Cowboys 7-Round Mock Draft Headlined by Demarcus Lawrence, DE, Boise State

If you’re like every other die hard football fan out there, you cannot wait for next next week, the anxiety is palpable! The draft rumors are in typical high gear right now and when the dust settles, I’m sure there will be some draft day controversy swirling around the Cowboys. For now, I’m taking another approach to my Cowboys 7-round mock draft, and this time I have opted to execute a few trades. For this mock draft the pedigree guys we all want were gone before #16, Anthony Barr, Aaron Donald, Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans just to name a few. With that being said, I made a trade with the Packers for their #21 overall and their 2nd round pick #53 overall.

Let’s take a look at my 7-round mock draft 5.0

Let’s talk about my selections:

1st round (#21): Demarcus Lawrence, DE, Boise State

The Cowboys need to double-dip on several defensive positions, and Lawrence will start the new era of Cowboys defense. Yes, he can be had in the 2nd round, but he’ll be one of those players that will creep into the 1st round come draft day. The Cowboys are fans of the Boise State program and they will go to the well again with Lawrence. If we learned anything from the Seahawks defense it was the defensive line play and constant pressure. Dallas needs to mold this draft into a pressure making draft class. If you can pressure the QB, the defensive backs will have more chances for ints. The Cowboys have to be excited about what Marinelli and Lett will do with any defensive lineman we select this year. They will get these rookies playing to their potential.

2nd round (#47): Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida State

This selection was a no brainer, with Jernigan still on the board, I took the pick and have solidified the front four with this second selection. By this time we are all familiar with what Jernigan will bring to the table and he’ll be an immediate impact player on the defensive line. He’ll stuff the run and draw double-teams.

2nd round (#53 via Packers trade): Billy Turner, OT, North Dakota State

Coming away with some offensive line depth will happen in this draft, I decided to go with the scrappy mauler in Billy Turner. Now we’re rolling and going to work! Turner bring toughness and nastiness that we have not seen since Erik Williams back in the day. If we can get Turner in this draft we will be sitting really good at the end of this.

3rd round (#78): Troy Niklas, TE, Notre Dame

I’m fully prepared and fully expecting the Cowboys to draft a tight end in this draft. James Hanna and Gavin Escobar are not true blocking tight ends, but Niklas lives for it and he’s a legit pass catching, big bodied player. I’m taking Niklas here and terrifying our NFC East rivals with this herculean beast. Niklas is also cousins with the Matthews bloodline. C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE, Iowa was still on the board as well, but I went with Niklas. Notre Dame has become University TE and Cowboys TE Coach Mike Pope will mold him into a Pro Bowl player.

4th round (#111 via Detroit trade): Will Clarke, DE, West Virginia

Will Clarke is a player I’ve been watching since the East-West shrine game, he made an impact on me just in that one game. When I found out he was among the Cowboys draft visits I was excited at the prospect of seeing Clarke don the Star. Clarke had a productive college career and is disruptive, with a motor, and that’s something Marinelli will love to use to attack opposing quartbacks this year and beyond. (traded our 4th and two 7th rounders)

5th round (#150 via Jaguars trade): Josh Huff, WR, Oregon

Huff is a dynamic and explosive player who will go into the slot and make plays. Adding Huff gives us some added insurance at the receiving corps now that we have cut ties with Miles Austin. (traded our 5th and a 7th rounder to move up to #150 from #158)

7th round (#248 comp pick): Xavius Boyd, OLB, Western Kentucky

Boyd had a breakout season last year and lead with a ton of tackles for a loss. He’s a playmaker. It’ll be Marinelli and the defensive coaches that turn him into a draft day gem this late in the draft. Boyd was another player that has met with the Cowboys, so look for Boyd possibly being targeted somewhere in the later rounds. He was still on the board, so the pick was made. Some highlights here.

7th round (#251 comp pick): Kerry Hyder, DT, Texas Tech

We’re going to keep adding young talent and give the Cowboys some true depth at the defensive tackle position. Marinelli wants pressure from all points, so with quality depth and fresh legs, he’ll have this defense vastly improved from last year.

7th round (#254 comp pick): Garrett Gilbert, QB, SMU

Could be the ultra sleeper gem from this mock draft. Gilbert has created himself some positive reviews with his pro day and private workouts, so Gilbert could go earlier perhaps. For now, we close out this draft with Gilbert and hope he can push someone out of the way and more.

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