Dallas Cowboys: 7-Round 2020 mock draft replinishes free agency losses

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 28: Xavier McKinney #DB52 of the Alabama Crimson Tide speaks to the media on day four of the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 28, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 28: Xavier McKinney #DB52 of the Alabama Crimson Tide speaks to the media on day four of the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 28, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
Dallas Cowboys mock draft (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
Dallas Cowboys mock draft (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Pick Analysis. Pick 17. S. player. Scouting Report. Round 1. Xavier McKinney. 829

Losing Byron Jones hurts, but there was no way Dallas was going to make him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, which is what the Miami Dolphins did. And while it would be ideal to get a replacement in the 2020 NFL Draft, things don’t fall that way for the Cowboys in this mock.

More from NFL Spin Zone

Instead, they get a safety which still upgrades the secondary tremendously and it could be argued this is an even bigger need than cornerback — even with Jones leaving.

At cornerback, the Cowboys still have Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis. They’ve also been looking in free agency and could make a move there. Awuzie has starting experience (although he did have his share of struggles in 2019) and Lewis has oftentimes been the best corner on the team but was hardly used by former defensive backs coach Kris Richard.

As for safety, the Cowboys were already needing an upgrade next to Xavier Woods and that was even before Jeff Heath left. Now, they really need another starter in the worst way and there’s no better fit for them than Xavier Woods from Alabama.

He’s capable of playing deep as well as in the slot and can come up and help in run support. Grant Delpit has been another name mocked to Dallas but McKinney is the better overall player. The one worry is that for some reason, the Cowboys just don’t draft Alabama players, which is weird because they’re usually the best of the bunch. Hopefully, they buck that trend with McKinney.