The Cowboys have eyes on several defensive players in the draft, and in Peter Schrager's latest mock, Dallas gets quite the player.
Most know that the Dallas Cowboys are most likely to go defense in the first round of the NFL Draft; such is the urgency to overhaul the unit.
With Christian Parker taking over from Matt Eberflus, Dallas, for the most part, should be taking two defensive players who can slot in and play from Day 1.
Well, that's the ideal scenario, anyway.
With mock drafts flying off the shelves, it can be hard to tell which ones are just hoping that players land there and which are done by people in the know.
And I don't know about you, but when ESPN's Peter Schrager puts out his mock drafts, I listen. Why? Because his selections aren't based on his own personal opinion.
They are based on what he has heard around the league. Let's not forget he mocked Tyler Booker to Dallas last season when not many had the guard going to the Cowboys.
And the year before? He nailed Tyler Guyton at No. 24, too.
Which is why when the often "dead-on'' Schrager dropped his latest mock, it got my attention.
At No. 12, Schrager has the Cowboys selecting Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.
"Buckeyes defensive coordinator Matt Patricia told me on "The Schrager Hour" that Downs will be the smartest player on whichever team drafts him and should be a face of the franchise," Schrager wrote. "The Cowboys need that on defense, even if safety isn't valued the same as pass rusher or cornerback."
That would be an ideal pick for the Cowboys.
Someone who can come in and be the quarterback of the defense, and help lock down the secondary. Granted, most think Downs won't make it to No. 12, but the positional value of safety could mean he slides.
Then, with the No. 20 overall pick, Schrager has Dallas selecting Miami edge Akheem Mesidor.
"Mesidor is one of the older players in this class, having just turned 25 years old, but he also might be the prospect most ready to make an immediate impact," Schrager wrote. "He was an absolute menace for Miami, and he'd immediately become one of Dallas' top pass rushers off the edge. Mesidor tallied 12.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss in 2025."
A disruptive run defender with a high motor, while some might look at his age (and some injury history regarding his feet) as why not to draft him, Schrager doesn't seem to think that will deter Dallas.
So Downs and Mesidor in the first round for the Cowboys.
To me, that is a solid haul and gives Parker two starters to plug into his defense.
As I said before, Schrager's mocks are done with information gathered from around the league, so this carries a little more weight.
And you will be hard-pressed to find much wrong with these two selections.