Cowboys 2020 NFL Mock Draft 1.0: LSU's Delpit leads the Way

My first Dallas Cowboys 7-round NFL mock draft for CowboysSI.com has the Cowboys taking the star LSU safety in Round 1. Read on for the rest

The Senior Bowl is done, so it’s time to really get down to mock drafting for the Dallas Cowboys and the 2020 NFL Draft. This is my first Cowboys Mock Draft for the 2020 NFL Draft, and I’ll do one each week, released each Tuesday.

So this first mock is really about just seeing what’s out there as we end January, a level-set so to speak. I used thedraftnetwork.com software to mock things out, using its big board as a guide. The goal from my perspective was to try and marry the philosophy of the “best available player” with what the Cowboys likely need going into the draft. Now, free agency will alter those needs somewhat. But we’ll get to that. I made the Cowboys’ selections in this mock. The computer simulator made the rest, based team needs and the simulator’s big board.

Now, let’s see how the first mock draft played out.

Round 1: S Grant Delpit, LSU

You may recall last week that our Mike Fisher reported that The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had Delpit as the Cowboys’ first-round pick. So did I. But, I faced an interesting decision. It was between Delpit and LSU pass-rusher K’Lavon Chaisson. They were the top two players on the board, and the Cowboys could use help at both positions. 

So which player could have more impact right away at a position of need? 

I chose Delpit because safety continues to be a stubborn position for the Cowboys and I suspect they will lose Jeff Heath in free agency, one way or another. Delpit was the first safety off the board in this mock. Most of the scouts on the Draft Network site said the same thing — he’s a ball-hawking safety who needs to improve a bit in run support. 

How much does Dallas need help here, one way or another? We bet they are keeping an eye on some of the biggest names at the position. Yes, like Jamal Adams.

Here's When the #Cowboys and #Jets Will Revisit Their Jamal Adams Trade Ideas https://t.co/FbnaO5jjop via @SInow pic.twitter.com/sZWfQUBvk1

— fishsports ✭ (@fishsports) January 27, 2020

One way or another, the Cowboys need help creating turnovers. Delpit has a history of delivering.

Round 2: DE Bradlee Anae, Utah

Pass-rushers go fast in the NFL Draft so even though Anae wasn’t the No. 1 player on the board at this point, I went for him. The Draft Network says he’s a quality hand-fighter with an above-average first step and a great work ethic. He’s not perfect, of course. No second-round pick is. But he has a good foundation to develop. 

You may recall that The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had the Cowboys taking Texas A&M defensive tackle Justin Madubuike in the second round of his mock draft. I actually like Madubuike and he was on my radar for Round 2. Well, in this mock he fell off the board six selections before the Cowboys. The Buccaneers ended up with him at No. 45.

Baylor WR Denzel Mims. (College Football America photo by Matthew Postins

Round 3: WR Denzel Mims, Baylor

A player I saw in person twice this past collegiate season, Mims has the potential to be a highly-productive player in the NFL. I saw a solid route runner with quality hands and above-average speed, both in space and downfield. His height (6-foot-3) makes him a great red-zone target.

With the possibility of losing up to three wide receivers to free agency, Mims can have a similar rookie impact as Michael Gallup, who joined the Cowboys in 2018.

Round 4: TE Jared Pinkney, Vanderbilt

At the time of this selection (No. 113 overall), Pinkney was a Top-100 player on the board, so it made sense to go ahead and address the tight end position. Pinkney is not a player that I was all that familiar with, but at 6-foot-5 and 254 pounds, he has the height and build you’re looking for in a combo tight end. 

Colombo Jumps to #Giants; Is Jason Witten Next in #Cowboys Escape to New York? https://t.co/Ni95KmSGo3 via @SInow pic.twitter.com/qS0GEZBFKt

— fishsports ✭ (@fishsports) January 23, 2020

One certainly gets the sense that Jason Witten isn't considered an on-field key inside The Star anymore ... so you turn the page.

The Cowboys could employ Pinkney as an extra blocker right away and let him grow behind the players in front of him. The raw pass-catching skills are there.

Round 5: CB Levonta Taylor, Florida State

Taylor, according to Pro Football Focus, allowed the fewest amount of receptions per coverage snap in the nation. So why in the world is the senior going in the fifth round? It could he his height (5-foot-10). The scouting process will likely allow Taylor to boost his stock. 

For now, The Draft Network says Taylor is a sound coverage corner and in the fifth round the Cowboys could us some of that.

Round 7: DL LaBryan Ray, Alabama

I hated to wait this long to address what could be a glaring need at defensive tackle, but Ray fits the type of player that the Cowboys like to take late — a player from a power conference school with good fundamentals and potential upside. Ray has that, but he’ll have to fight for a roster spot.

Analysis: I touched just about every major need here, but some selections were better than others. I loved getting Delpit in the first round. Mims felt like great value in the third, as did Taylor in the fifth. I’m torn on Anae and whether he’ll be a good fit in Dallas, and we’ll get a better gauge of that as we learn more about how the defensive coaching staff will tweak the current formation. Pinkney and Ray are developmental picks, though I like Pinkney’s overall skill set. I’d prefer to address the defensive line earlier and find at least one offensive lineman for development purposes. But that’s why we mock, right?

My next CowboysSI.com mock draft will appear on Feb. 4. Follow me, Matthew Postins, here on Twitter.