2009 NFL DRAFT: What Will The Cowboys Do?

The NFL Draft is a little more than a week away (Saturday & Sunday, April 25-26) and we know about as much about the Cowboys’ draft plans as we did back in January. While this blog post will focus on the Cowboys, over the next week and a half, we’ll also feature some hometown prospects and do a full seven round mock draft next Friday.

With only one pick on the first day (2^nd round – 51^st overall selection), Dallas has some added pressure to get this one right. However, without any glaring weaknesses, the ‘Boys also have the luxury of taking one of the best players available or possibly packaging picks to trade up. Owner/GM/Master of his Universe Jerry Jones currently holds 11 draft selections in his hands (#51, 69, 101, 117, 156, 166, 172, 197, 208, 210, 227), but we all know that Jerry will wheel and deal whatever picks necessary until he comes away happy on draft day.

Jerry & gang are traditionally unpredictable when it comes to draft weekend, but let’s take a stab at five positions that will be of close interest to the Cowboys on April 25 and 26.

Safety – The Cowboys need a versatile safety who will not only lay the wood in run support, but can also drop back into coverage and help downfield (you know, like a safety is supposed to). Without a sure-fire first round safety in this class, Dallas is in a great situation in the mid-second round with three or four safeties expected to be taken in the second round-range.

Sitting at pick #51, the Cowboys could be in position to snatch the second or third top safety off the board. We rank the top safeties available in this order: Louis Delmas (Western Michigan), Patrick Chung (Oregon), William Moore (Missouri), Rashad Johnson (Alabama), and Chip Vaughn (Wake Forest) – all of whom could hear their name in that second frame. In our opinion, Chung might be the best fit for Dallas because he is versatile enough to play both free and strong safety as well as some cornerback in the nickel if needed. He has above average instincts and experience, starting the same amount of games in college as the pick the Cowboys have in the second round (yes, 51 straight collegiate starts). Like most safeties, he works best with the play in front of him and still needs to improve his coverage skills in open space. You can find his full Scouting Report here.

With a handful of quality safeties available in the second round, the Cowboys should target one with that first pick, however, if they wish to wait until the middle or later rounds, there are a few players Dallas could be looking at: Texas Tech’s Darcel McBath, Clemson’s Michael Hamlin, and Notre Dame’s David Bruton – all will probably hear their names between the 3^rd-5^th Rounds.

Offensive line – While the ‘Boys O-line is already solid, it isn’t getting any younger and could be an injury or two away from disaster. No one thinks guard Kyle Kosier is going to a Pro Bowl anytime soon, but his presence was definitely felt last season when he missed substantial time due to injury. Left tackle Flozell Adams, who will soon turn 34-years old, was among the league leaders in holding penalties the past few seasons and is past his prime.

With the fifth pick in the 3^rd round (69^th overall selection), Jerry would be wise to look for a talented lineman to add depth and a player to be can groomed into a future starter. A few prospects to remember are Jamon Meredith (South Carolina), Andy Levitre (Oregon State), Phil Loadholt (Oklahoma), Herman Johnson (LSU), and Kraig Urbik (Wisconsin). Meredith and Levitre, who might only be available with the 51^st overall pick, are both prospects that primarily played tackle in college, but are expected to move inside to guard in the NFL.  However the versatility to move out to tackle in a pinch if needed is a huge plus in the minds’ of NFL scouts. In our minds Loadholt and Johnson are both overrated as 2^nd-3^rd round prospects. Loadholt certainly has the size (6’8″, 340 lbs.) and long arms that teams covet, but he moves like his feet are in wet cement and will be limited in the NFL against speed rushers. Kraig Urbik is a name flying under the radar at this point of the draft process, but he is another guard/tackle hybrid who will never get much press time, but puts in maximum effort on every play.

Wide Receiver – This pick comes down to how comfortable Wade Phillips, Jason Garrett, and Jerry are with the supporting cast of receivers next to Roy Williams, who they have committed to as their new #1 guy. Patrick Crayton struggled to be a reliable #2 last season, (hence the mid-season trade for Williams) but is he ready now? What about Miles Austin and Sam Hurd, are they ready to step up? We all have our opinions on Dallas’ receivers, but look for Jerry to come away with at least one wideout in this draft.

One rumor out there is that a trio of first round receivers could be sliding into the second round. Florida’s Percy Harvin, North Carolina’s Hakeem Nicks, and Rutgers’ Kenny Britt are thought to be late-first round possibilities, but many feel they will fall to the second frame because of some character and conditioning issues. A report out of Valley Ranch also claims the Harvin has been taken off the Cowboys draft board all together. Nevertheless, don’t expect any of the three to fall to #51. More realistic possibilities for the Cowboys in the second round are Brian Robiskie (Ohio State), Juaquin Iglesias (Oklahoma), Mike Wallace (Mississippi), and Mohamed Massaquoi (Georgia). Another prospect to watch is West Virginia “athlete” Pat White who can contribute in a countless number of ways.

If Dallas waits until the middle rounds to grab a receiver, they could be looking at Mike Thomas (Arizona), Kenny McKinley (South Carolina), Ramses Barden (Cal Poly), Louis Murphy (Florida), or Derrick Williams (Penn State).

Pass Rusher – Dallas has been entertaining a few pass rushers throughout this draft process, including Northern Illinois’ Larry English. The Anthony Spencer experiment isn’t a complete bust, but it’s close. English is a high-energy college defensive end who fits best as a stand up linebacker in a 3-4 defensive scheme. He has arguably the best motor of any prospect in this draft and the only chance Dallas has to get him might be to trade up into the late first or early second round.

More realistic possibilities for the Cowboys with the 51^st or 69^th picks are Cody Brown (Connecticut), Lawrence Sidbury (Richmond), Paul Kruger (Utah), or Brandon Williams (Texas Tech).

Quarterback – There isn’t a quarterback controversy as Tony Romo is the guy and newly acquired Jon Kitna is firmly entrenched as the back-up. However, Jerry would be wise to draft a quarterback in the late rounds to sit for a few years to groom in their system (a la Romo). Two passers to watch will be Louisville’s Hunter Cantwell, who I think might be the most underrated player in this class, and Texas A&M’s Stephen McGee.

Next time we’ll highlight some local prospects, considering that three of the top four prospects on my Draft Board are from Dallas. Below is my Top 10 Overall Prospects:

1. Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia

2. Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest

3. Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech

4. Jason Smith, OT, Baylor

5. Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia

6. Mark Sanchez, QB, USC

7. Andre Smith, OT, Alabama

8. Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia

9. Brian Orakpo, DE/OLB, Texas

10. Malcolm Jenkins, CB/S, Ohio State

Oh and of course, don’t forget about the RoughRiders home opener tonight at Dr Pepper Ballpark, LHP Kasey Kiker will get the start for Frisco.