In our inaugural mock draft database of the season, we take a peek at 25 different mock drafts published over the last two weeks to see whether we can get a better feeling for the early names mocked to the Cowboys.
As it currently stands, 21 of the 25 mocks are projecting the Cowboys to take a linebacker, with Sonny Styles (17 mocks) the clear favorite ahead of Arvell Reese (2) and C.J. Allen (2). The second most popular position is cornerback, but the consensus here is less clear with Avieon Terrell (7) ahead of Colton Hood (5) and Brandon Cisse (3). Edge rushers come in third overall with the mocks defaulting to Keldrick Faulk (6) with Akheem Mesidor (2) and Cashius Howell (1) also getting some consideration.
The early consensus here seems to be LB Sonny Styles with the 12th pick and a CB with the 20th pick, a combo offered by 10 mocks.
But keep in mind, it’s still January, and a lot of things can still happen. When we did a similar exercise last year, Ashton Jeanty (13 of 25 mocks) and Luther Burden (9) were the favorites. Not a single mock had the Cowboys taking an offensive lineman.
The table below lists this year’s 25 mocks by their publication date and shows which player is mocked to the Cowboys in which spot.
The early data here suggests LB, CB, and EDGE will be the focus for the Cowboys. But how likely are which players to be available at pick 12 or 20, including players not listed here?
You could look up the player ranking on your favorite big board, you could make up your own ranking, and you could even use a consensus big board for such a player ranking. Or we could look at the average draft position for the key defensive prospects based on the 25 mocks above, and how often they were available at pick 12 or 20, which is exactly what you see in the table below.
Within the narrow confines of this 25-mock list, that gives the Cowboys some options, with the big caveat that it’s January and there’s still a long way to go to the draft.
What would be your choice right now, based in these 25 mocks?