll still be around at pick No. 5. Bosa would be an ideal fit at left end in coordinator Rod Marinelli's scheme and gives the Cowboys much-needed depth, especially considering Randy Gregory's troubles.
USA Today (Davis), Mar 1 Picking Tony Romo's successor has merit. But what about getting a blue chipper to help the 35-year-old quarterback win now? Bosa, a high-effort player who is strong against the run and can rush the passer, represents an intersection of talent and need with Dallas set to lose DE Randy Gregory to a four-game suspension to start the season, DE DeMarcus Lawrence coming off back surgery, and DEs Greg Hardy, Jeremy Mincey and Jack Crawford all headed for free agency.
CBS Sports (Prisco), Mar 1 They have edge-rush issues with Greg Hardy set to be a free agent and Randy Gregory facing suspension. Bosa won?t be a great pass rusher, but he will be a 10-12 sack player every year.
Myles Jack, LB, UCLA
Detroit Free Press (Birkett), Mar 2 Jerry Jones wants to win now, so the Cowboys won’t draft a quarterback here (even though they probably should).CBS Sports (Rang), Mar 1 The Cowboys face a critical decision with their first-round pick in 2016. This club is clearly more talented than the others with a top-five pick and therefore a gambler like Jerry Jones might be tempted to add an immediate impact defender like Jack rather than select a quarterback to groom behind the 35-year old (and increasingly injury-prone) Tony Romo. Jack suffered a serious knee injury Sept. 23 but if teams are satisfied with his rehabilitation he'll draw top-five consideration. Voted the Pac-12's Offensive and Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2013 while moonlighting at running back and starring at outside linebacker, Jack has the playmaking pedigree Jones loves.
Si.com (Mays), Mar 1 Wentz has to be a consideration, if only because it’s unlikely Dallas will pick this high again as long as Tony Romo is still playing. But even the Cowboys’ prudent picks in recent years—players like Travis Frederick and Zack Martin—were win-now moves. If teams are comfortable with the status of his injured knee, Jack can be penciled in next to Sean Lee to create a duo capable of causing ground-covering mayhem.
Bleacher Report (Miller), Mar 1 Myles Jack may end up my highest-ranked player in this draft. He's a rare athlete and at 245 pounds has the bulk to play inside or outside linebacker. The former UCLA running back/linebacker may even play strong safety for some teams, which is a testament to his overall athleticism. Placed next to Sean Lee and behind a defensive line big on potential, Jack has the skills to be a true game-changer on defense.
USA Today (Ledyard), Feb 29 With no negative injury reports surrounding his torn meniscus during combine week, I expect Jack to be a coveted player by Jerry Jones and his staff. They’ll take a long look at Joey Bosa, Noah Spence, and Shaq Lawson too, as all three pass rushers could be potential fits in Rod Marinelli’s defense.
SB Nation (Kadar), Feb 29 Jack may not have done a full workout at the Combine, but he's still worth a top-five pick. He's an active and rangy linebacker who will play all three downs. Although Jerry Jones has said he wants to bring Rolando McClain back, Jack would be a superb upgrade.
Jared Goff, QB, California
Yahoo (Edholm), Mar 2 When is the next time they're going to pick this high and have a chance to get this kind of talent? Goff could be great if he's not thrown to the wolves immediately, which having Tony Romo prevents them from having to do.Seahawks Draft Blog, Mar 2 The Cowboys have to consider developing someone behind the perennially injured Tony Romo. Goff is perhaps best suited to Jason Garrett’s offense.
Real Football (Kirwan), Mar 1 Tony Romo has had three surgeries on his collarbone and it is time to invest in the future. Goff had a good Combine and is worthy of this spot in the first round. Many Dallas fans want a ‘now’ player like Joey Bosa, but remember, the team went 1-11 without Romo.
Real Football (Miller), Feb 29 Anticipatory pocket passer who fits well with how Jason Garrett wants the position to be played. He can sit and learn behind Romo, but teams are concerned about his hand size at the Combine. Goff could drop.
Drafttek, Feb 28 - -
Jalen Ramsey, CB/S, Florida State
SD Union Tribune (Brown), Mar 2 This fills a need, but it's the Cowboys also taking the best player available. Ramsey is a play-maker who can play either cornerback or safety at the next level, and is one of the true premium talents in this draft class.CBS Sports (Brinson), Mar 1 The temptation to take a quarterback will be strong. You only get so many looks this high in the draft. But there are way too many other positions of need for Dallas to gamble against winning now. Plus they can always just get Robert Griffin III.
Pro Football Weekly, Mar 1 High-priced corners Morris Claiborne/Brandon Carr not the answer
Newsday (Klopsis), Mar 1 The Cowboys drafted a cornerback in the first round last year in Byron Jones, but they gave him looks at safety toward the end of last season, and it appears that they may have him play centerfield exclusively in 2016. In that case, they'll need a playmaking cornerback to pair with Orlando Scandrick, especially if they decide to cut the underachieving Brandon Carr. Jalen Ramsey is that playmaker. The 6-1 1/4 junior is one of the most complete defensive back prospects in quite some time. He can shadow bigger wide receivers on the boundary as a cornerback, he can play deep as a free safety, or he can line up in the box in run defense. He has excellent ball skills and awareness in pass defense and shows strength and instincts in the run game. He can immediately slide in at cornerback for the Cowboys, or he can play safety if they decide to reverse course and move Jones back to corner.
Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State
Fanspeak (Shoup), Mar 1 It’s a tough call for the Cowboys, do they take the heir apparent to Tony Romo or do they grab a top defender that could help them win next year. Either plan makes sense, but I think they will opt for a QB.Soooo ... Joey Bosa or Jared Goff. How does that grab you?
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