2014 NFL Mock Draft: Dallas Cowboys Select...

Looking at the board, I see two players in particular have fallen to the Dallas Cowboys at No. 16 - OT Taylor Lewan and TE Eric Ebron.

Taylor Lewan could be the replacement for Tyron Smith, the Cowboys' talented, former 1st-round pick who is coming off his first Pro Bowl and will be entering his fourth season. The Cowboys are likely to exercise a 5th-year option to keep him in Dallas through the 2015 season, but drafting Lewan could mean they wouldn't then need to sign Smith to an expensive second contract after that. Basically, it'd be a money-saving move from a salary cap-strapped franchise as it moves toward the future.

Or the Cowboys could draft Eric Ebron as the eventual replacement for Jason Witten, who turns 32 in May (being a few months older than the Steelers own Heath Miller). The same argument for drafting Heath's replacement in Pittsburgh apply here to Jason Witten in Dallas (who did move to 2nd on the list of the NFL's all-time reception leaders for tight ends last season).

Then we have the most popular players who are usually mocked to Dallas and seem to be consistent favorites at Blogging The Boys - DT Aaron Donald (who is off the board in this mock) and FS Calvin Pryor. Safety is arguably the Cowboys' biggest need, even on a defense that is losing pass rushers.

Another option is for the Cowboys to reach at this spot for a pass rushing defensive end, and I wouldn't put it past Jerry Jones to consider a range of players who are not valued at this spot in the draft such as Kony Ealy or Scott Crichton (though both of those players would likely be available in a trade-back situation).

With the 16th pick, the Dallas Cowboys select Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville.

Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

Bottom-line analysis by NFL.com:

"Perhaps the most explosive hitter in this year's crop of safeties, Pryor is a big, physical hammer in the run game, bringing the ability to intimidate and erase. Factor in his instincts and range and Pryor has the ability to start as a rookie."

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	Team	Player	Pos	School	BTSC rep/link to pick
1		Blake Bortles	QB	UCF	SteelerWolf
2	via	Johnny Manziel	QB	Texas A&M	Jack Finn
3		Teddy Bridgewater	QB	Louisville	twault
4		Jadeveon Clowney	DE	South Carolina	Double-Eagle
5		Jake Matthews	OT	Texas A&M	diehardsteelerfan625
6		Khalil Mack	LB	Buffalo	Erik Stone
7		Sammy Watkins	WR	Clemson	TheCommish
8		C.J. Mosley	LB	Alabama	VinnySteel
9		Greg Robinson	OT	Auburn	Sean Geddes
10		Anthony Barr	OLB	UCLA	JDSpartan
11		Justin Gilbert	CB	Oklahoma St	slatts17
12		Mike Evans	WR	Texas A&M	omara891
13		Ha Ha Clinton-Dix	S	Alabama	Panther pride 76
14		Aaron Donald	DT	Pittsburgh	Michael Uhlhorn
15		Darqueze Dennard	CB	Michigan St	(BTSC vote)
16		Calvin Pryor	S	Louisville	steeler fever
17					Steelers_Fan_to_the_Core
18					DropTheHammer
19					steeler_chris_5
20					Wichita SunSteeler
21					(?)barnerburner(?)
22					c63tho
23					WelcomeToReality
24					Steel Spike
25					L-Ray
26	via				AMKrup
27					Ike Evans
28					asmith87
29					furthur56
30					Collision Course
31					alexryan
32					Thoroughbred of Sin