FRISCO, Texas -- As we enter NFL mock draft season, here are some words of advice: take mock drafts at this time of the year with a thousand grains of salt. Second, take mock drafts at all times of the year with a grain of salt.
They are not meant to be gospel, especially since most teams won’t know who they will take until they are on the clock.
Now that is off my chest, here goes: ESPN Insider Todd McShay offered up his second mock draft and he has the Dallas Cowboys sticking with a defensive tackle.
In December, he had the Cowboys taking Clemson’s Christian Wilkins but he opted to return to school. Now McShay has the Cowboys selecting Michigan defensive tackle Maurice Hurst. Fellow ESPN Insider Mel Kiper had the Cowboys taking Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea in his first mock draft.
Hurst and Vea are different players and both make sense for the Cowboys but cases can be made against both as well at No. 19 overall.
With Vea, the Cowboys have not shown an inclination to want to spend a high pick or a lot of money on a nose tackle. It’s just not Rod Marinelli’s way. Now, that could change if the Cowboys believe Vea has the characteristics to make him a three-down, dominant player.
With Hurst, he would fit with the Cowboys as a three-technique, the under tackle in Marinelli’s scheme. He is not the biggest, but he was productive. His sack total and tackle for loss total increased each season at Michigan. He is active. He is a good athlete. He can be a good fit.
One quibble I would have with this pick is the Cowboys already feel good about their three-technique in Maliek Collins. He played out of position last season after Stephen Paea was lost to a knee injury, moving to the nose tackle spot. His sack and tackle numbers dropped from his rookie year in part because of the position change and in part because of a foot injury that required surgery after the season.
The Cowboys believe Collins can be a top three-technique in this scheme. Would it make sense to draft another three-technique at No. 19 overall? Maybe not.
In looking at McShay’s mock, it is interesting to note the players available when the Cowboys picked.
Georgia guard Isaiah Wynn went No. 20 overall. The Cowboys have drafted three offensive linemen in the first round since 2011 (Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick and Zack Martin). They need a left guard. Wynn could make a ton of sense, especially with how the Cowboys want to lean on Ezekiel Elliott and the running game.
Texas A&M wide receiver Christian Kirk went No. 24 overall to the Carolina Panthers. The Cowboys’ need for a receiver would increase greatly if they part ways with Dez Bryant. He has the top-end speed the Cowboys need to open things up down the field.
South Dakota State tight end Dallas Goedert went No. 25 to the Tennessee Titans. He is considered the best two-way tight end in the draft. He had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and 18 touchdown catches in his final two seasons. Jason Witten turns 36 in May and the Cowboys could look to groom his replacement for a year or two.
