Complete Dallas Cowboys Mock Draft: Final Prediction

Julian Blackmon, SAF, Utah

The Cowboys finally address the safety position in the fifth round with Utah safety Julian Blackmon. The team has shown interest in his teammate Terrell Burgess, who is more of a nickel cornerback/safety hybrid. Blackmon, meanwhile, is a lock at the safety position.

The team does not value the safety position that highly as demonstrated through previous draft selections. It would be very on-brand to take a chance on a safety in the later rounds who has decent production and good athletic tools. While Blackmon didn’t test at the combine, he does showcase the rangy athleticism to play free safety even if he isn’t the most explosive athlete.

Even though he recorded four interceptions in his final season at Utah, there were several lapses in coverage and a general lack of awareness on when to play the ball. He isn’t particularly aggressive at the catch point and it only resulted in four pass deflections. However, Blackmon could be an interesting fit with the Cowboys for all his deficiencies.

The Cowboys currently have Xavier Woods and Haha Clinton-Dix as their starting safeties. Both are traditional free safeties with some box safety versatility.  If the Cowboys selected Blackmon, he would be able to learn from both players with the hope he can replicate some ball production from his college days. The hope is the instincts could develop and he could be the playmaking safety the Cowboys have been needing for so long.

The only issue is how many late-round safeties have the Cowboys drafted? How many have shown glimpses of success?