Richie Whitt's Sportatorium Offers Up Mock Draft
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Your Dallas Cowboys would love to address defense with Alabama safety Mark Barron, but I'm told there are those in their war room who have significant doubts about his coverage ability.
And in this day and age where offenses employ 4-receiver sets much more than the running game, shouldn't teams just start 4 cornerbacks in the secondary?
Making the decision easy, Barron won't be there at 14. The Cowboys are going to find it impossible to shun their desperation for defense and take Stanford offensive lineman David DeCastro. If he's there, which is also iffy.
The Cowboys signed guards Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau in free agency, but still need to upgrade center where undersized Phil Costa was consistently shoved into Tony Romo's lap last year.
At Stanford's Pro Day the Cowboys worked out DeCastro at center, which totally changes the way we should think about him. The Cowboys still need defense, yes, but adding DeCastro as a ready-to-start center along with the new guards – combined with tackles Tyron Smith and Doug Free – and suddenly Romo is protected for this year and beyond.
If both Barron and DeCastro are gone, which is extremely possible, the Cowboys will pick from the quality litter of defensive linemen, and I hear they really like LSU's Michael Brockers.
1. COLTS – Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
2. REDSKINS – Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
3. VIKINGS – Matt Kalil, OT, USC
4. BROWNS – Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
5. BUCCANEERS – Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
6. RAMS – Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
7. JAGUARS – Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State
8. DOLPHINS – Ryan Tannehill, QB A&M
9. PANTHERS – Luke Keekly LB BC
10. BILLS – Mark Barron S Alabama
11. CHIEFS – Stephon Gilmore CB South Carolina
12. SEAHAWKS – Melvin Ingram DE South Carolina
13. CARDINALS – Riley Reiff OT Iowa
14. COWBOYS – David DeCastro OG Stanford
15. EAGLES - Quinton Coples DE NC
16. JETS – Michael Floyd WR ND
17. BENGALS – Dre Kirkpatrick CB Alabama
18. CHARGERS – Chandler Jones LB Syracuse
19. BEARS – Michael Brockers DT LSU
20. TITANS – Dontari Poe
21. BENGALS – Courtney Upshaw DE Alabama
22. BROWNS – Kendall Wright WR Baylor
23. LIONS – Cordy Glenn OT Georgia
24. STEELERS – Donta Hightower ILB Alabama
25. BRONCOS – Kendall Reyes DT UConn
26. TEXANS – Whitney Maercellus OLB Illinois
27. PATRIOTS – Shea McClelland LB Boise
28. PACKERS – Harrison Smith S Notre Dame
29. RAVENS – Stephen Hill WR GT
30. 49ERS – Amini Silatolu OG Midwestern State
31. PATRIOTS – Trade/ Peter Konz OG Wisconsin
32. GIANTS – Jonathan Martin OT Stanford
