Cowboys double-dip for SEC defensive standouts in new mock from The Athletic
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New Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker vowed in his opening press conference this week that he would build his new-look Dallas defense around his players. But he also joked that he was assured by head coach Brian Schottenheimer and owner Jerry Jones that both of the team's upcoming first-round draft picks would be devoted to the defense he just inherited, which finished last in the league in several key categories in 2025.
Nearly every mock draft this offseason has already assumed that.
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The Athletic turned its NFL beat reporters loose on a first-round mock exercise this week and Cowboys scribe Jon Machota's picks are definitely in line with what most experts see as among the team's most glaring needs.
Popular picks like Caleb Downs, David Bailey, Sonny Styles, and Mansoor Delane were gone by the time the Cowboys were up at No. 12 overall, but Machota managed to walk away from this mock with two top-tier defenders that would give Parker a more than solid foundation of young talent on that side of the ball.
12. CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
"As the picks were coming off the board, the Cowboys appeared to have a good chance at [linebacker] Sonny Styles or [cornerback] Mansoor Delane. There had been conversations with the Pittsburgh Steelers about trading back to 21. With Styles and Delane going right before Dallas, trade talks heated up. But the Steelers’ best offer was No. 21, No. 76 (third round), and No. 159 (fifth round). The Cowboys needed both of Pittsburgh’s third-round picks or, at the very least, a third and a fourth. With that deal off the table, the Cowboys went with the best player available at a position of need. There are some concerns about McCoy missing all of last season with a torn ACL. But if everything checks out medically, McCoy should start immediately, likely alongside DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel. On paper, that would be an upgraded secondary for first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker." -Machota
On Wednesday, Parker talked specifically about the importance of the slot (or nickel) cornerback in today's game.
"That guy, you know, he's a corner sometimes, he is safety sometimes, he's a backer sometimes," Parker explained. "He's a defensive end when he's blitzing. You want to have a guy who has natural instincts and ability to feel the game and play football. He's usually a guy who if you were playing football on a Saturday afternoon [in] the neighborhood, he's your 1st-round draft pick."
Is that McCoy? Most draftniks feel he's better on the boundary, but Bland has experience at nickel. That could be a way to get all three players on the field together should McCoy be the Cowboys' selection.
Regardless, McCoy would no doubt be an intriguing project for Parker, whose specialty has always been the defensive secondary. Whether the Tyler, Tex. native has the tools to become the next Patrick Surtain II, Cooper DeJean, or Quinyon Mitchell- all previously developed by Parker- remains to be seen.
20. LB CJ Allen, Georgia
"There was a lot to consider at this pick, including a possible trade back with the Philadelphia Eagles at 23 that fell through after the Panthers’ pick. Dallas’ options were then one of the best remaining pass rushers (Keldric Faulk, Cashius Howell, T.J. Parker, or Zion Young), a top safety (Dillon Thieneman or Emmanuel McNeil-Warren), or a top off-ball linebacker. The Cowboys’ linebacker play was probably the worst in the league last year. Allen would instantly upgrade the group as their starting middle linebacker, potentially forming a great duo if DeMarvion Overshown can stay healthy." -Machota
Parker certainly stirred the pot in his introduction by expressing a preference for a 3-4 defensive scheme, considering the Cowboys haven't deployed that seriously since 2012, under Rob Ryan.
Parker emphasized being "multiple," however, and said he'll tailor his scheme to fit his players, but even if a true 3-4 doesn't really come to fruition, Dallas will nevertheless need to beef up its linebacking corps behind guys like Overshown, Logan Wilson, Marist Liufau, and Shemar James.
It's perhaps no coincidence, then, that the organization went out and hired both an inside linebackers coach in Scott Symons and an outside linebackers coach, Chidera Uzo-Diribe. Now, Uzo-Diribe just happened to be on staff at Georgia the past four years, but don't read too much into that with Machota's pick here; Allen was listed as an inside linebacker while with the Bulldogs.
Still, his familiarity with a position coach as well as the new DC's favored system could indeed give Allen a leg up when the Cowboys go on the clock with the 20th pick.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys land CB Jermod McCoy, LB CJ Allen in new mock draft