It seemed so perfect. Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett had traveled to the Southern Cal campus to observe offensive tackle Tyron Smith's pro day. It was the only pro day Garrett attended, and it bolstered the mock drafts across the country that had Smith going to the Cowboys at No. 9 overall.
But my much-maligned "top 10" mock draft that was chided by none other than Tom Coughlin took a hit Sunday night based on a conversation with a high-ranking Cowboys source. Call it a smoke screen if you want, but I now believe the Cowboys are far more interested in trading down in the first round than staying home and taking Smith.
The Cowboys take an offensive lineman in the first round once every 30 years, so maybe they're due. And if you're wondering, it was Howard Richards, a guard out of Missouri, back in 1981. If the Cowboys break from 30 years of history, it's more likely they'll take Nate Solder out of Colorado than Smith. There's a belief among scouts that Solder might be a better athlete than Cowboys starting left tackle Doug Free.
Several scouts have indicated to me that Smith has a "special" quality that Boston College's Anthony Castonzo and Solder don't have. It doesn't appear the Cowboys see it that way. They believe all three players will be starters in the league for the next 10 years.
If the Cowboys are able to trade down — the Redskins might be willing to flip picks — the most likely targets would be Wisconsin defensive end J.J. Watt, Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara or Solder. I know the Cowboys like Cal defensive end Cam Jordan (son of Steve) but not quite as much as Watt.
Dallas has also done a lot of work on Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones. But even with all Bryant's diamond distractions this offseason, it's hard to imagine the Cowboys adding another wide receiver in the first round. They have more significant needs at this point.
The only scenario I can see in which the Cowboys move up the board is if LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson somehow slips out of the top six. Like a few other teams, the Cowboys aren't convinced the Panthers will take either Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert at No. 1. There's a consensus among scouts I've talked to that Alabama DE/DT Marcell Dareus is the best player in this draft.
If the Panthers decided to pass on a quarterback, it will obviously shake up the first round. Much has been made about how much research the Cowboys did on Newton, but they've also taken a hard look at Gabbert.
The Cowboys think Gabbert might have been better served to play another year in college, but they would be tempted to take him at No. 9 in the unlikely case he falls that far.
"It could be another Aaron Rodgers situation," said the Cowboys source, referring to how the Packers quarterback sat for three years behind Brett Favre.
I'll deliver one more mock draft after having a sit-down with TCU quarterback Andy Dalton later this week. He's one of the most intriguing players in the draft, and scouts say he could go anywhere from the 20s to the third round. And if you're wondering, it's highly unlikely the Cowboys would take him with that 40th pick overall. They don't feel a sense of urgency to find Tony Romo's eventual replacement unless there's extreme value (Newton or Gabbert).
As of now, it looks like Watt's the safest choice for the Cowboys. And if you start to see new names at No. 9 across the country, remember where you read it first.
But my much-maligned "top 10" mock draft that was chided by none other than Tom Coughlin took a hit Sunday night based on a conversation with a high-ranking Cowboys source. Call it a smoke screen if you want, but I now believe the Cowboys are far more interested in trading down in the first round than staying home and taking Smith.
The Cowboys take an offensive lineman in the first round once every 30 years, so maybe they're due. And if you're wondering, it was Howard Richards, a guard out of Missouri, back in 1981. If the Cowboys break from 30 years of history, it's more likely they'll take Nate Solder out of Colorado than Smith. There's a belief among scouts that Solder might be a better athlete than Cowboys starting left tackle Doug Free.
Several scouts have indicated to me that Smith has a "special" quality that Boston College's Anthony Castonzo and Solder don't have. It doesn't appear the Cowboys see it that way. They believe all three players will be starters in the league for the next 10 years.
If the Cowboys are able to trade down — the Redskins might be willing to flip picks — the most likely targets would be Wisconsin defensive end J.J. Watt, Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara or Solder. I know the Cowboys like Cal defensive end Cam Jordan (son of Steve) but not quite as much as Watt.
Dallas has also done a lot of work on Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones. But even with all Bryant's diamond distractions this offseason, it's hard to imagine the Cowboys adding another wide receiver in the first round. They have more significant needs at this point.
The only scenario I can see in which the Cowboys move up the board is if LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson somehow slips out of the top six. Like a few other teams, the Cowboys aren't convinced the Panthers will take either Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert at No. 1. There's a consensus among scouts I've talked to that Alabama DE/DT Marcell Dareus is the best player in this draft.
If the Panthers decided to pass on a quarterback, it will obviously shake up the first round. Much has been made about how much research the Cowboys did on Newton, but they've also taken a hard look at Gabbert.
The Cowboys think Gabbert might have been better served to play another year in college, but they would be tempted to take him at No. 9 in the unlikely case he falls that far.
"It could be another Aaron Rodgers situation," said the Cowboys source, referring to how the Packers quarterback sat for three years behind Brett Favre.
I'll deliver one more mock draft after having a sit-down with TCU quarterback Andy Dalton later this week. He's one of the most intriguing players in the draft, and scouts say he could go anywhere from the 20s to the third round. And if you're wondering, it's highly unlikely the Cowboys would take him with that 40th pick overall. They don't feel a sense of urgency to find Tony Romo's eventual replacement unless there's extreme value (Newton or Gabbert).
As of now, it looks like Watt's the safest choice for the Cowboys. And if you start to see new names at No. 9 across the country, remember where you read it first.
