All-Star Games Provide Good Cowboys Options

Melvin Ingram

The two biggest All-Star games have concluded, and the results have to please Cowboys draftniks, as the anticipated strengths of the cornerback and guard classes were confirmed.  (Nearly all scouts will leave today, when practices conclude. To them Senior Bowl week is over.)  Some notes and conclusions:

1.  Fourteen is a good place to be.  The NFL Network put much of its early practice attention on the South team's front seven prospects, led by North Carolina end Quinton Coples, Alabama hybrid end Courtney Upshaw and South Carolina's Mr. Everywhere Melvin Ingram.  All stood out, and made themselves money, while costing the tackles who had to face them some dough.

Let's pick the top 10 apart.  Here are some players who figure as consensus top 10 selections:

1. Andrew Luck
2. Robert Griffin
3. Morris Claiborne
4. Matt Kalil
5. Riley Reiff
6. Justin Blackmon

That brings the next group frequently seen in the 10-12 of mocks:

1. Trent Richardson (he's a consensus top-10 grade, but backs do fall.  I've seen him as low as 18 in mocks.)
2. Dre Kirkpatrick
3. Michael Brockers  
4. Quenton Coples
5. Courtney Upshaw
6. David DeCastro
7. Jonathan Martin

That's thirteen names, not including Ingram.  If a Devon Still, or a Luke Kuechly or some late riser jumps into the top 13, say a Ryan Tannehill or a Mike Adams, Dallas gets a player or players to choose from that second pool.  This happens almost every year.  Who could have predicted two years ago that Tyson Alualu would go 10th overall?  Or that Jake Locker and Christian Ponder would go 8th and 12th last year?

The top guard and rushers in this class are in play for pick 14.  It's a matter of which one(s)?

2.  Barring a crazy drop by a player like Tannehill, cornerback is looking more and more like the 2nd round value....

Janoris Jenkins was one of the Senior Bowl's standouts and may have cemented himself in the 1st.  Brandon Boykin, Jamell Fleming and Casey Heyward also had strong weeks, according to many draftniks.  Josh Norman was one of the top players at the East-West Shrine Game.  Stephon Gilmore and Alfonzo Dennard also figure to go between the top juniors Claiborne and Kirkpatrick and this bunch.  Dallas should have a number of corner options at pick 45.

3.  Unless the Cowboys want to pick a guard
If the Cowboys miss on DeCastro in the 1st?  They should have 2nd round options.  The big-body guards played well.  Iowa State's Kelechi Osemele dominated in some one-on-one drills.  He's likely behind Georgia's massive Cordy Glenn, who may have locked himself into the late 1st after his workouts.  Brandon Brooks jumped into the guard mix after a strong week at the Shrine Game.  When guards like Kevin Zeitler and Lucas Nix look like 3rd round possibilities, Dallas will have interior line options.

4.  Do we get any direction from team interviews?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  Dallas interviewed all the players you expect them to.  Coples, Upshaw and Ingram got their time.  The top corners did as well, though there's some question as to whether Dallas completed one with Janoris Jenkins.  Osemele was interviewed.  The Cowboys know their bigger needs.  They're not trying to deny them.

5.  SEC clones?
Did you notice these numbers from the Senior Bowl weigh in?
Courtney Upshaw --  height: 6014,  weight: 273
Melvin Ingram -- height 6017,  weight 276

Almost identical sizes.  Diifferent games.  Upshaw is power and leverage.  Ingram has a bag of spins, clubs and counters.  Both were very effective this week beating blocks.  Who would you take if both were available at pick 14?

Barring an incredible value pick at quarterback in the first couple of rounds, I still see Dallas playing some DE/OLB, cornerback, guard parlay in rounds one through three, with a slot receiver/punt returner getting attention starting in rounds 3 and 4.