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Just one game remains to be played in the National Football League, and for fans of 30 other franchises around the league it is time for mock drafting to begin.
Yes it is still early, but with nothing better to do most writers who cover the NFL are beginning to turn their attention to the draft. After all, April 30th is right around the corner. We must be ready when we go on the clock so with that in mind, here is a first round mock for all 32 teams. Following the "draft" we will take a closer look at the player selected by the Cowboys and where he fits in to the scheme of things.
DRAFT POSITION TEAM TOP NEEDS SELECTION COMMENTS
1 Tampa Bay OL/DE/QB Jameis Winston, QB - Florida State A stud tackle or pass rushing beast would provide more help, but the Bucs go for a splash pick right off the bat.
2 Tennessee QB/Pass Rush Randy Gregory, DE - Nebraska He adds a needed lift to the Titans pass rush, although injury issues should be in the backs of Tennessee fans' minds
3 Jacksonville OT/CB/RB Brandon Scherff, OT - Iowa The Jags get the best tackle in a weak class of tackles. Scherff is better suited for the right side but he will be an upgrade no matter where he fits in in Jacksonville.
4 Oakland DE/CB/WR Amari Cooper, WR - Alabama This could easily be an Al Davis pick, but getting a top wide out for David Carr is the best move Oakland has made in a while.
5 Washington DB/OLB/OL Leonard Williams, DT - Southern Cal Possibly the best player in the draft, Washington ignores the immediate need and selects BPA.
6 New York Jets QB/CB/OT Marcus Mariota, QB - Oregon New York brings in their QB of the future...again.
7 Chicago DE/LB/CB Shane Ray, DE - Missouri The draft falls well for 'Da Bears' as BPA and need cross paths at pick # 7
8 Atlanta DE/DB/TE Landon Collins, SS - Alabama A slight reach for Atlanta but they need help in the secondary and Collins has played well against some top talent.
9 New York Giants DL/OL/ILB Danny Shelton, DT - Washington Cowboys fans say please, God, NO!!! Would it make you feel better if he went to Washington?
10 St. Louis QB/OL/CB Andrus Peat, OT - Stanford Adding beef up front will not make the Rams QB any better but it is a move toward keeping the eventual successor alive.
11 Minnesota OT/RB/CB T. J. Clemmings, OT - Pitt The Vikings don't go sexy with this pick but they secure the services of someone to build around for the next decade.
12 Cleveland WR/DL/LB Dante Fowler, OLB - Florida Cleveland finally figures out you don't have to draft a QB in the first round every season.
13 New Orleans CB/Pass Rush Vic Beasley, OLB - Clemson New Orleans needs the kind of pressure that Beasley can bring to opposing passers.
14 Miami LB/CB/OT Lael Collins, OT - LSU OT is not the most pressing of Miami's needs but it never hurts to draft a potential stud for the line, especially when he is the best talent available when you go on the clock.
15 San Francisco OL/DL Alvin DuPree, DE - Kentucky And you thought only Kentucky basketball players got drafted in the first round.
16 Houston QB/WR/OT Kevin White, WR - West Virginia The Texans have a "do it all" WR in White, the question will be "Can they get him the ball?"
17 San Diego CB/DT/OL Trae Waynes, CB - Michigan State Waynes learned his craft from Darqueze Dennard, and he is ready to follow his former teammate into the league.
18 Kansas City WR/OT/DL DeVante Parker, WR - Louisville A touchdown machine who is still a bit raw as a prospect, Parker will continue to grow in KC.
19 Cleveland from Buffalo WR/DL/LB Eddie Goldman, DT - Florida State Goldman will shore up a position of need for the Browns. Still no passer selected by Cleveland this year.
20 Philadelphia DB/OLB/QB Shaq Thompson, OLB - Washington This is only if Chip Kelly doesn't mortgage the franchise for that guy who used to play QB for him at Oregon.
21 Cincinnati DB/LB/Pass Rush Malcolm Brown, DT - Texas Strengths became weaknesses for Cincinnati as the season wore on and Brown will help generate the up front pressure they need to take heat off of the DBs.
22 Pittsburgh S/DL/CB Ereck Flowers, OT - Miami OT is not the biggest concern in the Steel City, but it is climbing the list. This pick is a solid one for the Steelers, but it may not be the most popular one.
23 Detroit C/DL Jordan Phillips, DT - Oklahoma The Lions move on from a Boy Named Suh by selecting another DT.
24 Arizona Front 7 Nate Orchard, OLB - Utah Orchard will make an impact on the Cards D from day one.
25 Carolina Pass Rush/OT/DB Cameron Erving, OT - Florida State The Panthers get some much needed help on the offensive line.
26 Baltimore Pass Rush/OL/RB Melvin Gordon, RB -Wisconsin A rare choice to take a RB in the first, but Baltimore believes Gordon is a rare talent.
27 Dallas DL/CB Marcus Peters, CB - Washington Dallas needs a top corner with a bit of 'tude and Peters brings just that. The big question is will Peters buy in to the Garrett mantra or will it be more of what we saw in Washington.
28 Denver Front 7/WR Dorial Green-Beckham, WR - Oklahoma An athletic freak on the field with issues off the field. In that way he reminds you of Dez. If Manning plays another season, he could be exactly what Dorial needs to spur him on to a great NFL career.
29 Indianapolis OL/ILB/S Todd Gurley, RB -Georgia There are deeper needs in Indy, but the Colts believe they need a strong ground threat to get Luck to the Super Bowl.
30 Green Bay ILB/DL/WR Jaelen Strong, WR - Arizona State Strong gives Aaron Rodgers a guy who can make plays in traffic and who will take some of the heat off of Jordy Nelson
31 New England WR/DL/RB Sammie Coates, WR - Auburn Another weapon for Tom Brady to use, Coates will get vertical in a hurry if DBs are not careful.
32 Seattle OL/DL/TE Owamagbe Odighizuwa, DE - UCLA May be a bit of a reach but when you pick in the 30's in successive seasons you can afford to gamble a little bit.
Now let's talk about pick # 27. The Dallas Cowboys are in need of some serious help at the corners, and Marcus Peters brings that. He is physical in a way that many cornerbacks are not, Marcus likes to stick his nose in and deliver a solid hit on the ball carrier. He plays the ball well and he has a high football IQ. He can quickly diagnose what is going on and he is athletic enough to respond properly. The former Washington Husky has all the tools to play on an island at the next level. With work he could become an elite corner in the league.
Physicality and athleticism regularly stood out against top competition. Among his best attributes is recognition, as Peters plays the receiver very well, turning back toward the ball as the wideout does and frequently knocking the ball away or intercepting it.Peters' aggression is just as evident in his tackling. Whether it be against a receiver or coming up in run support, he is a physical hitter who looks to intimidate opponents. - Rob Rang
Marcus Peters is talented, enough so in fact that he could be considered a borderline top ten talent. We must ask ourselves "Why then is he available at #27"? Peters has some off the field issues that are drawing concerns from many NFL scouts. He was dismissed from the Washington team on November 6th due to some conflicts with the coaching staff. He is a passionate player, perhaps even more so than Dez Bryant, and he fully believes in himself. Not a bad thing in most cases, but Marcus went a little too far for coach Chris Peterson's liking. Peters felt that an assistant on Peterson's staff was wrong, and he let the coach know about it during practice. Incidents like this happened multiple times during the season and the staff made a decision to dismiss the player from the squad.
If Peters is still on the board when Dallas goes on the clock, he will likely be the best player available. He is ready for life in the NFL, at least as far as his play goes. The question he will have to answer is going to be if he is ready to be a team player or is he going to be too much of a prima donna. With Jason Garrett's mantra of wanting the right kind of guys, at first glance Peters would not fit the bill, but remember too that Garrett has often said that RKG's are not choir boys. Marcus Peters plays with a passion that few players ever exhibit, and if Dallas believes he can play within the structure they have, he would fill a huge hole in the Cowboys secondary.
According to the coaching staff at Washington, the team will give NFL scouts positive feedback on Peters in spite of the way his career ended.
"We want him to get his education, without question. We want to help him move on and be positive from here, and so we'll do whatever we can to help that happen. Marcus has got a lot of skill. I really do hope that he has a really good NFL career, there's no doubt about that. And I think he can and we wish him a lot of luck going in that direction." - Chris Peterson, Washington Huskies Head Coach
For Peters, everything rides on what NFL teams can learn about him as an individual and how he conducts himself at the combine. The rest of the questions will fall into place after that.
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