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ESPN mock has Cowboys rolling dice on CB coming off major injury, undersized DE
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- ESPN mock has Cowboys rolling dice on CB coming off major injury, undersized DE
Exactly one month from now, the first round of the NFL draft will be in the books, and unless the Cowboys make an awfully dramatic move between now and then, there will be two new prospects wearing the star.
No one on the planet believes those newest Cowboys will be anything other than defensive players. But with pressing needs at all three levels, which ones will Dallas target? One school of thought has the team going out and getting a veteran linebacker via trade prior to the draft. Such a move could signal an intent to address deficiencies at cornerback and edge rusher with their opening-night selections in Pittsburgh.
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That's precisely the way ESPN's Field Yates sees it. In his latest mock draft, Yates predicts the first two rounds of picks . And while he joins a growing chorus of voices clamoring for the Cowboys to make a call to Rocky Top for the first, Yates's choice for the second could be seen as the kind of roll-the-dice wildcard the Cowboys have shown they aren't afraid to play.
Here's Yates's picks for the Cowboys with one month to go.
12. CB Jermod McCoy , Tennessee
Tennessee defensive back Jermod McCoy (3) celebrates after making a play during a college football game between Tennessee and Georgia at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, November 16, 2024.
McCoy going to Dallas with the No. 12 overall pick is an idea that's gaining steam with the draftniks; Mel Kiper Jr., Todd McShay, and Daniel Jeremiah have all sent the Tyler, Tex. native to the Cowboys in recent mock exercises. Yates has him pegged as the second cornerback to come off the board here, behind LSU 's Mansoor Delane (No. 10, Cincinnati). But there is a sense that if the 20-year-old- who played just two years of college ball- impresses in Tennessee's pro day, he could catapult to the best corner in this year's class... and suddenly, him being available at No. 12 becomes a long shot.
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"One of the true wild cards in this draft is McCoy, as he's a top-10 talent but has not played or worked out for scouts since an ACL tear in January 2025. He is expected to participate in Tennessee's pro day March 31, which will help solidify this ceiling if he's healthy.
"At his best, McCoy is the top coverage cornerback in this class, with exceptional length (77-inch wingspan), ball skills, patience and timing to disrupt wideouts. In a full 2024 season, he had four interceptions and seven passes defensed. The Cowboys need all the cornerback help they can get after finishing last in yards per dropback allowed (7.3) and total pass breakups (30)." -- Yates
20. EDGE R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma
Oct 18, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Lanorris Sellers (16) is sacked by Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman R Mason Thomas (32) in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images
In a draft class loaded with big names at defensive end, Thomas has gotten a little lost among the Rueben Bains, Keldrick Faulks, and Cashius Howells. And at just 6-foot-2, 241 pounds, he doesn't always stand out in the huddle. But Thomas is a pass-rush machine. The question will be if the Cowboys believe in him enough to take him in the first round, a move that could be seen as a reach relative to his overall draft grade. He'll almost assuredly be there at No. 20, but he'll be gone by the time Dallas comes on the clock again at No. 92.
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"Thomas is my type of football player as an explosive, powerful and relentless pass rusher. Plus, he has heavy hands and a nasty attitude when defending the run (21 run stops over the past two seasons). Thomas dealt with an injury for part of the 2025 season, but he still finished with 6.5 sacks and 23 pressures in nine games.
"The Cowboys must keep hammering away at their pass rush to find some semblance of what they had with Micah Parsons. Dallas traded for edge rusher Rashan Gary to boost this same initiative." -- Yates
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: ESPN mock draft sends CB Jermod McCoy, DE R Mason Thomas to Cowboys
