News: BTB: The 2015 BTB Mock Draft Challenge: Post Free Agency Edition

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Time for some mock draft fun. Submit your mock draft now and have it voted on by your fellow BTB members. Think you're up to the challenge?

All the exciting free agency stuff is probably done with, the NFL has announced the compensatory draft picks, and the full 2015 NFL Draft order is now set. There's probably not much breaking Cowboys news to be expected today or over the rest of the weekend. What better time for some mock draft fun?

The challenge for you: Create a Dallas Cowboys Mock Draft.

This is the second time this year we're doing this exercise, after doing our first one in January. So go ahead, create your mock draft for the Dallas Cowboys and submit it for a peer review by your fellow Blogging The Boys members. The BTB community will hand out recommendations for those mocks they like the most, and the winners will be put to a final vote some time next week.

But wait. There are rules. You can't just pick whatever players you like.

The Rules

• The contest will run from now until midnight ET on Sunday. We will use the CBSSports Big Board from March 23, 2015 as the basis for all mock drafts.
• Dallas owns the no. 27, 60, 91, 127, 163, 236, and 243 picks.
  
• We will assume that all draft-eligible players will be available at exactly the spot CBS has them in. You don't like where CBS has a player ranked? Go complain to someone who cares.
• You pick at your exact spot or anywhere below that (e.g. 27th or anywhere from 28th to 35th or so)
  
• You are allowed only one trade-down. The value you give up in the trade-up must be equal to or greater than the value you receive, e.g. your 27th (680 pts) pick could get you Tennessee's 33rd and 100th picks (680 pts).
  
• You may however trade up as often as you want. Again though, the value you give up in the trade up must be equal to or greater than the value you receive, e.g. your 60th (300 pts) and your 127th (45 pts) picks could get you the 56th pick (340 pts).
• You can find the full 2015 NFL draft order here in case you're looking for a team to trade with. Remember that compensatory draft picks cannot be traded.
• Mocks that do not meet the criteria outlined above will be deleted. Nobody wants to waste their time on mocks that don't fit the bill.
• Use this handy draft pick value calculator and the draft value chart immediately below it, it will make this exercise a lot easier.

Post your mock in the comments section below. As you read through the mocks other BTB members have posted, look for mocks that you like and recommend them (just press rec at the bottom of the comment box). And don't be stingy with your rec's. It's more fun for everybody involved if we have a high rec' count.

The best mocks will be featured on the front page in some form next week, so put some thought into your mock. And give us a rationale for your picks - mocks that have some extra content beyond a simple list of 6 or 7 player names usually get more rec's, are more fun to read, and will be treated preferentially as I pick the best mocks for the front page post next week.

To get this challenge started, I'll submit the following mock, which has one trade-down and one trade-up, giving me nine picks in total.

TRADE DOWN: 27 for Oakland's 35+103+140 (680 for 674 points)

Rd 2. (35) Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA. Kendricks is the highest-rated inside linebacker on the board. He's one of the most athletic linebackers in the draft, he's a team captain, he's the Butkus Award winner, he led the nation in tackles, he already had a private workout with the Cowboys, and he has a pre-draft visit scheduled in Dallas on April 6. That's good enough for me.



Rd 2. (65) David Johnson, RB, Northern Iowa. I wasn't planning on drafting a running back this early, but when I saw the 6-1, 224 Johnson sitting there, my inner Sir-Mix-A-Lot took over, because I like big backs and I cannot lie. Johnson is the big, powerful back with speed who can pick up where DeMarco Murray left off behind the Cowboys' O-line. He's easily the biggest of the second-round backs, has outstanding hands, is a linebacker killer in the short passing game, and is also an outstanding returner.

TRADE UP: 91+127 for Cinicnnati's 85+197 (181 for 178.6 points)

Rd 3. (85) Grady Jarrett, DT, Clemson. Jarrett is likely the closest you'll get in this draft to Aaron Donald. Highly productive in college, Jarrett would be a cannonball from the 3-technique spot for the Cowboys.

Rd 4. (118) Eric Rowe, CB, Utah. The Cowboys get themselves a plus-size corner (6-1, 205) who can play both corner and safety.

Rd 5. (144) Corey Crawford, DE, Clemson. Good blend of size and strength, coupled with a huge wingspan makes this an intriguing prospect for the SDE spot.

Rd 6. (182) Ladarious Gunter, CB, Miami. Another big, physical corner for the Cowboys (6-1, 202), who add some imposing physicality to their defense with this pick.

Rd 6. (197) Corey Robinson, OT, South Carolina. My third pick from the Palmetto State, Robinson was a three-year starter for the Gamecocks at left tackle, though he projects as a right tackle in the NFL. The Cowboys find the guy they can groom to be Doug Free's eventual successor.

Rd 7. (242) Obum Gwacham, DE, Oregon State. The Cowboys draft a project for their D-line. Gwacham was a receiver until he moved to defensive end in 2014. An accomplished high- and triple-jumper for the Oregon State track team, the 6-5, 246 Gwacham has all the explosiveness for the position, but still needs a year or two in an NFL weight room to develop.

Rd 7. (292) Mark Glowinski, OG, West Virginia. Can't get lazy on the offensive line, and Glowinski joines the team as one of the most athletic offensive linemen in the draft

Your turn.

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