BTB: NFL Draft 2015: Which Players Do The Mock Draft Gurus Have Available at #27?

[NewsBot]

We take a look at a collection of different draft gurus and which players they think will be available from picks 27-32 in the 2015 NFL draft.

Mock drafts, especially when published before free agency, are little more than annotated lists of highly ranked draft prospects. As predictors of which players are going to which teams, mock drafts at this time of year are nearly useless. But they still serve a purpose in giving us a general sense of where a player fits in the grand scheme of things, and help us familiarize ourselves with a new draft class.

At this time of the year, what I want from mock drafts are options. I want alternatives. I want head-scratching selections that make me think. I don't want somebody telling me that the Cowboys are going to pick a running back with their first pick.

So today, instead of looking which players a bunch of draftniks think the Cowboys should select with the 27th pick, we'll look at which players the Cowboys could select with the 27th pick. And to do that, we look at which players six draft experts have available between pick 27 and the end of the first round.

The table below summarizes picks 27-32 for six selected draftniks.

Dan Kadar (SB Nation, Feb 16) Dane Brugler (CBS Sports, Feb 16)
27. Cowboys Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin 27. Cowboys Preston Smith, DE, Mississippi St.
28. Broncos Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota 28. Broncos Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
29. Colts Carl Davis, DT, Iowa 29. Colts Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
30. Packers Trade with TEN: Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA 30. Packers Quinten Rollins, CB, Miami (Ohio)
31. Seahawks Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri 31. Seahawks Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri
32. Patriots A.J. Cann, G, South Carolina 32. Patriots A.J. Cann, G, South Carolina
Rob Rang (CBSSports, Feb 16) Ourlads, Feb 17
27. Cowboys Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia 27. Cowboys Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
28. Broncos Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota 28. Broncos Carl Davis, DT, Iowa
29. Colts Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin 29. Colts Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
30. Packers Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma 30. Packers Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma
31. Seahawks Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn 31. Seahawks Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
32. Patriots Quinten Rollins, CB, Miami (Ohio) 32. Patriots Nate Orchard, DE, Utah
Brent Sobleski (Bleacher Report, Feb 17) Mel Kiper (E$PN, Feb 11)
27. Cowboys Michael Bennett, DT, Ohio Stat 27. Cowboys Carl Davis, DT, Iowa
28. Broncos Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota 28. Broncos Denzel Perryman, LB, Miami (Fl)
29. Colts Laken Tomlinson, OG, Duke 29. Colts La'El Collins, OT, LSU
30. Packers Paul Dawson, LB, TCU 30. Packers Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma
31. Seahawks Hau'oli Kikaha, DE, Washington 31. Seahawks Phillip Dorsett, WR, Miami (Fl)
32. Patriots Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia 32. Patriots Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan​

Admittedly, this is a fairly tight window to look at. And yes, we also know that mock drafts aren't worth their weight in hot air. But in the six mocks above, only four players show up three times or more: Maxx Williams (4 times), Carl Davis (3), Jordan Phillips (3), and Todd Gurley (3). Would you be concerned if those were the four choices the Cowboys had on draft day?

How about having your choice of six defensive linemen: In addition to Carl Davis and Jordan Phillips, Michael Bennett, Nate Orchard, Preston Smith, and Hau'oli Kikaha could all still be available when the Cowboys are on the clock.

You think a corner should be the target? Marcus Peters or Quinten Rollins could be options.

Heck, you could even go after 6-5, 225 wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham. Now that would be an interesting choice - especially if the Cowboys franchise tag Dez Bryant, as is widely expected.

In any case, it looks like the Cowboys will have plenty of options, even if they are drafting fairly late in the first. Then again, you could also argue that with all these players potentially still on the board, moving down might be an enticing option.

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[xwalker]

I don't want to see the Seahawks get Beckum.