When Dave Halprin of Blogging the Boys made his first-round pick in our 2015 NFL mock draft for the Dallas Cowboys (Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson), we were talking about how he had chosen to wait to pick a running back to replace departed free agent DeMarco Murray. Now that his second-round pick is in, Mr. Halprin has evidently again chosen to bypass that need, instead keeping his focus on the defensive side of the ball -- and the defensive line, in particular.
60. Cowboys: Grady Jarrett, DT, Clemson
More from our team site
More from our team site
Halprin: After securing a corner in the first round (Kevin Johnson), the Cowboys decide to bolster the interior of their defense in the second round with defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. Why not a running back? The way this draft is setting up and with the depth of quality at the position this year, the Cowboys decide they can wait until the third round to make their move and still get a quality running back.
The Cowboys have some solid pieces now for the defensive line in 2015 with Greg Hardy, Jeremy Mincey and DeMarcus Lawrence on the outside and Tyrone Crawford at the three-tech, but they were lacking a penetrating one-tech who could cause havoc in the backfield. We believe Jarrett is that guy. Praised for his quick get-off on the snap, his ability to penetrate, good feet and durability, he should fit right in with a Rod Marinelli defense. His biggest knock is his size, but Marinelli values under-sized but quick defensive tackles who can shoot gaps. Jarrett should be prefect for that.
Dan Kadar, SBNation.com: It may go against Marinelli's defense, but the Cowboys need a bigger defensive tackle who can plug up the middle. That doesn't mean it needs to be a big-belly tackle. But someone who can occupy multiple blockers when needed. There might not be that player here in the second round, and that's not Jarrett's game. Going defensive tackle here also ignores the hole at running back, and someone like Tevin Coleman is more than capable of being an NFL starter. Jarret's value would be intriguing. He's a gap-shooting defensive tackle with quick feet and a high motor. He's not the biggest, but he often makes up for it by beating an offensive lineman with his first move and relentlessness.
Dan's Top 5 players remaining
- 47. Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana
- 50. Markus Golden, DE, Missouri
- 53. Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan
- 54. Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska
- 60. Hau'oli Kikaha, OLB, Washington
All picks from this mock draft
Cowboys picks
- 1-27: Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest
- 2-60: Grady Jarrett, DT, Clemson
Our fourth week of the 2015 SB Nation NFL Writers' Mock Draft is now complete! We still have four picks left in this thing, however, so we'll see you back here on Monday to wrap everything up. Have a great weekend!