With the Combine and the initial wave of free agent signings now done, Dallas' shopping list heading into the draft has become a little clearer. The return of Terrance Williams removes the need for an early WR, but the secondary still has some glaring holes with Nolan Carroll being little more than a depth option. The offensive line suddenly has a couple of openings, and La'el Collins can only fill one of them. The pass rush is still a concern, and the Cowboys still need to start grooming a replacement for Jason Witten (unless you believe all the optimistic talk starting to bubble up about Rico Gathers).
With all that understood, I went back to Fanspeak for my second mock of the draft season (the first can be found here), using Fanspeak's big board and the fan-voted team needs to guide the selections for the other 31 clubs. The Cowboys, during Will McClay's tenure running the show as the team's draft guru, have focused on SPARQ stars from power conferences, so that's where I'll direct my attention.
Round 1 (pick 28): Gareon Conley, CB, Ohio State. Conley has good size and length, ran a 4.44 40-yard dash at the combine, and showed an aptitude for press/man coverage in school. He's definitely got some technique issues to work on and isn't a great tackler, but his athleticism and compete level could allow him to be a Week 1 starter on a defense that needs Week 1 starters in the secondary. Incidentally, the other considerations at this spot were T.J. Watt, who I like but am not entirely convinced is an every-down 4-3 DE, and Obi Melifonwu, but pairing Byron Jones with another UConn safety just seems a little too pat and perfect.
Round 2 (pick 60): Jordan Willis, DE, Kansas State. This might be optimistic after his impressive combine performance, but in a draft deep at DE somebody could easily tumble a bit. Plus, Willis' tape doesn't quite match the level of athleticism he showed in Indy. In school he looked more like a dogged effort guy with a good motor but limited moveset as a pass rusher than a truly dominant DE. Hopefully that's simply a matter of needing to be coached up in the pros.
Round 3 (pick 92): Desmond King, S, Iowa. Back to the secondary we go, as the Cowboys look for a Barry Church replacement. King was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2015 as a corner on the strength of eight INTs and could easily have declared then, but he elected to return to Iowa for his senior year and saw his stats droop as other teams avoided throwing to his side of the field. His size, toughness and relative lack of foot speed point to a shift to safety in the NFL, but his ball-hawking and cover skills will still be an asset anywhere he plays. He also has some value as a kick returner.
Round 4 (pick 133): Tyus Bowser, DE, Houston. Another positional double-dip, but I'm assuming the Cowboys won't be able to resist coming away with the top two edge rushers at the combine (when rated by SPARQ score, anyway). Bowser is a former basketball player whose football skills are still raw, and he may not have the size to develop into an every-down DE in a 4-3 scheme. That said, he showed tremendous improvement between 2015 and 2016 and could easily find a fit in Dallas as a sub package pass rusher, special teams player and occasional Sam linebacker.
Round 6 (pick 211): J.J. Dielman, T/C, Utah. No, that position isn't a typo. Dielman spent his first couple of season at Utah as a right tackle, but got shifted to center in 2016 and didn't look out of place before a leg injury ended his final season after five games. He's got the frame to add enough weight to hold up on the edge and the athleticism and mobility the Cowboys look for on their offensive line, although his arms are a bit short, but his technique leaves a lot to be desired (which is partially why he got moved inside, and largely why he'll probably be available on Day Three). That makes him a project, so he won't be a solution to the team's LG/RT issue in 2017, but in the sixth round grabbing a player with positional versatility and future starter potential isn't bad value.
Round 7 (pick 228): Jehu Chesson, WR. Michigan. Chesson's an odd case who could easily slip between the cracks in this draft, and possibly even be a UDFA. He looked pretty darn good in 2015 before injuring his knee in the Citrus Bowl, but wasn't the same player at all in 2016, lacking any kind of explosiveness or ability to separate. However, he excelled at the combine, posting a SPARQ score just shy of the 90th percentile for NFL receivers and running a 4.47 40-yard dash, so it's possible he just needed extra time to put the knee injury behind him. He's got the size and physicality the Cowboys like in their WRs, so taking a chance the 2015 version of Chesson has returned is well worth a seventh-round gamble.
Round 7 (pick 246): George Kittle, TE, Iowa. This is a bit of a cheat, as he wasn't even on Fanspeak's board and should go a couple rounds higher than this in real life, but what the heck. Kittle doesn't have a complete SPARQ score yet, but a 4.52 40-yard dash, 35-inch vertical and 11-foot broad jump suggest he'll rank among the elite at his position once his Pro Day has filled in the gaps. He's a willing, even eager, blocker with good hands as a receiver, and while he's maybe a bit undersized to be a full-time in-line tight end, he's about the same size as current Cowboy Geoff Swaim was coming out of school, and Kittle has the frame to add some weight. He's the kind of hard-nosed player who could grow immeasurably by getting to learn at the feet of a Hall of Famer like Witten for a season or two.