With the NFL draft inching closer, it felt like time to mosey on over to Fanspeak's On the Clock simulator and crank out a mock draft (or seven) for the team on my beat, the Cowboys. Doing mock drafts may be an exercise in futility when it comes to actually predicting who will go in any particular draft slot, but it's a great way to force yourself to become familiar with the draft class beyond the obvious big names. Even in these pre-Combine days, doing a full mock draft allows you to uncover players barely on the radar who could turn themselves into Day Two picks with a big performance in Indianapolis next week.

The Cowboys' draft plans are under even more scrutiny than usual this season. A poor, injury-plagued 2015 has left them with the fourth overall pick, presenting them with two equally enticing possibilities. With Tony Romo and Jason Witten nearing the ends of their respective careers, a high draft pick gives Dallas a chance to grab a player who could make an immediate impact and push them right back to the top of the NFC East. On the other hand, a top five draft pick also gives them an opportunity to select Romo's eventual replacement, something that appears to be an even bigger need after a year in which Romo played just four games. Franchises rarely get a chance to pass the torch directly from one franchise QB to another the way the Packers did with Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, or the Colts with Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck, and the Cowboys may not be in a better position to ensure that kind of continuity than with this year's draft. In the later rounds, Dallas also has a mittful of compensation picks, which gives them some flexibility when it comes to making trades or simply re-stocking the depth chart.

All that said, here's my first kick at the mock draft can:

Round 1 (pick 4): Carson Wentz, QB, NDSU. After impressing Jason Garrett at Senior Bowl practices, I can't escape the possibility that the Cowboys will look for their Rodgers or Luck with this pick. Jalen Ramsey and Myles Jack were also options here, but Ramsey is a hybrid safety/corner (something the Cowboys already have in Byron Jones, last year's first round pick) and Jack is a pure Will LB in a 4-3 defense, and would be stuck behind Sean Lee in Dallas. Wentz is, of course, also stuck behind Romo, but he has all the physical tools you could want in a modern QB and will get plenty of time to get up to speed carrying a clipboard rather than being thrown into the NFL fire straight out of North Dakota State. His size, athleticism, arm and leadership qualities all appear to be excellent, and while his footwork and tendency to lock onto a receiver need a little work (something that you could say about almost every college QB ever) and his lower level of college might create some uncertainty as to his ability to handle tougher competition, I truly believe that if Wentz had been recruited by an FBS school instead of walking on at an FCS school, he'd be considered a cinch for the number one spot in this draft. If that uncertainty creates an opening for the Cowboys to land him with the fourth pick, so much the better for them.

Round 2 (pick 34): Artie Burns, CB, U of Miami. This is one of the players I expect to burn up the Combine and possibly put himself in contention for a spot in the first round. He's got the size and arm length to be effective as a press corner and the speed, as a former track star, to be effective as a man corner. He's got the instincts to be a ballhawk, something the Cowboys desperately need in their secondary, and also has the swagger teams are looking for after Richard Sherman and Josh Norman became household names. Plus, after taking Wentz at four, Dallas will want a player who can step right into their starting lineup rather than any kind of project (such as linebacker Jaylon Smith, who will miss most or all of 2016 after knee surgery). Burns ticks all those boxes and could make an impact for a team that will be looking to replace one or both of Mo Claiborne and Brandon Carr this offseason.

Round 3 (pick 67): Chris Jones, DT, Mississippi State. The Cowboys currently have second round bookends on their defensive line in DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory, and a third round pick at the three-technique in Tyrone Crawford. What they lack is a potential impact player at the one-tech, and while coordinator Rod Marinelli's defense doesn't put a big priority on that position, Jones' size and athleticism should allow him to act as the run stuffer and pocket collapser the defense needs once Marinelli coaches him up.

Round 4 (pick 102): Aaron Green, RB, TCU. In some ways, Green is a poor man's Emmitt Smith, a guy without game-breaking speed who instead does everything at least fairly well and plays his heart out on the field. Given that he also went to school in Dallas' back yard, having him supply depth behind the brittle Darren McFadden just makes too much sense.

Round 4 (pick 137): Sean Davis, S, Maryland. Davis is another corner/safety hybrid, but his style screams strong safety, as he plays downhill with a good closing burst and tackling technique. His coverage skills and play in space need some work, but even in that regard he'd be an upgrade over current starter Barry Church, who's an outright liability as a pass defender. Davis would provide the physical complement to Byron Jones' athletic ability, and in a year or two the duo could become one of the better safety tandems in the NFL.

Round 6 (pick 192): Ronald Blair, DE, Appalachian State. The Cowboys have a penchant for small-school projects, and while he could improve his fortunes well beyond this spot with a good Combine, Blair's lack of height (he's listed at six-foot-one) for a DE could be seen as a liability by some clubs. If you look past that, though, he ticks a lot of boxes. He has NFL bulk, strength and athleticism, a great motor, and he seems to show up big on bigger stages (one of his best games of last year came against Clemson, when he recorded seven solo tackles including two sacks). He could develop into a solid rotational pass rusher, or perhaps even something more.

Round 6 (pick 212): Demarcus Ayers, WR/KR, Houston. Dallas has had plenty of success drafting Demarcuses over the years, so why not one more? Ayers is smaller than the Cowboys like their wide receivers to be, but he's got game-breaking speed and showed soft hands in college. His route-running needs plenty of work, and he probably could have used another year in college to get physically stronger, but at the very least Ayers should make an immediate impact as a kick returner.

Round 6 (pick 216): Luke Rhodes, LB, William & Mary. Another small-school defender, Rhodes is your classic max-effort locker room leader who might have juuuuust enough athleticism to survive in the NFL as a special teams ace and depth Mike/Sam linebacker.

Round 6 (pick 217): Ian Seau, DE/OLB, Nevada. Yep, he's Junior's nephew. He was a late bloomer in college and may not be a great fit in a 4-3 defense, having the size of a 3-4 OLB instead of a 4-3 DE, but it's tough to overlook Hall of Fame bloodlines. His motor and pass rushing ability could allow him to fit as a situational pass rusher in any scheme, though.