Mel Kiper has Cowboys going running back and cornerback in latest two-round mock draft
There are two weeks and change to go before the NFL Draft officially begins which means now is the time where things are really going to start to pick up. Such close proximity to the draft means two wildly different things. Chatter is picking up and therefore teams are holding their cards as closely to the vest as possible, but reputable insiders are unloading legitimate lines of intel as it is about to expire. It is strange how both are simultaneously true, but that is part of the wonder that is the draft.
On Tuesday Mel Kiper released his latest mock draft and this one was of the two-round variety. There are a number of possible permutations for the Cowboys in the first two rounds as they hold picks 12 and 44 overall and it stands to reason that they will walk into the third round with two verifiable playmakers.
As far as the first round is concerned, Kiper has Dallas going with a name they have been connected to already in the process in North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton.
12. Dallas Cowboys
Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
I was torn here, as I think Dallas will look at all offensive playmakers. It needs a difference-making WR2 to take some of the load off CeeDee Lamb. But I’m not sure Texas’ Matthew Golden or Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan will go quite this early.
Instead, I see the Cowboys trying to improve the run game, which managed 4.0 yards per carry and a league-low six TDs last season. They have thus far replaced Rico Dowdle with Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders. Neither new back has the home run ability of Hampton, who can scoot through holes and take off despite his 221-pound build. I’ve never been an advocate of the first-round running back, but team owner Jerry Jones isn’t afraid to address the position on Day 1.
From a philosophical standpoint taking a running back this early would lead to a number of discussions all over the spectrum. It feels like all of the Ashton Jeanty chatter early in the draft process really cooled, but this is obviously the same thing in a theoretical sense. While running back is certainly a position of need it is fair to note, as Kiper does, that Dallas addressed the position and in a sense by signing Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders. The level of talent in the room is certainly still worth improving, but the point is that Dallas already raised the floor.
On the other hand wide receiver is certainly a place worth exploring and Kiper said here that he is not sure if Matthew Golden or Tetairoa McMillan will go at this point which is interesting because so many people believe the latter won’t even make it to Dallas at 12. Taking Hampton, a very good player in his own right, over McMillan (for example) sitting there would be a bit bold to say the least.
Taking either running back or wide receiver is a different kind of bold for some people as they want to see the Cowboys improve the defense with their most premium asset and specifically the back end of it in the secondary (check out our Tuesday discussion on the blog as an example of that point). As noted, Kiper’s mock was two rounds and in the second he had Dallas going cornerback with Trey Amos out of Ole Miss.
44. Dallas Cowboys
Trey Amos, CB, Ole Miss
Trevon Diggs had 11 interceptions in 2021, and DaRon Bland had nine in 2023. But neither played more than 11 games last season, and both struggled at times in coverage when on the field. The end result was 7.9 yards allowed per opponent pass attempt, which tied for worst in the NFL.
Amos had three picks and 15 pass breakups last season, and he has played in 63 career games. In addition to shoring up the outside, he’d help replace Jourdan Lewis, the Cowboys’ slot corner who left in free agency.
To be clear, Amos is a very good player and deserves consideration in and of his own right. But part of the entire process here is assessing the needs that Dallas has and while on paper Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland exist, the reliability of the duo is certainly fair to question.
Corner is a spot that could get tricky in a hurry for the Cowboys next season if things go particularly array. Kiper notes the Jourdan Lewis departure and how Dallas is already tasked with covering that up. While the team did trade for Kaiir Elam early in free agency, they are certainly going to have to hit the position early on in the draft and going there in the first round is certainly on the table.
How do you feel about Kiper’s two-round mock?
