Cowboys: ESPN Mock draft solidifies rumors surrounding likeliest target
Days removed from the 2022 NFL Draft, multiple insiders started bringing up Tyler Smith's name more and more when discussing the Dallas Cowboys' first-round pick. Almost suspiciously so, having spent months and months without mentioning him a whole lot. And of course, the Cowboys ended up taking the prospect out of Tulsa in the first […]
Days removed from the 2022 NFL Draft, multiple insiders started bringing up Tyler Smith's name more and more when discussing the Dallas Cowboys' first-round pick. Almost suspiciously so, having spent months and months without mentioning him a whole lot.
And of course, the Cowboys ended up taking the prospect out of Tulsa in the first round. We have yet to hear about a name in a similar fashion but there is one prospect that's been heavily tied to Dallas since the Scouting Combine: tight end Michael Mayer.
That includes ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller's latest mock draft, in which he cites a rival scout as saying "There is no way in hell Jerry Jones passes up a Jason Witten clone if he's on the board."
Of course, Jerry would likely not make the pick as the Cowboys have made Will McClay the leader of the Draft. But the sentiment fits what The Athletic's Dane Brugler wrote in his mock and what ESPN's Mel Kiper did in his. NFL Network's Jane Slater, who specializes as a Cowboys insider, mentioned Mayer as one of three first-round targets to watch out for.
Every insider seems to agree the Cowboys are 1) high on Mayer and 2) looking at tight end as a clear top need. Here's what Miller writes about the Notre Dame prospect:
Mayer would be a safety valve in the middle of the field for Dak Prescott; he caught 180 passes for 2,099 yards and 18 touchdowns over three seasons in South Bend. Mayer is a great run-blocker but also might have the best hands of any pass-catcher in this class.
Another prospect often times linked to the Cowboys is DT Mazi Smith. In Miller's mock, the team lands tremendous value by grabbing him in the second round.
Below is the full list of picks for the Cowboys from Miller's mock, which you can read in full here:
- 26. TE Michael Mayer, Notre Dame
- 58. DT Mazi Smith, Michigan
- 90. RB Roschon Johnson, Texas
- 129. K Jake Moody, Michigan
- 169. DE Yasir Abdullah, Louisville
- 212. OT Earl Bostick, Kansas
- 244. WR Rakim Jarrett, Maryland
