How many of you have claimed that you could've done a better job as the General Manager for the Dallas Cowboys in regards to drafting players?
I'll be completely honest and say that I'm guilty of such an accusation. I'm sure there are plenty of you out there that will admit to the same.
The Dallas Cowboys have done a much better job of drafting players the last several years, but Jerry Jones still receives a lot of flak for the way he is handles the draft as the GM/Owner.
Now, I know it's still early to be doing mock drafts, but I thought it would be fun if we all had the chance to play GM for once and select the players we would personally choose for the Dallas Cowboys.
Of course, there has to be rules. To keep things as fair as possible for this exercise we will use CBS Sports player rankings to help us decide where each individual player will be available when it's the Cowboys turn to draft.
Okay, this is how it will work. You have to draft a player that is within the correct slotted area. For instance, the Cowboys have the 28th overall draft pick in the first round, so you can't draft anybody that is ranked lower than 28th. This will continue through all seven rounds until you have completed the draft for the Dallas Cowboys.
Simple enough, right? It's a little bit more difficult than you might think.
Below is my attempt at playing GM for the Dallas Cowboys using the CBS Sports player rankings.
Round 1 (28th overall) – Carl Lawson, DE, Auburn
Round 2 (60th overall) – Fabian Moreau, CB, UCLA
Round 3 (92nd overall) – Chris Godwin, WR, Penn State
Round 4 (132nd overall) – Jeremy Sprinkle, TE, Arkansas
Round 6 (212th overall) – Xavier Woods, S, Louisiana Tech
Round 7 (231st overall) – Treyvon Hester, DT, Toledo
Round 7 (249th overall) – Joe Williams, RB, Utah
With the Cowboys first-round draft pick I decided to try and improve the pass rush with the selection of Carl Lawson. Lawson has an injury history, but I believe he is one of the more pro-ready pass rushers in this draft class.
Fabian Moreau will help improve the secondary and will probably end up being a starter as a rookie. He has the size, speed, and fluidity that you look for in a cornerback and I think he will make an instant impact his first year in the NFL.
In the third round I decided to give Dak Prescott another weapon in the receiving game by drafting Chris Godwin. I think Godwin will be an upgrade over both Terrance Williams and Brice Butler, and also help Dez Bryant see less double coverage.
This is where things started to get a little bit more difficult. There are a lot of players that I like in this slotted area, but I decided to go with Jeremy Sprinkle because of my concerns at the tight end position. Geoff Swaim and James Hanna will be returning from serious injuries, and Rico Gathers is a huge question mark. Sprinkle could be that #1 TE after Jason Witten's contract expires after the 2017 season.
In the six round decided to add depth to the safety position with Xavier Woods. I think Woods will continue to impress coaches and scouts this off-season and he could be a steal in the sixth round.
The Dallas Cowboys hold two seventh round draft picks. With the first one I added Treyvon Hester, an athletic defensive tackle that I think Rod Marinelli will mold into a good rotational player. Hester is the penetrating type of defensive tackle that Marinelli prefers along his defensive line.
With the Cowboys final draft pick I decided to add a little depth to the running back position with the selection of Joe Williams. Williams would be an excellent complementary back to Ezekiel Elliott. He is a threat to score any time he touches the ball and is a tough runner between the tackles despite his size.
Well, there you have it. Now that you have seen how I would draft for the Dallas Cowboys, it's your turn.
Use the comment section below to share what you would do as the GM of the Dallas Cowboys using the CBS Sports player rankings.
