Dallas Cowboys 7-Round Mock Draft: Trading Way Back

Round 3, Pick 82

Jeremy Chinn, S

Southern Illinois

Earlier this winter, Chinn was always off the board by early round 3, but as of late, Chinn and his fellow safeties have been falling. It’s not that he’s tested poorly (he actually lit the Combine up), it’s just that safety always seems to fall in positional value.

The Dallas Cowboys were heading into this round hoping either Chinn, Kyle Dugger, or one of the Tier 3 CBs would make it. In most mock draft simulations I’ve run, one of the safeties make it Dallas at 82. If that doesn’t happen there are a handful of viable cornerbacks expected to be on the board here in the third. It’s safe to say if the Cowboys go with a defensive back in Round 3, they can get a starter. The same can’t be said for other positions in the 3rd.

Jeremy Chinn happens to be a great safety prospect who would pair nicely with Xavier Woods. He’s 6-foot-3, 219lbs. He runs and hits like a runaway train. I watched his film and see a guy I’d be happy drafting in the second round, but for whatever reason he’s been consistently trending as a 3rd rounder so that’s where I’m targeting him.

Chinn is a physical specimen. He’s big, strong, and fast. He thrives in the box and in zone coverage. He can attack the backfield and hawk shallow zones. I didn’t see much on film but scouting reports seem to universally dislike his man coverage skills. But frankly, that’s about all there is to dislike.

With HaHa Clinton-Dix now signed, Xavier Woods will likely move to more SS. Chinn would let them flip back. The good news is there isn’t much overlap between Clinton-Dix and Chinn. Chinn is a zone box safety and Clinton-Dix is better in deep coverage and man coverage (and he can’t tackle). The three safeties could form quite the unit in 2020.