It feels like the Dallas Cowboys fanbase is collectively staring down the 12th overall pick ahead of the first-round on Thursday. Will they trade up? Will they trade back? If they sit at 12, does somebody fall? Is the board wiped out? These are all valid questions, but there are more to ask.
The Cowboys’ second draft pick, right now slated at 20, might be just as important. This is the pick that comes in response to whatever they do initially, and it will solidify many fans’ feelings on the class as a whole.
Just as is the case with 12, we know a lot of the names being floated at 20: Miami’s Akheem Mesidor, Auburn’s Keldric Faulk, Tennessee’s Colton Hood, etc.
There are, however, several players who still make sense for Dallas at No. 20—or in a scenario where they move up from 12 and slide back later on. Specifically, I’ve got three guys you should watch out for that are more outside-the-box than the options we’re constantly hearing.
1. Offense Strikes at 20: Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana
If you take a look at the all-important Cowboys 30-visit list, you’ll see National Champion and projected first-rounder, Omar Cooper Jr., as one of the very few wide receivers in the group.
There’s a lot to like about Cooper, and, interestingly, Dallas has taken such an interest in him that they’d bring him in on such a coveted visit. For all the double-dip on defense talk, this seems to suggest a possibility that they could flip over to offense at 20.
We’ve also seen them take a look at Jordan Tyson, the wide receiver from Arizona State, so they are, at least somewhat, staying in the wide receiver circles of this draft class.
• Commanders (7th)
• Cowboys (12 & 20)
• Eagles (23rd – potential trade up option)
Entire NFC East is doing their due diligence with multiple reps at Jordyn Tyson’s workout in Tempe this afternoon.
Six days out…
If Dallas finds a gem at 12, or a really versatile defender, and the board ahead of 20 gets wiped out, you could absolutely see them turn to somebody like Cooper instead of reaching for a defender.
2. Potential Falling Option: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
Jermod McCoy’s name is far from an outside-the-box option for Dallas at 12; in fact, he was briefly the odds-on-favorite just a few weeks ago following a great Pro Day performance.
Now, that tide has turned.
Reports have come out that many teams still fear McCoy’s knee health, and it could lead to a big drop come draft day. If that were to happen, we could see the Cowboys, who brought him in for a 30-visit, land McCoy all the way down at 20.
You can’t argue with that value, especially when he’s still being talked about as high as eighth in this draft.
It may not be likely, but there is a world where the Cowboys refuse to pass on McCoy twice.
3. Trade-Back Target: A.J. Haulcy, S, LSU
Surely you’ve heard the proposed trade between the Cowboys and Browns by now; if you haven’t, it goes like this: Dallas moves up to 6 by trading 12 and 20, and getting 39 back from Cleveland.
Let’s say that happened. The Cowboys’ second pick would then be 39, and you’d be learning a whole slate of new names tied to that pick before Day 2 kicked off.
One of them, without a doubt in my mind, would be A.J. Haulcy, a safety out of LSU. The word going around is that Dallas really likes him, and unlike some other potential options (Chris Johnson, Malachi Lawrence, Jacob Rodriguez) that we’ve seen mentioned at 39, I think Haulcy is 100% available at the pick.
If the Cowboys struck a deal to move up for an EDGE (David Bailey), a cornerback (Mansoor Delane), or a linebacker (Sonny Styles), I think safety is right up there on their next-target list.
Some would call it a reach, but I could see them ensuring they get their guy in Haulcy if a move down to 39 happened.
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