The good people over at SB Nation's Mocking The Draft recently put together their first two-round mock draft as the 2012 NFL Draft looms just three months away. For the Dallas Cowboys, while there are some concerns that they should continue to build on the offensive line or find a better complement to rush the passer opposite of DeMarcus Ware, the only pick that can occur in the first round has to be in the secondary.
Ask any Cowboys fan about their belief in guys like Terence Newman, Alan Ball or Orlando Scandrick. Their face will turn up in disgust, anguish and will consider cussing you and the team out for their inability to play sound defense in the back third.
The Cowboys have the No. 14 pick in the draft and seem to be out of position to get the draft's two best corners in LSU's Morris Claiborne and Alabama's Dre Kirkpatrick. Nebraska's Alfonzo Dennard is slated to go at No. 11 to Kansas City, so Dallas will either have to hope there are sufficient corners to take or trade up to get an elite prospect.
Here are three reasons why the Cowboys must draft a member of the secondary in the first round, and possibly even more than that as the draft goes on.
1. Your best cornerback is 33 years old: Yes, for those keeping score Terence Newman is 33 years old. Somehow, he's not only remained as a cornerback for the Cowboys, but he's been the best cornerback on the team. The Cowboys missed out on opportunities to bring Nnamdi Asomugha or Jonathan Joseph to the team and they paid for it in 2011.
2. Rob Ryan's defense is predicated on covers who can actually cover: Rob Ryan is in love with the blitz and sending pressure. Force the ball out early, and hope you can get an early throw. However, when your corners are continually out of position that leads to missed opportunities. Dallas finished 16th in turnovers forced, something that Ryan will need to fix in 2012 by having his secondary catch the ball.
3. There's no dynamic presence at safety: Its not to say that the position is horrible, but does Abram Elam and Gerald Sensabaugh make anyone feel confident? The Cowboys don't have a ball hawk or a hitter at the safety position and can make the quarterback's job a lot easier knowing that there's nothing to fear back there.
So who do the Cowboys draft?
Round 1: Trade up to get Nebraska cover corner Alfonzo Dennard
Round 2: Georgia ball-hawking free safety Bacarri Rambo
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