Cowboys NFL Mock Draft 3.0: What If Dallas Takes Offense First?
Here is my third Dallas Cowboys Mock Draft for the 2020 NFL Draft, and I made one key adjustment this time around. I gamed it out to see if taking an offensive player in the first round might change how the draft goes for the Cowboys.
First, if you saw Mock Draft 1.0 (click here if you didn’t), you saw that I used thedraftnetwork.com’s big board. For Mock Draft 2.0 (click here if you didn’t see it) I used TDN’s predictive draft board. For this third draft I went back to the TDN big board.
But the big change this time was that I wanted to take the best available offensive player on the board just to see how that might change things in the mock. We’ll get to my conclusions in just a minute.
Now, let’s see how the second mock draft played out.
Round 1: WR Laviska Shenault Jr., Colorado
Shenault was the top player on the board when the Cowboys came up, so that’s who I took. He’s local, as he went to DeSoto High School in DFW. He’s considered an X-receiver or slot guy in the NFL, so there’s versatility to be had. He comes from an athletic family so the genes are there, too.
He had a huge sophomore year (86 catches for 1,011 yards and 11 touchdowns), but took a bit of a step back statistically his junior year. He’s battled injuries the past few years, including a torn labrum, so there’s risk. He’s a versatile receiver with great hands and a solid build who, like most rookies, will need to improve his route tree. But putting him in a wide receiver’s room with Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup, along with Shenault’s local ties, makes this pick a potential home run for the Cowboys.
Now, let’s see what happens AFTER this.
Jan. 27 Mock: S Grant Delpit, LSU
Feb. 4 Mock: DE K’Lavon Chaisson, LSU
Texas A&M defensive tackle Justin Madubuike. (College Football America photo by Matthew Postins)
Round 2: DT Justin Madubuike, Texas A&M
This wasn’t a hard choice when he was at the top of the board in the second round. I saw him in person against Texas State and I love his physicality and his motor. Since we don’t know exactly what new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan is going to do with this defense, we’re going to have to be open-minded about what the Cowboys entertain in terms of draft picks.
Having watched him in person, I can tell you Justin can fit into multiple schemes and will be a hard player for offensive lines to deal with. I think he has the potential to make an impact Day 1.
Jan. 27 Mock: DE Bradlee Anae, Utah
Feb. 4 Mock: DT Ross Blacklock, TCU
Round 3: S Brandon Jones, Texas
Here is another player I saw last year in person (against Oklahoma State) and a pick that can address a need on the Cowboys’ defense. Against OSU I saw a player who was built perfectly for safety and loves to hit. He got in some great hits defending the run game against the Cowboys. But I didn’t see much in the passing game and after re-watching that game I was underwhelmed by his skills in the passing game.
Now, NFL safeties have been successful as simply run-stuffers (see Bob Sanders). And you can deploy formations to insulate Jones in passing situations. But what you’re really hoping is that he can remain the stout run defender that he is and grow into a competent pass defender. So he’s a project in the passing game. But as a run defender he can be a real asset on first and second down.
Jan. 27 Mock: WR Denzel Mims, Baylor
Feb. 4 Mock: WR K.J. Hill, Ohio State
Round 4: DE Khalid Kareem, Notre Dame
I love the size for a 4-3 defense — 6-foot-4, 265 pounds. I saw him against Michigan in 2018 but he wasn’t memorable in that game. Scouting reports at TDN say he has the ideal frame for a defensive end and has a great power game. But he needs to work on outside contain and getting a better jump at the line of scrimmage.
No one in the fourth round is perfect. But the raw assets are there to turn Kareem into something of note in a defense that now seems wide open from a formational standpoint.
Jan. 27 Mock: TE Jared Pinkney, Vanderbilt
Feb. 4 Mock: S Richie Grant, UCF
Round 5: CB Essang Bassey, Wake Forest
He was the top player on the board at the time of the selection and I had not addressed cornerback by that point, so I took a flier on Bassey.
The height worries me — he’s just 5-foot-9. That makes him an NFL slot corner. But every scouting report I’ve read, and every highlight tape I’ve seen, shows Bassey to be a solid player on the ball with above-average hands and route-reading skills.
His size is going to hurt him in this draft. But I think this shows the sort of corner talent that is available once you get into the fifth round, and if Bassey is the best of what is there then the Cowboys may have to look to this position sooner, if it’s a true need.
Jan. 27 Mock: CB Levonta Taylor, Florida State
Feb. 4 Mock: OT Jack Driscoll, Auburn
Round 7: OT Colton McKivitz, West Virginia
I’ve seen McKivitz play in person three times the past two years and he’s an earth mover. He pushes people around. He’s a solid fundamental player in pass protection and I think he could emerge as a starter in the league by Year 3. But he needs to go to a team with a solid offensive line where he can watch and learn. Dallas would be the perfect place for the Mountaineer.
Jan. 27 Mock: DL LaBryan Ray, Alabama
Feb. 4 Mock: CB Lavert Hill, Michigan
Analysis: This was an interesting exercise. The addition of Shenault has the potential to make the passing offense downright lethal. Madubuike in the second round would be an absolute steal. But, after that you start to see what you give up when you take offense in the first round.
Jones is a solid safety, but not a well-rounded one. Kareem has prototypical measurables but has been inconsistent. Bassey may have been a great corner in the ACC, but his size will hurt him in the NFL. McKivitz won’t be an impact player in Year 1. What we have here are two players in Sheanult and Madubuike who could contribute Day 1 and four that may not contribute steadily for at least a year. It gives us a glimpse of the challenges the Cowboys face if they go offense first.
My next mock draft will appear on Feb. 18, and you can discuss it all below and with me on Twitter at @PostinsPostcard
