WILDCARD: What SURPRISE Pick Could The Dallas Cowboys Make At No. 12?

Summary

Locked On Cowboys: “WILDCARD: What SURPRISE Pick Could The Dallas Cowboys Make At No. 12?”
April 8, 2026 | Hosted by Marcus Mosher & Landon McCool

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Episode Overview

In this episode, hosts Marcus Mosher and Landon McCool tackle intriguing fan questions ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, focusing primarily on the Dallas Cowboys’ options with the 12th overall pick. They speculate on realistic but “out of left field” draft choices the Cowboys might make, debate the potential of doubling up on certain positions, and analyze whether we could see a run on offensive players in the top 11 selections—each scenario aiming to decipher the team’s strategy and what surprises might be in store on draft night.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Most Wild/Surprise Yet Realistic Pick at No. 12

[01:12 – 06:25]

• Setting the Scene: The discussion kicks off with a Twitter question: “What’s the most wild, out of left field pick the Cowboys could make at No. 12 that’s still somewhat realistic?”
• Landon’s Take:
  • Suggests a tight end, Kitty Sadiq (Oregon), as a surprising but justifiable fit due to recent inconsistency and injuries at the position.
  • “Adding a guy like Sadiq to this offense could really, really be fun and could really supercharge it in a way that maybe we’re underrating.” (Landon McCool, 02:08)
• Marcus' Perspective:
  • Recalls last year’s unexpected selection of Tyler Booker (at 12 despite being ranked mid-30s consensus).
  • Cites growing rumors about Akheem Mezador (Miami DL) as a fallback option—though thinks pick 12 is too high: “For me, that’s a guy that even at 20 feels a tad rich. At 12 feels far too rich.” (Marcus Mosher, 03:54)
• Context Matters:
  • Landon emphasizes considering age, injury history, and wear-and-tear—factors that could make someone like Mezador shocking at 12.
• Quote:
  • “Maybe we’re all just misaligned on what the Cowboys are specifically looking for from a pass rusher. Maybe they view him as a guy that is ready to go because of his age or advanced hand technique.” (Landon McCool, 05:00)

Memorable Moment:
When Landon reacts to continued arguments about Mezador:
- “Let’s run through some other names, because I don’t want to think about Mezador anymore. It makes me sick.” (Marcus Mosher, 06:25)

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2. Rapid-Fire: Other Potential "Out of Left Field" Picks

[06:31 – 11:30]

• C.J. Allen (LB):
  • Seen in some mocks at 12, but both view it as a reach based on athletic limitations and want “difference makers” for such a premium pick.
• Emmanuel McNeil Warren (DB):
  • Landon: Would be shocked but understands the argument, compares to Mezador’s surprise level.
• Peter Woods (DT):
  • Both would be surprised; see him as more of a mid-to-late first-rounder.
• Kaden Proctor (LT):
  • Landon sees it as misallocation of resources given existing contracts and depth.
• Colton Hood (CB):
  • “I would at least hear them out on the explanation…if Man. Sir Delane wasn’t there, I don’t know that [Hood's] tears better or worse than any of the remaining cornerbacks.” (Landon McCool, 09:37)
• Kaden McDonald (DT):
  • Both love the player, would be a reach but wouldn’t be upset.
• Cassius Howell (LB/Edge):
  • High for 12, but might justify it due to player talent.

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3. Could the Cowboys Double Up on One Position?

[13:27 – 20:15]

• Listener Question: Is there a position Dallas could double up on in the first round or first two days? (e.g., taking two DBs early).
• Landon's View:
  • Open to DB or edge doubling, especially if talent fits or players have varied roles (nickel/safety/corner). Less likely at linebacker or safety given current roster investments.
• Marcus’ Caution:
  • “They’ve got so many needs and I wonder if it’s just not going to stack up where they can take two guys at the same position with two of their first three picks.” (Marcus Mosher, 17:53)
• Edge as the Exception:
  • It’s never bad to have too many edge rushers—could see two premium picks there if top options fall.
• Examples Explored:
  • Miami combo: Ruben Bain & Akheem Mezador
  • Arvell Reese & Keldrick Falk for varied D-line & edge versatility

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4. Could More Offensive Players Go in the Top 11 Than Projected?

[21:18 – 28:43]

• Draft Class Tier Analysis:
  • Landon thinks the lack of blue-chip talent means teams will simply take what fits needs, and the top 11 could skew heavier to offense depending on last-minute trades and runs at key positions.
  • “There’s a good chance that there’s going to be a little bit of moving around at the top this year... It’s a free for all.” (Landon McCool, 22:08)
• Marcus on Recent Trends:
  • Less early reaching for QBs and WRs, but teams absolutely panic for OTs, leading to runs on linemen higher than projected.
  • “These offensive tackles... they all have warts, but they’re going to get a lot prettier the closer we get to the draft, because these teams... they’re going to need them.” (Marcus Mosher, 24:38)
• Draft Strategy Implications:
  • If five offensive players go early, it dramatically increases the Cowboys’ odds of a high-end defender falling to them at 12.
  • Monitor picks 3 (Arizona) and subsequent O-line-leaning teams—these are “stress points” for Cowboy fans.
• Trading Up:
  • Landon urges flexibility and willingness to move up if a top defensive guy begins to fall.
  • “It’s a thin razor. It’s a razor margin.” (Landon McCool, 26:58)

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Notable Quotes

• “Adding a guy like Sadiq to this offense could really, really be fun and could really supercharge in a way that maybe we’re underrating.”
  — Landon McCool, [02:08]

• “For me, that’s a guy that even at 20 feels a tad rich. At 12 feels far too rich.”
  — Marcus Mosher, on Akheem Mezador [03:54]

• “Let’s run through some other names because I don’t want to think about Mezador anymore. It makes me sick.”
  — Marcus Mosher, [06:25]

• “They’ve got so many needs and I wonder if it’s just not going to stack up where they can take two guys at the same position with two of their first three picks.”
  — Marcus Mosher, [17:53]

• “There’s a good chance that there’s going to be a little bit of moving around at the top this year... It’s a free for all.”
  — Landon McCool, [22:08]

• “These offensive tackles... they all have warts, but they’re going to get a lot prettier the closer we get to the draft, because these teams... they’re going to need them.”
  — Marcus Mosher, [24:38]

• “It’s a thin razor. It’s a razor margin.”
  — Landon McCool, [26:58]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:12: Episode theme and listener questions intro
• 02:08: Landon’s “wildest” pick: Kitty Sadiq, TE, Oregon
• 03:31: Marcus on how Tyler Booker’s pick last year opens up the field for surprises
• 03:54: Akheem Mezador as a rumored fallback at 12
• 06:31: Rapid-fire on other “out of left field” candidates (Allen, Warren, Woods, Proctor, Hood, McDonald, Howell)
• 13:27: Could the Cowboys double up on one position in this draft?
• 21:18: Will the top 11 skew heavier to offense than mocks predict? (Draft class overview, strategy)
• 24:38: Recent draft history and offensive tackle value
• 26:58: Stress points and what to root for as a Cowboys fan on draft night

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Tone and Takeaways

• The hosts maintain an analytical yet conversational tone, blending deep draft knowledge with fan-level anxieties and hopes for the Cowboys.
• There’s a persistent theme of unpredictability in the draft, urging listeners not to dismiss any option—especially when recent history shows Dallas thinking outside consensus rankings.
• The episode is a must-listen for fans who want to walk into the draft with realistic expectations for surprises, understand the context behind “reach” picks, and why position runs and trade dynamics are crucial for Dallas’ opportunity at 12.

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For more, join the Locked On Cowboys club or follow the hosts on social media for daily Cowboys insight and draft coverage.

Transcript

[Landon McCool]

Foreign

[Marcus Mosher]

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[Marcus Mosher]

the Dallas Cowboys could make an out of left field pick at number 12. We'll give you some candidates next. You are Locked on Cowboys, your daily Dallas Cowboys podcast, part of the Locked on podcast network. Your team every day. Welcome back. I am your host, Marcus Mosher. He is Landon McCool and on today's show, we are answering your Twitter questions, including, could we see more offensive players being drafted inside the top 11 than we are currently projecting right now? Could we see the Cowboys doubling up in round one on one specific position? But let's start the show with a question from our guy Foots the King, who wants to know what is the most wild out of left field pick the Cowboys could make at number 12 that you think is somewhat realistic.

[Landon McCool]

All right, so you and I have had some fun before the show, kind of looking through and debating different names and it's kind of tough to like, you know, because part of me just wants to say any offensive player, you know, like, I mean, I just feel like at this point like you really, you know, any, any one of them would probably be shocking and feel like out of left field. But I, I think we should kind of keep it inside the, the, the sphere of, of realistic. Right? I, I think if someone like Ken, like Sadiq from, uh, Kitty Sadiq from Oregon, I just think that, you know, you've got a situation where you haven't had the production out of the tight end position that you had hoped for at certain points. It started out good again last year and then kind of petered off, as you know. Unfortunately, Ferguson got injured. You've got some guys down roster that are good blockers that you like. You know, Revengeman Ford, but I just don't know that he's ever going to be a past passing game weapon. And adding a guy like Sadiq to this offense could really, really be fun and, and could really supercharge in a way that, you know, maybe we're underrating. So I think that he could be a guy that potentially could be a pick at 12. We're certainly not expecting that, but we have talked about them taking a tight end in this class. Maybe they plan on taking a tight end much earlier than any of us think.

[Marcus Mosher]

And we should mention, it's not like the Cowboys haven't done this before. Literally last year at this time, nobody was mocking Tyler Booker to the Cowboys at 12. I think he was like 35th, 36 on the consensus board. We were seeing basically every single mock, had them drafting Tedro and McMillan at 12. And if it wasn't McMillan, it was Matthew Golden. Right. And it wasn't until Peter Schrager, who puts out, I think, two mock drafts a year, match Booker with the Cowboys that you started to see a little bit of this momentum and it kind of carried through the last two weeks and that's ultimately the pick. The Cowboys made it 12. So I, I have a tendency to just to dismiss everything that we hear at this time of year because there's so much chum being thrown into the water. But I think Booker's a good example last year how you can see a name coming out of absolutely nowhere, being mocked inside the top 12, and we have to at least respect it a little bit. And the name that's been kind of circulating a lot over the last 48 hours is a key Messador, the Miami defensive lineman. And a lot of, a lot of it comes from Brian Broadus on a couple different podcasts mentioning that if the Cowboys get wiped out at 12, he could be kind of the fallback option. I, I know there's people that don't think that's an out of left field pick because he was productive, but for me, that's a guy that even at 20, feels a tad rich. At 12 feels far too rich.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, I mean, I think it's, it qualifies. I mean, in this situation, it's not that that he's not a first round pick necessarily, although I think you would debate that a little bit. And you certainly have your point.

[Marcus Mosher]

He should go like in the twenties at the earliest. So I think he is probably a first round pick. I just think 12, it's too high.

[Landon McCool]

I agree. And I think high enough that it would be qualifying for this question right out of left field for sure. Because I, I do think, look, I mean there are certainly a lot, a lot to like about Mecedor's tape. You watch his tape, you, you don't know how old he is. You don't know his injury history. All you're doing is watching the tape. I, I think you could understand why you would potentially consider him at 12. But I think that you can't ignore how old he is. You can't ignore that injury history. You can't ignore the snaps that he has on his body. So I, I think that there is important context in this, in these situations and that's how you determine value. And I think that is why him being picked at 12 was, would be shocking a little bit or out of left field to kind of go to the question. But as we said, there's so many of these pass rushers and a lot of it is going to be about what you're looking for. Maybe we're all just misaligned on what the Cowboys are specifically looking for from a pass rusher. Maybe they view him as a guy that is ready to go because of his age or because of his advanced hand technique. Maybe that's why they value, they could potentially value him at 12.

[Marcus Mosher]

Well, let's run through some other names because I, I don't want to think about Mezador anymore. It makes me sick. That's fair.

[Landon McCool]

Okay.

[Marcus Mosher]

C.J. al now that's a name that we have seen mentioned to the Cowboys in round one. There have been a couple mocks where he's gone at 12. I still think that would feel very wild considering kind of the way that last year went, the way that the athletic testing went. I wouldn't be a fan of that one. But I can't completely just, you know, discounted either.

[Landon McCool]

I think it's a similar situation right where it's, it's not that you don't necessarily view him as a good player or even a first round player potentially. It's just at 12, it seems extremely rich for that specific player. And I think, you know, you, you covered it like his is not an age issue or an injury issue necessarily. It's more of an athletic testing issue. It's. It's an upside issue. Is he limited in what he can do? I think what he does, he does extremely well and that's why were even considering him as a first round pick. But if I'm taking a linebacker at 12, I really want an extreme difference maker who doesn't have any glaring weaknesses. Who is going to be worthy of that kind of pick? I just feel like C.J. allen is a really good player, but taking him at 12 would be a little bit out of left field. And I know that Foots actually is a big fan of CJ Allen, so maybe he would be upset while we're answering his question that we're suggesting it, but I just think it's a little bit of a reach for him.

[Marcus Mosher]

All right, I want to run through some other players. Can you just kind of give me your thoughts? If you hear commissioner Roger Goodell mentioning this name of the Cowboys. How about Emmanuel McNeil? Warren?

[Landon McCool]

I would feel less worried about it than those other two guys that we just mentioned because I like the player I think a little bit better than those guys. Messador. Probably about the same, but, but yeah, I would be shocked because I do think it's a little bit early than I think thought.

[Marcus Mosher]

Peter woods, the defensive tackle from Clemson?

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, I mean, yeah, I, I, I think probably along the lines of, of, of where C.J. allen, where it's just like I, I just don't think his, his talent warrants being taken at 12. And I think there's probably other, a bunch of other guys I'd rather have.

[Marcus Mosher]

I mean I could, I could talk myself into it. I, I just didn't love the tape and I don't love the athleticism. So that's where it gets a little wonky for me. A couple other guys. Kaden Proctor, now this is a left tackle at Alabama, but what if the idea is that like Tyler Booker campaigned hard for him and he believes he can get the most out of him here in Dallas?

[Landon McCool]

I, I mean I, again, I, I don't love it at 12 and I, I especially don't love it considering what they did with, with Steel's contract. From what I under what I remember this, this off season. So, but I mean, again, like, you know, if you're gonna, if you're gonna make a mistake, make a mistake and draft an offensive lineman, like, I guess I, I, I, I, I'd rather that than another player who absolutely, I don't feel like could get on the field. I just feel like it's a misallocation of resources.

[Marcus Mosher]

I'm giving you a lot of different names. What about somebody like, oh, Colton Hood, a cornerback that we think the Cowboys might like a little bit rather than waiting for him to maybe fall the 20? What if you just took him at 12?

[Landon McCool]

I think with Hood would, I would be interested. Here's here's, here's why, because I don't agree necessarily, but I think Hood is at least a guy where. I would like to hear the thought process for the Cowboys on that one. I. I would at least hear them out on the explanation, I think. And if Man. Sir Delane wasn't there, I don't know that he's, you know, tears better or worse than any of the remaining cornerbacks out there. Peninsula potential, potentially.

[Marcus Mosher]

I. I think 20 is a little bit rich for him, but also, if they've dropped him, I'd be like, okay, it's not my favorite pick, but let's see how it plays out. 12 just feels too high, like I think it does. It just feels too high. A couple other ones, just really, really quickly. Kaden McDonald, the defensive tackle from Ohio State.

[Landon McCool]

I love McDonald's, man. And at 12,

[Marcus Mosher]

what if the idea is like, hey, we think he's the best player of that Ohio State defense.

[Landon McCool]

I. I mean, look, I. I think that they have a solid argument, you know, I think that more of an argument that people realize, I think. But. And I. And I guess a defensive lineman at 12 is. Is more traditional. Maybe not a nose tackle like this, but he is so good that I, I wouldn't love it, but I also wouldn't be upset with that.

[Marcus Mosher]

That's the way I would be. Like, you know what? That's higher than he should have been drafted. But I also just love the player. I. I would not draft him at 12, but I also would be like, you know, it's going to be really fun to have him on this defensive line. I'm gonna give you one more before we move on. What about my guy Cassius?

[Landon McCool]

How at 12?

[Marcus Mosher]

Yeah. Why your reaction? I can tell you don't like it.

[Landon McCool]

It's. It's high for Cash's. How. But, but again, honestly, I think I probably less to a lesser degree. Well, maybe not too much lesser to. I think it'd be very similar to the Kaden McDowell situation, where I think we got a really good player. Maybe we overpaid for where we should. I agree.

[Marcus Mosher]

All right, let's talk about what positions the Cowboys could potentially double up on in round one. We'll get to that next. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Financial stress is something that a lot of people are carrying right now, and it's not just about numbers. It can affect your sleep, your relationships, and your overall mental health in ways that build up over time. And the reality is struggling with money doesn't mean that you failed. But sometimes it means that you just haven't had the right kind of support. It's something that I think about almost every single day, how easy it is to put pressure on yourself financially without really talking about it. You know that stress that comes from trying to figure everything out on your own, the expectations that you have to make sure that you have everything all together and how that pressure can spill in to other areas of your life. Therapy isn't about financial advice, but it is about working through the stress, the anxiety and the emotions that come with it. And with over 30,000 licensed therapists and more than 6 people, 6 million people served nationwide, BetterHelp makes it easier to get matched and start focusing on what you need when life feels overwhelming. Therapy can help. Sign up and get 10% [e-mail] Locked on that is BetterHelp H E L P.com LockedOn how did you get your

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[Marcus Mosher]

welcome back to the Locked on Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen every single day. Don't forget to check out the Everyday club for ad free episodes and access to a group chat with Landon and I and other listeners of the show, tap the link in the show notes or go to locked on cowboys supercast.com all right, next question comes from Jeff. He wants to know what is the one position that you could see the Cowboys doubling up on in the 2026 NFL Draft. Now, we can do this if you want to talk about first round, but let's, let's expand it to the first two days of the draft because I have a hard time seeing the Cowboys doubling up on one position. But he did mention what about the idea of Caleb Downs at 12 and then Emmanuel McNeil Warren, the safety from Toledo at 20?

[Landon McCool]

I, I honestly think that especially on the defensive side of the ball, outside of linebacker, I can't, I, I, I could see them doubling up at any one of those positions. Right. Just because I think, you know, and you know, if you want to Say defensive back instead of safety. I, I, you know, absolutely right. Because I, I think Caleb Downs, if you draft him, especially up, up there, your plan is to play him at the nickel and to play him a lot at the nickel. Right. And then I think he'll probably play some safety if you go into a more base look, but I, I honestly think most of his snaps would be kind of in the, in the, the nickel situation. I, I do think that you have spent some resources at specifically safety this.

[Marcus Mosher]

So that's what makes it hard is like if, let's say downs falls to 12 and even you seen them and let's say they like them and more. I don't know how you get Downs, phenomen, Malik, Hooker and Jalen Thompson all on the field at one time. That just seems like a lot of resources spent at one position.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, I mean, I think it would be hard. I mean, it would be a look towards the future for sure. And it's, it's a lot harder to get that many safeties, I think like a four safety situation than it is to get all those corners on the field. So if you wanted to double up at corner somehow if you got man sword lane and then, you know, you felt you really like you, you love Colton Hood or something like that, I mean, that's probably not a great necessarily pairing, but you know, just something like that. I think that would make or you know, like a third round corner. Like, like you want you expanded at top 100. Like if you got man Sir Delaine and then got Malik Muhammad or something like that in the third round. Yeah, like, I, I could certainly see like that. But I mean, you know, but especially positions like, you know, edge. I mean, I would not be shocked at all if they decided to go get two guys in this draft, you know, and, and maybe not one or two, but like it. You know, we talked about situations where they trade up and, and maybe they keep their 20th pick and they get a guy like Bailey. What if they get to 20 and the best player on their board is Cassius Howell or someone like that and they just want to continue to add to pass rushers. I mean, look what happened with Seattle this year. I mean, they certainly didn't have too many pass rushers, so I could easily see a strategy that involves, hey, maybe it's not necessarily just about getting okay at all three levels. Maybe we need to find one level that we really kind of supercharge and, and then try to build around that with, with, with the kind of middle class of, of Our defense.

[Marcus Mosher]

I think it's going to be hard to do it now in your situation. I was thinking about like David Bailey and Romello height that you grab at like 92 and you pair the two Texas. Yeah. Like that would. I could see that. But like, I can't see them drafting two linebackers with the first, you know, two of their first three picks. Unless you're calling like Cassius Howe a linebacker and Jacob Rodriguez as a linebacker or Sonny Styles. I mean, I, I guess technically, but I. Those are two totally different positions. For me. It seems hard considering the Reese. The lack of resources they had. If they had another picket like round two, I could see it, but I don't. Again, I just don't see that happening.

[Landon McCool]

You talk about off ball linebacker.

[Marcus Mosher]

Well, even honestly, just in general, like, I just. They've got so many needs and I wonder if it's just not going to stack up where they can take two guys at the same position with two of their first three picks.

[Landon McCool]

I think it's safety. I think a linebacker. You're just out. I think it's Linebacker's out. Yeah, yeah, I think it's safety. It's hard to kind of justify, especially since that is the. One of the positions that you had actually spent at free agency this offseason

[Marcus Mosher]

and they even spent was a 5 million on PJ Locke to be kind of a third for safety form.

[Landon McCool]

Absolutely. So it's not like they. The safety position is the one spot where they actually probably don't have like a floor need. Right. But at a position like edge rusher where you can't have enough good edge rushers. Like, and again, like, if you're going to make a mistake or if things go bad for you in the first round, defaulting to pass rushers and offensive line is not a terrible way to spend your resources. So if they got caught in a situation, I'd rather see them get another talented pass rusher than reach on a player that's two tiers below him because, oh, we already have a pass rusher we drafted in the first round.

[Marcus Mosher]

Yeah. And I'm just trying to think about what the best combo would be. I mean, if you wanted to do the Miami combo with Ruben Bane and Mezador, that would be at least kind of fun. If Bain fell to 12.

[Landon McCool]

Well, if somehow you managed to get up to three and get ARVL Reese. Right. You got yourself a linebacker and a pass rusher.

[Marcus Mosher]

Right.

[Landon McCool]

But you could still easily see yourself getting to 20. If you somehow managed to 20 to get up to three and. And go, oh, well, look, we still got another really good pass rusher. We, like, can't have enough of these guys and then pluck him off the board. I. I think that makes sense.

[Marcus Mosher]

Could you see them going, like, Arval Reese and Keldrick Falk, like, at 20, it's like, okay, we've got our guy that can blitz and everything. We need another guy that can come stop the run. We got the guy that's going to give us juice. Let's get the big body guy that we can move all across the defensive line.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. 100. Like, I mean, again, like, I think

[Marcus Mosher]

it just feels cheating a little bit. I'm trying to get guys at the exact same position, but it's hard, you

[Landon McCool]

know, look, again, I think pass rush is the one position where it's easier, but I think it's safety and linebacker. It's hard. Like, it doesn't really make a lot of sense. Corner, you always just need a ton of talented guys, so having those makes a little more sense. But even then you spent some money there. So the answer is yes. They. I. They. It could happen.

[Marcus Mosher]

Tough to do, though.

[Landon McCool]

But I would. I wouldn't say it's what they're targeting necessarily.

[Marcus Mosher]

All right, let's talk about. Could we see more offensive players going inside the top 11 picks than even are being projected right now? We'll get to that. Next.

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[Marcus Mosher]

Welcome back to the Laton Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen every single day. This question comes from Mark. I'm going to read it here. It says, are we underestimating how much teams Inside the top 11 need offensive weapons, or is the talent disparity between offense and defensive players truly that great this year?

[Landon McCool]

I. I tend to think that it's actually that the talent is just all plateaued and so teams that need offensive, have offensive needs are going to take offensive players and teams that have defensive needs are going to take defensive players. And I think that the other thing that's really happening. This is something you and I were talking about before the show too, and I've been talking about this whole off season. There are groups of teams or you know, whatever the, the draft media network that are artificially pushing up these kind of money, five players just to kind of help make sense of these, of these mock drafts and, and make sense of the needs of the teams up there. And so I think it's hard to tell because I actually think there's, there's a good chance that there's going to be a little bit of moving around at the top this year. So I think kind of estimating where people are moving around for is difficult. I think it's probably a safe bet to guess that they're trading for valuable pieces, including the money. Five positions, tackle, wide receiver, quarterback, cornerback, defensive end, but, or pass rusher, however you want to classify that. But I also think that because of the fact that the kind of more blue chip players in this class don't really exist at those positions, it's a free for all. So I think people are just trying to kind of grasp at straws. And right now you're seeing mock drafts basically being run by people guesstimating what those teams needs are. But I think once we get to draft night, I think teams are going to do a good job of shuffling where they are on the board to get where they need to be to get the players at the positions they want at the value that they think is appropriate. Appropriate.

[Marcus Mosher]

I also think we're not seeing teams reach for quarterbacks as much as we have in previous years. Like I think in five years ago, there's just no doubt that Ty Simpson's top five pick, right?

[Landon McCool]

Like top ten? Yeah, yeah.

[Marcus Mosher]

I don't think that's going to happen. I think teams are being more picky about it now. And even receivers, I think we have seen years where like JSN was the first receiver to come off the board, I believe in the 20233 draft. So teams are willing to be patient there. But offensive line is a spot where there's just, you can't be patient because every, every team needs them and there's just not enough of them to go around. And I'm even looking at like a draft. Like last year you had guys like Kelvin Banks and Tyler Booker who we talked about earlier. Tyler Booker was in the 30s of the consensus board, Banks was being drafted or being mocked like in the, you know, late teens. But Booker goes 12, Kelvin Banks goes nine, and then we don't have another offensive tackle go until Josh connolly at pick 29. And that was a reach. Like, I don't think a lot of people had Connerly going that early. So I think these offensive tackles like Spano and Francis Valianoa and Monroe Freeling, like, they all have warts, but they're going to get a lot prettier the closer that we get to the draft, because these teams are going to. They're going to need them.

[Landon McCool]

Well, here's the thing. You know, everyone's always preaching because everyone else is telling them to, right? Everyone is always preaching, don't draft for need. Don't draft for need. The truth of the matter is you can draft for need all you want. You just have to find a way to get the appropriate value for the need that you're drafting for, Right? Like, if you're a top 10 pick, a top 10 team, you can do what. What. What. What you're suggesting, right? You can just reach for an offensive lineman if you want and just justify it by saying, oh, he'll fail. If he fails, he'll fail to guard, so he's got high upside, right? Like, you know, we see that kind of thing all the time. Or you can do something appropriate, like trade back to where you feel like the offensive tackle is probably supposed to be and then take them there and still get the equivalent value you're looking for from. From that pick by getting the. What you get back from the trade. So I think that there are lots of ways that teams are going to solve this. Teams are going to go get what they want to get, and they're going to target certain things. But, but the. The key, again, is to manipulate the situation so that you're getting the appropriate value for the pick that you were assigned and that you can use that value to get the players that you want, plus more.

[Marcus Mosher]

You know, I just want to kind of hammer home this point one more time. We saw, like, in the 2023 draft, Darnell Wright, who actually the Bears had the number one pick in 2023. They traded back with Carolina, and then they traded back again. They took Darnell Wright. Donna Wright is somebody that the Cowboys had in on a 30 visit, and they liked him quite a bit. They thought he was a guy that could maybe fall to them, you know, in the later stages of round one, he goes 10. This happens every year because Teams so desperately need offensive linemen. So I won't be surprised if we have three go inside the top 11 picks. And if you're a Cowboy fan, and obviously you are because you're listening to this podcast, what you really want is at least five offensive players to go inside the top 11. You know, one's going to be Mendoza. You know, one's going to be Jeremiah Love. If you can get two receivers and two offensive linemen, that almost guarantees you that you're going to get somebody like Monsor Delaney or Caleb Downs or Sonny Styles falling to you at 12.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, and, and, and it's, it's a thin razor. It's a razor margin. Right? It's. So the question becomes like, that's why the Cowboys would look at trade up situations, right? Is, is, is can they rely on the fact that, that teams. I, I think the tackle proposition is, is probably easy to clear. There may be three tackles potentially that go before the Cowboys at 12. I wouldn't be shocked. I think wide receiver is a little bit different proposition. And, and, and I think one for sure I would say. But is that second, is that second wide receiver going to get taken? I, I think it's going to be really close and I think that's why we're seeing a lot of really great up and down, jump up and down, exciting drafts at 12 and ones that are disappointing and we're having to settle for guys that we don't think are appropriate at 12.

[Marcus Mosher]

Anytime I do the mocks like you can, I can almost tell you if the Cowboys are going to get a good player on 12 on defense by. If I tell you, if you tell me what happens at 3, if Arizona takes David Bailey or Arvell Reese, it's going to be a real struggle for those defensive guys to fall down to 12. But if they go with Francis, Maui Noah and then you have the Browns take Spencer Fano or Monroe Freeling, it almost guarantees that one of those guys is going to fall. So I think we're going to be stressing about this draft right up to three. So every mock draft that you see that has a Cardinals taking the Cardinals taking an offensive lineman at three is going to be a major win for Dallas.

[Landon McCool]

But remember, there's also still that back door because there's going to be teams that are going to be looking to get back to appropriate spots. So if you have an opportunity and you get a value, don't be afraid to trade up to go get your guy because I think it's going to be a year in which you're going to be able to do so with with a little bit of a discount.

[Marcus Mosher]

All right, that is it for today's show. We'd like to thank you for making Locon Cowboys your first listen every single day. If you never miss an episode, the everyday club is built for you. Get Locked on Cowboys ad free plus members only, Discord access and so much more. Head over to lock on Cowboys.com LockedOn Cowboys.Supercast.com to join the club. Should I get it right? For those of you on video, we can send you the first ever 24. 7 national NBA YouTube channel on audio. Make your second listen the Locked on NFL Draft podcast. Follow Landon on Twitter acoolbcb. I'm at marcusmosier and we will see you right back here tomorrow.

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