With the NFL draft now only a week away, it seemed like a good time to grab Fanspeak's On the Clock simulator to crank out one more mock draft for the Cowboys. My previous two efforts are here and here. The biggest news item since the last one was Greg Hardy's massive 10-game suspension, which suddenly makes DE more of a priority again for Dallas (although Hardy will appeal, and there's at least a decent chance the suspension gets knocked down to six games). The lesser bit of post-combine scuttlebutt which could impact the Cowboys' draft is word that Jay Ajayi's knee is a concern to some teams. Now in this case "concern" is probably code for "we really like him so we'll spread some dirt around in the hopes he drops to us", but considering that I had Ajayi at the top of the second tier of running backs on my personal board after Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon, it could affect his availability for Dallas' second round pick.

With all that in mind, let's see how this mock played out:

Round 1 (pick 27): Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska. In reality, there's almost no way the Cowboys get Gregory in this spot. Not that it would surprise me if he drops due to his failed drug test, but if he does drop into the late teens I'd expect a lot of phones to start blowing up as teams look to trade up to grab him. Heck, given Jerry Jones' usual habits, the Cowboys will likely be one of those teams. But this is a no-trade mock, and Gregory (rated the #9 overall prospect on the composite OTC board I was using) fell, so I pounced. As a bookend to DeMarcus Lawrence, and then a backup to Lawrence and Hardy whenever Hardy gets on the field, Gregory would give the Cowboys a potentially massive upgrade to their edge rush if Rod Marinelli can work his magic on him. He's raw, but his physical talent gives him a massive ceiling.

Round 2 (pick 60): Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana. No back in the draft, not even Gordon or Gurley, has Coleman's game-breaking ability. His acceleration, agility and top-end speed are all world class, and he's willing to lower the pads and bang for those last couple of yards rather than glide out of bounds. He's got a few things to work on, which is why he's in the second tier instead of being seen as a possible first round pick like the two bigger names, but the thought of Coleman running behind the Cowboys' offensive line should have fantasy owners salivating. In fact, much like Gregory at 27, I'd be a bit surprised in Coleman is still there for the Cowboys at 60, but if he is and they don't have a RB yet, he would be a great fit. Incidentally, in this mock Ajayi was still on the board here, and actually lasted past the Cowboys' third round pick, eventually landing with... the Patriots at 96. Which is outrageous, because Bill Belichick would never, ever, ever engage in pre-draft shenanigans in an effort to get a player to drop to him.

Round 3 (pick 91): D'Joun Smith, CB, Florida Atlantic. He was my second-round pick in my initial mock, but his stock seems to have slipped a bit since then. I can kind of understand why. It's a deep class for cornerbacks, and while Smith had a great combine, other players with more prototypical NFL size also did well and have gotten more attention since. I don't care, I still love him as a prospect. He's fast, tough, and has work ethic to burn. If he falls to the Cowboys this late, I firmly believe he'll be a steal.

Round 4 (pick 124): Jake Ryan, LB, Michigan. A linebacker with a big motor and work ethic, who already has a knee surgery on his resume? Cowboys fans would probably groan at the thought of another Sean Lee, but Lee's been amazingly productive on the rare occasions he's been healthy. Ryan doesn't have Lee's athleticism or ceiling, but as a versatile guy who can play the Mike or Sam spots, is useful against both the run and pass, and can make a contribution on special teams, he would be a solid pick for a team with a linebacking corps that has a lot of fragile but talented guys ahead of him on the depth chart.

Round 5 (pick 155): Tayo Fabuluje, OT, Texas Christian. He's now the only player I've taken in all three mock drafts (this spot in the first mock, seventh round in the second one), which pretty much guarantees he won't be a Cowboy. I can't help it. Every time I look at the board and think "This would be a good spot to grab that developmental swing tackle the Cowboys need" there he is, right at the top of the OT board. Fabuluje has NFL size with surprising athleticism and nimbleness, plus strength and power, but he barely played in college due to redshirting and transfers, and there are some concerns about his commitment to the game after sitting out 2013. Assuming his interviews went well though, he's exactly the kind of player who could prove to be a huge bargain after a year or two in an organization that can mold his raw tools into game skills.

Round 7 (pick 211): Ty Montgomery, WR, Stanford. Montgomery is a bit of an odd fit for today's NFL, which is why he could plausibly last until the seventh round. His best role is as a kick returner, something the Cowboys could use after letting Dwayne Harris walk, but kick returners aren't much of a priority for anyone these days. Montgomery also has the size, work ethic and physical edge to be an asset on all four special teams units though, which is one of the things that makes Harris so useful on a 53-man roster, and if Dallas can simply plug a rookie into that role instead of spreading those duties among multiple players it would be a nice find. Montgomery will need to work on his route running and pass catching if he wants to have much of a role on offense down the road though.

Round 7 (pick 218): Xavier Williams, DT, Northern Iowa. The projected round grade on Williams is all over the map (I've seen anything from 3rd-4th round to priority UDFA), which makes him a guy who could easily slip to the tail end of the draft if a specific team doesn't take a shine to him. He didn't get a combine invite, but looked good at the East-West Shrine Game and dominated smaller school competition at UNI after failing to get much playing time at Georgia and transferring. He's got the size and motor to be an effective 3-technique, and the potential to really blossom under Rod Marinelli's tutelage.

Any draft in which you can land a guy considered a top 10 talent at the end of the first round at a position of need is going to be a win, but also adding DeMarco Murray's possible replacement and a starting-caliber corner, plus depth players who could conceivably grow into big roles in 2016 would be a great draft for the Cowboys. We'll find out how the real thing plays out starting in eight days.