Dallas Cowboys land game-changing playmakers in 7-round 2020 mock draft

STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 07: KJ Hamler #1 of the Penn State Nittany Lions hurdles Devon Russell #12 of the Buffalo Bulls during the first half at Beaver Stadium on September 07, 2019 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 07: KJ Hamler #1 of the Penn State Nittany Lions hurdles Devon Russell #12 of the Buffalo Bulls during the first half at Beaver Stadium on September 07, 2019 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 7
Next
Dallas Cowboys mock draft (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Dallas Cowboys mock draft (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

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

This. season, the Cowboys could go into the year with Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Xavier Woods as their starting safeties, but that’s not going to be a long-term solution. Clinton-Dix, a former first-round pick out of Alabama, signed just a one-year deal whereas Woods is entering the final year of his rookie contract.

More from NFL Spin Zone

In addition to them being in their final year, both Woods and Clinton-Dix are better at free safety, although it appears Woods will make the move to strong safety this season. With that being the case, the two are likely in competition with one another to earn an extension in the coming offseason.

With that being the case, the Cowboys use their first-round pick on a player who can start at safety for years to come in Xavier McKinney out of Alabama. McKinney has asserted himself as the top prospect at the positon, edging out Grant Delpit who was originally placed ahead of McKinney on most boards.

McKinney is as refined as they come at the position. He has great speed, instincts, and is a sure tackler. He’s also versatile enough that he can play either safety position while also helping with slot coverage.

A game-changing safety can fix a lot of holes on defense and Dallas has been without one for many years. That finally changes as they land themselves a playmaker here that will start for years to come.