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In our final mock of the season, we try to predict what the Cowboys will do.
For our finale, we’re going to try and predict the unpredictable. We’re going to stay as close to what we believe the Cowboys will do in the 2017 NFL Draft. In other words, we’ll be throwing spaghetti against the wall and see what sticks. Without knowing the way the first round will shake out, we can’t possibly do anything else.
In Mockery XI, everything is on the table, trades, first born sons, just about anything you can think of. It’s Christmas Day, not everyone will be excited with the gifts they got but that’s the way the draft goes. Here’s our finale for the 2017 NFL Draft:
Pick 28: Cowboys select Adoree’ Jackson, CB, USC (CBS: 37, DraftTek: 45)
Analysis: Not everyone will be excited about this pick (including me) but the Cowboys really like the versatility of the player. He’s supremely athletic and perhaps the best athlete in the entire draft as he won the Jim Thorpe award this past year. He offers the ability to dramatically change the field in your favor as a kick returner.
To pick Jackson this high, you better have a plan for him. This may be the Cowboys’ thought as they deal with the shiftier, speedy-type receivers in the league. Jackson is fast, has long arms, and has made plays but it’s hard to envision him as an outside presence. If this is the way of the Dallas Cowboys, they likely have a role carved out for him.
Pick 60: Cowboys select Jordan Willis, DE, Kansas State (CBS: 57, DraftTek: 71)
Analysis: The Cowboys get lucky here after a strong wipe out of the pass rushers in round one. Are any of the edge rushers in round two better than anyone they have on the roster right now? We’ll certainly see but Willis is another SPARQ freak who has stood out all through this draft process. He comes with tremendous production as well. He was the Big-12 Defensive Player of the Year with 52 tackles, 17.5 TFL, and 11.5 sacks.
He’s a raw athlete that can be molded into the type of high-effort rusher that Rod Marinelli really enjoys having around. Even if the Cowboys were taking an edge rusher in round one, all of them have their warts. Willis isn’t exempt from needing work but he’s got some intangibles you just frankly can’t teach.
Pick 92: Cowboys select Sidney Jones, CB, Washington (Redshirt Special)
Analysis: Nobody denies that Jones’ talent level should have him taken in the first round but that’s just not going to happen. He tore his Achilles at his Pro Day and it makes you feel awful for the guy who was a favorite throughout the early portion of the process. Achilles injuries are tricky because if you lose some speed, it can really damage the career of a defensive back.
However, all prognoses are pointing upward for Jones who’s agent released a doctor’s statement saying in 4-6 months, Jones will be running and out on the field. Still, that doesn’t do much for teams this year but even Jerry Jones won’t be able to resist a first-round talent in the third round. It’ll be a hard pill for Cowboys’ fans to swallow for another redshirt player but the Cowboys have shown they do not care if you don’t want your medicine, you will take it.
Pick 133: Cowboys select Xavier Woods, SS, Louisiana Tech (CBS: 156, DraftTek: 149)
Say what you will about small school prospects but this is a kid that makes plays. His instincts are off the charts and his ball skills are amazing. In 2016, Woods had 89 tackles, 6.5 for loss, five interceptions, and six pass–breakups. Woods has a tendency to play undisciplined at times but that is something you can work with. He knows how to hit and is a reliable tackler, he’s had 14 interceptions and five forced fumbles in three seasons. The dude is a “my ball” guy and the Cowboys are looking for playmakers, that’s the premier focus with Xavier Woods.
[Dallas flips a next year's fourth-round pick to get Cleveland’s 175th pick (21.4 points) and back into the 5th round]
Pick 175: Cowboys select Jeremy Sprinkle, TE, Arkansas (CBS: 174, DraftTek: 190)
Ding-dang, the Joneses got themselves a tight end razorback! The Cowboys will be looking to add to the tight end position this year albeit not an early consideration, Sprinkle has some goods to work with. This is a full-feature tight end that loves to block as much as he loves to catch touchdowns. He’s got soft hands and good vision as a ball carrier. He’s got length and physicality that lends himself well in the run game plus he led all tight ends in the SEC with six touchdown catches in his junior year.
Pick 211: Cowboys select Tedric Thompson, S, Colorado (CBS: 207, DraftTek: 133)
He’s not the most physical of guys you would want to play safety but he has some impressive numbers. In 2016, he was one of three Colorado defensive backs to make an All-PAC team. He had 63 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 23 passes defensed, 16 PBU’s, 7 INT’s. He just makes a lot of plays when he’s in the lineup and he has a chance to eventually blossom into a starter in the NFL.
Pick 228: Cowboys select Fred Ross, WR, Mississippi State (CBS: 356, DraftTek: 263)
Keep churning the bottom of the roster while also throwing a bone to your quarterback. There is something to say about the QB-WR relationship. In this case, Dak Prescott is still very much best friends with Ross, his former favorite target at Mississippi State. Ross had a ton of production with Prescott and he’s got the size and skill-set to be a possession wide receiver at the next level.
Pick 246: Cowboys select Seth Russell, QB, Baylor (CBS: 302, DraftTek: 235)
The Cowboys are going to take a late-round arm that they can develop and Russell may be one of the better targets to achieve that goal. Russell has size and arm strength but it also looks like his injury is behind him. The Cowboys worked him out and have a bit of familiarity with the Bears’ program.
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