There will be several Dallas Cowboys mock drafts in the coming weeks where we will make picks for all seven rounds. However, this one is all about the first round, as the Cowboys have two first-round picks and none in the second or third rounds because of their trades for All-Pro wide receiver George Pickens and four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.

The Pro Football Focus mock draft simulator was used for this exercise with thoughts of potentially trading back with one selection to gain additional picks.

Here’s how things unfolded.

Round 1, No. 12

Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

To make the best possible decision with these picks, we used Dane Brugler’s recently published top 100 draft rankings as our big board. The Athletic’s NFL Draft expert has Delane ranked No. 7 overall and as the top cornerback in the class. When we spoke with Brugler in late December about some of the Cowboys’ biggest draft needs, Delane’s name was discussed.

“His size is fine, but it’s not great,” Brugler said at the time. “He has shorter arms. We’ll see what he runs in the 40-yard dash.
It’ll probably be somewhere in the 4.4s. But I don’t think another corner had better tape this year at the college level than Delane. He’s sticky in coverage, man or zone, it doesn’t matter. He has a real good feel for route combinations. He has a real good feel for what the offense is trying to do, so he can position himself and make plays on the ball.”

It’s no secret that the Cowboys need significant defensive help in all areas except for defensive tackle. They’re coming off a season where their top cornerbacks didn’t come close to playing to expectations. Trevon Diggs was released before the end of the season. DaRon Bland suffered another serious foot injury. Kaiir Elam, their top veteran cornerback addition last offseason, was waived in November after playing in 10 games.

Bland is still part of the starting plan, as is rookie Shavon Revel. There are a lot of questions that follow. New defensive coordinator Christian Parker’s specialty is the defensive backfield. He’ll likely be looking to improve that area both in free agency and the draft.

The Cowboys have previously been focused on length when it comes to drafting cornerbacks early, usually wanting at least 32-inch arms. But could they be willing to adjust that thinking for a player as impressive as Delane, who had two interceptions and 11 passes defended last season for the Tigers?

Brugler’s No. 2 cornerback is Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy, who went off the board right before the Cowboys went on the clock. The biggest issue with McCoy is that he didn’t play last season because of a significant knee injury from last January. Revel is working his way back from that injury which forced him to play this season with a knee brace. Bland’s consecutive foot issues are also a concern. Do the Cowboys really want to use the 12th overall pick on another cornerback with potential injury concerns?

“At the combine, he’ll be 13 months removed from the ACL injury, so you will have a good idea of the rehab and how it’s looking when the medical staff looks at the knee,” Brugler said in December. “So, there’s a little bit less guesswork with him compared to some of these other guys that are coming off injury, and you have to kind of figure out, we know he’s a good player, but how do we factor in the injury and where do we draft him? With McCoy, you get a Texas kid, 6-foot, 195 pounds. He was kind of overlooked, but he was a two-time state champion in track, a big-time baseball player. He went to Oregon State and had a really good freshman year, and then he transferred to Tennessee. He had a really good sophomore year last year.”

McCoy had four interceptions and seven passes defended in 2024 for the Volunteers.

Other top players still available at Pick 12: Miami OT Francis Mauigoa, Auburn DE Keldric Faulk, Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor, Clemson CB Avieon Terrell, Miami DE Akheem Mesidor.

Mauigoa and Proctor being available is somewhat interesting only because we’re talking about the Cowboys, who have used three of their last four first-round picks on the offensive line. There could be some moving pieces with that group. They could still look to make a move to improve at right or left tackle. It just seems a bit much when there are so many holes at edge rusher, linebacker and defensive back for what was arguably the worst defense in franchise history.

Round 1, No. 20

Keldric Faulk, DE, Auburn

This is the pick Dallas received in the Micah Parsons trade. Edge rusher is a massive need, considering last year’s rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku is the only noteworthy piece they have at the position under contract. There’s a decent chance that they’ll be able to re-sign Jadeveon Clowney, but he turns 33 on Saturday. Trading back here would make a lot of sense. But we couldn’t find a quality offer and decided to go with the player who was clearly the best available at the time from Brugler’s board.

“At 6 feet 6 inches, 270 pounds with long arms, Faulk is an impressive athlete with experience lining up across the defensive line,” Brugler wrote Tuesday. “There isn’t a ton of deception in his rush attack, so he will need development time to realize his potential — there are more “almost plays” than “impact plays” on his tape.

“But you absolutely bet on a 20-year-old talent with his traits. He has major upside. How early he’s selected will depend on each team’s appetite for risk.”

A question here is also how his size could fit with what Parker is looking to do up front. Does Faulk fit his vision for the pass rush?

Mesidor was still available at this pick. So was Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell and Clemson’s T.J. Parker. Perhaps one of those players would be a better fit for the new Cowboys defense. Another notable player still on the board was Georgia linebacker CJ Allen.

Either way, Dallas was in position at both picks to add immediate impact starters to its defense. The big question the Cowboys will face is: Best player available or best defensive player available? Neither of these picks felt like a reach.