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JON MACHOTA
February 2012 05:03 PM
It doesn't take much searching to realize the mock draft experts don't respect what the Cowboys have in their defensive backfield. And considering the group's play throughout the 2011 season, it's difficult to argue with their line of thinking.
The Cowboys allowed opponents to pass for 3,906 yards and 24 touchdowns, leaving them ranked No. 23 among all NFL teams in pass defense. During the 2010 campaign, Dallas' defense allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete a franchise-worst 65 percent of their passes.
Last month at the Senior Bowl, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said it was "very likely to have new faces" in the defensive backfield. The likeliest subtraction from the group would be starting cornerback Terence Newman, who was burned on many big plays in 2011 and turns 34 in September.
"That's certainly an area we have to improve, but we have to improve on defense throughout" Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said in early January.
With the NFL scouting combine beginning in Indianapolis this week it seems like a good time to sift through several mock drafts that have been published in the last month.
SI.com’s Don Banks
Pick: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina.
Comment: "This may look a bit high for Gilmore at the moment, but he's a slightly off-the-radar junior who some believe is going to fly up teams' draft boards once they see him work out at the Combine. He's got good size, plenty of speed, tackles well and plays strong press coverage. He also doesn't have the character issues that plague North Alabama cornerback Janoris Jenkins, the ex-Gator who's got a bevy of red flags attached to his resume."
NationalFootballPost.com’s Wes Bunting
Pick: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama.
Comment: "The Cowboys have to be thrilled with both Kirkpatrick and Stanford OG David DeCastro still on the board. However, I see them opting for the big corner because of the overall priority of the position."
CBSSports.com’s Rob Rang
Pick: Kirkpatrick.
Comment: "The Cowboys' defense made gains under Rob Ryan, but inconsistencies in the secondary led to plenty of breakdowns. Kirkpatrick's recent arrest for marijuana possession could scare off some teams but Jerry Jones has shown a willingness to overlook off-field transgressions in the past. There is no denying Kirkpatrick's size and physicality would be a welcome addition to a defense in need of a shakeup in the secondary."
CBSSports.com's Dane Brugler
Pick: Kirkpatrick.
Comment: "The Cowboys have several holes to fill, but the greatest need is in the secondary, more specifically at cornerback. Kirkpatrick is a top-10 talent with an impressive blend of size, length and speed, but could fall a few spots on draft day because of his recent marijuana possession charge. His aggressive playing style coupled with Dallas' need at cornerback makes this an easy pick for Jerry Jones and company."
WalterFootball.com
Pick: Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama.
Comment: "I've always had reservations about putting Janoris Jenkins in the first round because of his multiple arrests, but he seems to have turned his life around. He hasn't gotten into trouble at North Alabama, and he even recently told the media that he doesn't even hang around people who smoke weed anymore. It seems that as with Phil Taylor, getting kicked out of school served as a wake-up call for Jenkins.
"If the Cowboys are content about Jenkins' character, they'll take him at No. 14. Their secondary is an abomination, so multiple upgrades will need to be found this offseason. Jenkins is easily one of the most talented players in this class.
OTHER COWBOYS NFL DRAFT POSSIBILITIES:
"1. Courtney Upshaw, DE/OLB - Upshaw would be my choice here if the Cowboys weren't planning on franchising Anthony Spencer. They'll probably take a rush linebacker during Day 2.
"2. David DeCastro, G - I can't see DeCastro making it past Dallas. The team has a huge need on the interior of its offensive front."
SportingNews.com's Russ Lande
Kirkpatrick.
Comment: "The Cowboys desperately need an upgrade at cornerback, and they debate between Kirkpatrick (6-3, 192) and North Alabama’s Janoris Jenkins (5-10, 191), who both have had off-field concerns. In the end, they side with Kirkpatrick because he is five inches taller."
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter
Kirkpatrick.
Comment: "Terence Newman may be on his way out of Dallas as a cap casualty due to his subpar 2011 season, and Kirkpatrick's the type of tall, physical cornerbacks that teams covet."
NFL.com’s Charley Casserly
Pick: David DeCastro, OG, Stanford.
Comment: "Dallas continues to rebuild its offensive line."
TheBigLead.com
Pick: DeCastro.
Comment: "Dallas needs help in the secondary badly but won’t find it easy to pass on a guard that offers the potential to be a perennial Pro Bowler. Dre Kirkpatrick and Janoris Jenkins make a ton of sense here but I don’t see them passing on a sure thing (at least in my book)."
SBNation.com’s Ryan Van Bibber
Pick: Kirkpatrick.
Comment: "The Cowboys who really need help in the secondary. This pick will depend on what they do in free agency, where Brent Grimes, Cortland Finnegan and Brandon Carr could also provide a fix. Kirkpatrick matches up well against bigger, physical receivers, which could come in handy against Dallas' division rivals in New York."
DraftTek.com
Pick: Kirkpatrick.
Comment: "HC Jason Garrett has echoed Cuzzin Jerruh's previous comments about filling needs in free agency and drafting BPA's. Even though Dallas has some money to spend under the cap, their availability is less than 1/3 of the amount that Tampa Bay has to spend. Kirkpatrick is the total package in pass coverage and also brings size, tackling and run support, attributes not seen at the CB position in Dallas for some time. It is unlikely the Cowboys will keep Terence Newman in 2012, at the age of 34, with an $8 million price tag. Dallas was 23rd in the league in passing yards allowed, and Pro Football Focus gave their pass coverage a negative 36.6. PFF ranked Mike Jenkins as their best CB (#40 overall), Alan Ball and Orlando Scandrick came in at #82 and #83 respectively, and Terence Newman ranked #97 . . . out of a total of 109 CB's!"
ESPN’s Mel Kiper
Pick: Mark Barron, S, Alabama.
Comment: "Dallas got shredded far too often with the passing game in 2011, and while Barron might be a very slight reach here in terms of his current grade, he's a perfect fit for the Cowboys. I have "defensive back" on my sheet as a big need in Big D, meaning they can't go wrong with either the top safety or the top cornerback here, and Barron offers the most value. Better in run support right now than he is in coverage, Barron could get better against the pass, but he's an upgrade for the Cowboys."
JON MACHOTA
February 2012 05:03 PM
It doesn't take much searching to realize the mock draft experts don't respect what the Cowboys have in their defensive backfield. And considering the group's play throughout the 2011 season, it's difficult to argue with their line of thinking.
The Cowboys allowed opponents to pass for 3,906 yards and 24 touchdowns, leaving them ranked No. 23 among all NFL teams in pass defense. During the 2010 campaign, Dallas' defense allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete a franchise-worst 65 percent of their passes.
Last month at the Senior Bowl, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said it was "very likely to have new faces" in the defensive backfield. The likeliest subtraction from the group would be starting cornerback Terence Newman, who was burned on many big plays in 2011 and turns 34 in September.
"That's certainly an area we have to improve, but we have to improve on defense throughout" Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said in early January.
With the NFL scouting combine beginning in Indianapolis this week it seems like a good time to sift through several mock drafts that have been published in the last month.
SI.com’s Don Banks
Pick: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina.
Comment: "This may look a bit high for Gilmore at the moment, but he's a slightly off-the-radar junior who some believe is going to fly up teams' draft boards once they see him work out at the Combine. He's got good size, plenty of speed, tackles well and plays strong press coverage. He also doesn't have the character issues that plague North Alabama cornerback Janoris Jenkins, the ex-Gator who's got a bevy of red flags attached to his resume."
NationalFootballPost.com’s Wes Bunting
Pick: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama.
Comment: "The Cowboys have to be thrilled with both Kirkpatrick and Stanford OG David DeCastro still on the board. However, I see them opting for the big corner because of the overall priority of the position."
CBSSports.com’s Rob Rang
Pick: Kirkpatrick.
Comment: "The Cowboys' defense made gains under Rob Ryan, but inconsistencies in the secondary led to plenty of breakdowns. Kirkpatrick's recent arrest for marijuana possession could scare off some teams but Jerry Jones has shown a willingness to overlook off-field transgressions in the past. There is no denying Kirkpatrick's size and physicality would be a welcome addition to a defense in need of a shakeup in the secondary."
CBSSports.com's Dane Brugler
Pick: Kirkpatrick.
Comment: "The Cowboys have several holes to fill, but the greatest need is in the secondary, more specifically at cornerback. Kirkpatrick is a top-10 talent with an impressive blend of size, length and speed, but could fall a few spots on draft day because of his recent marijuana possession charge. His aggressive playing style coupled with Dallas' need at cornerback makes this an easy pick for Jerry Jones and company."
WalterFootball.com
Pick: Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama.
Comment: "I've always had reservations about putting Janoris Jenkins in the first round because of his multiple arrests, but he seems to have turned his life around. He hasn't gotten into trouble at North Alabama, and he even recently told the media that he doesn't even hang around people who smoke weed anymore. It seems that as with Phil Taylor, getting kicked out of school served as a wake-up call for Jenkins.
"If the Cowboys are content about Jenkins' character, they'll take him at No. 14. Their secondary is an abomination, so multiple upgrades will need to be found this offseason. Jenkins is easily one of the most talented players in this class.
OTHER COWBOYS NFL DRAFT POSSIBILITIES:
"1. Courtney Upshaw, DE/OLB - Upshaw would be my choice here if the Cowboys weren't planning on franchising Anthony Spencer. They'll probably take a rush linebacker during Day 2.
"2. David DeCastro, G - I can't see DeCastro making it past Dallas. The team has a huge need on the interior of its offensive front."
SportingNews.com's Russ Lande
Kirkpatrick.
Comment: "The Cowboys desperately need an upgrade at cornerback, and they debate between Kirkpatrick (6-3, 192) and North Alabama’s Janoris Jenkins (5-10, 191), who both have had off-field concerns. In the end, they side with Kirkpatrick because he is five inches taller."
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter
Kirkpatrick.
Comment: "Terence Newman may be on his way out of Dallas as a cap casualty due to his subpar 2011 season, and Kirkpatrick's the type of tall, physical cornerbacks that teams covet."
NFL.com’s Charley Casserly
Pick: David DeCastro, OG, Stanford.
Comment: "Dallas continues to rebuild its offensive line."
TheBigLead.com
Pick: DeCastro.
Comment: "Dallas needs help in the secondary badly but won’t find it easy to pass on a guard that offers the potential to be a perennial Pro Bowler. Dre Kirkpatrick and Janoris Jenkins make a ton of sense here but I don’t see them passing on a sure thing (at least in my book)."
SBNation.com’s Ryan Van Bibber
Pick: Kirkpatrick.
Comment: "The Cowboys who really need help in the secondary. This pick will depend on what they do in free agency, where Brent Grimes, Cortland Finnegan and Brandon Carr could also provide a fix. Kirkpatrick matches up well against bigger, physical receivers, which could come in handy against Dallas' division rivals in New York."
DraftTek.com
Pick: Kirkpatrick.
Comment: "HC Jason Garrett has echoed Cuzzin Jerruh's previous comments about filling needs in free agency and drafting BPA's. Even though Dallas has some money to spend under the cap, their availability is less than 1/3 of the amount that Tampa Bay has to spend. Kirkpatrick is the total package in pass coverage and also brings size, tackling and run support, attributes not seen at the CB position in Dallas for some time. It is unlikely the Cowboys will keep Terence Newman in 2012, at the age of 34, with an $8 million price tag. Dallas was 23rd in the league in passing yards allowed, and Pro Football Focus gave their pass coverage a negative 36.6. PFF ranked Mike Jenkins as their best CB (#40 overall), Alan Ball and Orlando Scandrick came in at #82 and #83 respectively, and Terence Newman ranked #97 . . . out of a total of 109 CB's!"
ESPN’s Mel Kiper
Pick: Mark Barron, S, Alabama.
Comment: "Dallas got shredded far too often with the passing game in 2011, and while Barron might be a very slight reach here in terms of his current grade, he's a perfect fit for the Cowboys. I have "defensive back" on my sheet as a big need in Big D, meaning they can't go wrong with either the top safety or the top cornerback here, and Barron offers the most value. Better in run support right now than he is in coverage, Barron could get better against the pass, but he's an upgrade for the Cowboys."
