Cowboys NFL Draft: Who Does Sports Illustrated Mock as Dallas' Top 3 Picks?

The Dallas Cowboys and the NFL Draft: Who Does Sports Illustrated's MMQB Mock as Big D's Top 3 Picks?

FRISCO - If the Dallas Cowboys get to pick No. 17 in the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft and the following prospects - Xavier McKinney, Kristian Fulton, Henry Ruggs and Javon Kinlaw - are on the board - who will Dallas tab?

According to the latest NFL Mock Draft from MMQB's Kevin Hanson at Sports Illustrated, Javon Kinlaw is the guy. Writes Hanson:

17. Dallas Cowboys: Javon Kinlaw, IDL, South Carolina

Given the loss of Byron Jones in free agency, the Cowboys would strongly consider C.J. Henderson here, if he were still available. That said, it’s possible Kinlaw is the top-ranked player on the team’s draft board. With a blend of size, length, strength and quickness, Kinlaw generated 10 sacks over the past two seasons despite consistently facing double teams.

Some notes on our views here:

*Dallas certainly likes Kinlaw, and the free-agency signing of Gerald McCoy doesn't change that. Nor does the Dontari Poe deal. More beef!

*CJ Henderson, the Florida cornerback, is worthy of mention here, so MMQB has that right. We wrote about the possibility that Dallas might "zero'' in on Henderson a few days ago.

*Regarding the safety McKinney from Alabama: We shouldn't be fooled into thinking the free-agent signing of Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix suddenly makes the need go away.

*Henry Ruggs, the Alabama receiver, is in the right range, might not fill a "need'' (relative to Dallas' defensive holes) but most importantly, like the rest of this crew, is too early to be slotted "in order according to Dallas' board,'' as some have wrongly claimed - because Cowboys personnel boss hasn't built that board yet.

MMQB also pinpoints a Cowboys pick in Round 2 and a Cowboys pick in Round 3. Click here for that, and the rest of the latest SI mock draft ... and go here for Matthew Postins' CowboysSI.com Mock Version 7.0.