Merry Christmas Cowboys Nation! I know we may not be happy with America’s Team right now, but I hope your holiday isn’t tarnished in any way because of it. We all may be a little down right now with the loss to the Eagles still fresh in our minds, but I thought it was as good a time as any to hopefully brighten your day with another Dallas Cowboys 2020 mock draft.
The loss to the Eagles brings a lot of changes for the Dallas Cowboys. Not only do they no longer hold their playoff destiny in their hands, but they’ve also seen their draft slot in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft change as well. A new draft slot brings a different pool of players to select from, hence the reasoning behind yet another way-too-early mock draft.
My last Dallas Cowboys 2020 mock draft had them selecting at No. 21, but the loss to the Eagles changed that and now have them No. 15. Improving their draft slot by six spots doesn’t seem like that much, but it could be the difference in coming away with a Pro Bowl caliber player and not. Maybe there’s a silver lining to losing last week after all.
With all of that in mind, let’s take a look at who I selected in this Dallas Cowboys 2020 mock draft, the Christmas edition. To keep it as realistic as possible I used Draft Network’s mock draft simulator.
Round 1, Pick 15
WR Henry Ruggs III, Alabama
I know I’m probably going to receive a lot of heat for drafting an offensive player at No. 15 for the Dallas Cowboys, but it would’ve been a reach in my opinion to select any defensive player. At safety both Grant Delpit and Xavier McKinney went off the board back to back at 11 and 12, and the next best defensive players remaining were Cornerback Trevon Diggs or Defensive Tackle Javon Kinlaw. If that is indeed the way things go, I don’t think thb Cowboys would hesitate drafting a wide receiver.
I had my choice of Henry Ruggs III or Tee Higgins, but I decided to go with the former rather than the latter for the Cowboys. They don’t have a true “speed” threat and Ruggs would definitely provide that. He not only has world-class speed, but he has also outstanding in contested catch situations despite being only 6’0″, 190. Receiver may not seem like a “need” for Dallas, but it is if you take into consideration Michael Gallup will be the only proven WR under contract after the season. This guy is a playmaker and will help open up the entire offense.
Round 2, Pick 47
CB Jeff Gladney, TCU
If you happened to look at my only other Dallas Cowboys 2020 mock draft then you probably noticed TCU Cornerback Jeff Gladney is the only holdover I had from then till now. I personally believe he is a first-round caliber player and will get drafted much earlier, but if he’s available at No. 47 for the Cowboys it would be an absolute steal. I think he’s not only going to be a Day 1 starter as a rookie, but will also end up being one of the best CBs in the 2020 draft class.
With both Byron Jones and Anthony Brown set to become free agents after the completion of the 2019 season, CB is definitely becomes a big need. Jeff Gladney is flying under the radar right now, but once the draft process gets further underway I believe he will emerge as one of the top players at the position. He possesses all the tools to become one of the best defensive backs in the league, which is good news considering Dallas’ secondary could be losing a Pro Bowl talent in No. 31.
Round 3, Pick 79
DT Leki Fotu, Utah
In the third round of this Dallas Cowboys 2020 mock draft I was torn between drafting Defensive Tackle Leki Fotu out of Utah or Safety Brandon Jones out of Texas. I really like Brandon Jones and believe he will be a good player at the next level, but I’ve been screaming for years for the Cowboys to take a big, space eating DT. That’s why I went with Fotu, because at 6’5″, 335 he definitely fits the bill. Plus, interior defensive line is one of those “need” positions for Dallas.
Like at cornerback, the Dallas Cowboys could be losing two of their DT starters (Antwuan Woods, Maliek Collins) to free agency. Leki Fotu could fill the void for one of those two and last year’s second-round pick, Trysten Hill, could fill the other even though he didn’t have the best rookie season. Pairing Fotu with Hill (6’3″, 308) would give the Cowboys to the biggest interior defensive lineman they’ve had in the last decade. It would be a big change from the preferred smaller/quicker DTs Rod Marinelli liked.
