Don't get too caught up in mock drafts, especially not in December, but when guys like ESPN's Todd McShay release their first mock draft, we have to at least take a gander, right?
That's exactly what McShay did on Wednesday, and the "draft expert" had the Cowboys picking 25th in the draft and taking Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson, a move that would make some decent sense at least from a position-of-need perspective.
McShay said the following about Johnson:
The Dallas defense held up better this season with the help of a dominant running game and ball-control offense, but corner is still a position of need for the Cowboys. Former first-round pick Morris Claiborne was benched this season prior to his season-ending injury, and the Cowboys could use an infusion of youth and talent at the position. Johnson doesn't have elite physical traits, but he's fast and fluid enough as an athlete to keep up with most receivers and is physical and aggressive as a press corner despite his lean frame and shorter arms. His instincts and awareness are excellent.
McShay is right about Claiborne — he's been a monumental bust in terms of where he was selected in the draft and given the fact the Cowboys traded up to get him. There's also the fact that the Cowboys are unlikely to bring Brandon Carr back unless he takes a serious pay cut, which chances are he won't do.
Again, it's really far too early to be talking about mock drafts, but the Cowboys will almost certainly be looking defense, and lots of it, so there's probably something to this.
