OK, "Draft Head" has officially set in. Is anyone with me? One can only consume so much sensory overload and 'what if?' scenarios. After pilfering through all the massive amounts of TV and internet info, it was the Cowboys' Pre-Draft press conference this afternoon (very nice touch and tribute to Marc Columbo) that has me convinced we are going to see previous and vintage Jerry Jones. To the chagrin of many Cowboys' fans out in the Silver and Blue Nation. Bank on seeing the "wheel'n and deal'n" Jerry Jones back in action for the 2012 NFL Draft. Normally, I would bemoan this possibility, especially following a logical and productive Free Agency period, but based on the way the chips will fall and players will come off the board, based on team needs and best players available, the Cowboys won't be afforded the luxury of sitting still at #14 to get a "real deal" player. They will have to pay the fiddler to move up to grab 'top notch' players, or they'll have to have the courage to move back, trust the Scouting Department and acquire additional picks.
Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the pick. Bar none. Only one problem, and it's a major one. He will be long-gone before the #14 pick in the First Round tops the clock. If the Cowboys want Fletcher Cox, they will have to pay to get Fletcher Cox. So the question becomes, "How bad do the Cowboys want Fletcher Cox?" My assumption, as the Eagles crone, "Not Bad Enough." This kid seems to have the complimentary package which would allow the Cowboys some extreme flexibility on the defensive front line. He will get after it from just about anywhere, but maybe most importantly, it would allow Rob Ryan to move Jay Ratliff around and eventually dispense with Kenyon Coleman. And if anyone out there thinks the Cowboys don't need a defensive push up front, you're dead wrong. It is their MOST glaring need. So, the Fletcher watch will be most interesting, but reality says he could, and probably will go in the first 10 selections. Do the Cowboys have the stones to boldly venture that high? It all depends on desire and cost.
Putting Mr. Cox aside, let's take a quick look at the player most associated with the Cowboys' pick at #14. Don't discount what I'm about to say, as it's not said flippantly whatsoever, but Mark Barron is NOT the pick. Why? This simply is not Darren Woodson. This is Roy Williams. Regardless what Tom Ciskowski had to say at today's press conference, the Alabama Safety is all about playing in the box, recognizing and running down plays, big hits and covering with limited success. Barron will not be able to cover a slot receiver or run with a super athletic TE. Put simply, he's a liability in coverage, and the Cowboys already have a limited coverage safety in Gerald Sensabaugh. Sorry folks, they don't need a strong safety, they need a ball-hawking, center-field, free safety. Not saying safety isn't a need for the Cowboys' secondary, but the wise choice is to wait until the second round and hope this guy is available. 
This guy is the free safety, ball-hawk the Cowboys need roaming the Back Third. A story for another day, but the Cowboys have themselves in a 'financial bind/pickle' as it relates to the defensive secondary in the years to come. All the trouble started with the Orlando Scandrick head-scratching extension, but as stated, a long story for another day.
So, no Cox and Barron not the answer, what do the Cowboys do? Another LSU name seems to be cropping up with more frequency. That would be man-mountain Michael Brockers. 
In the normal scheme of things, the pronouncement would be, "Bring him on," but a red-shirted sophomore? How much collegiate experience, even though from a fantastic program, does he actually have? Enough to step right in, play and have a major impact? The answer is a resounding 'no,' and the Cowboys can ill-afford a 1st Round 'project.' In a few years, Brockers could be something super, but the learning curve is way too steep to be a force this year. So, do we now see the dilemma the Cowboys find themselves in?
The general feeling is they'll have to move out of #14 to do or get what they want, but which way do they travel? All the moving parts in front of them will determine the intensity and activity in the War Room. The 24-hour out guess is the place will be a 'helter skelter, rabid phone frenzy,' and that may not be a bad thing. If they play their cards right, they can find really good, instant interjectable players in Rounds 2 and 3. What will be a sure thing is the Cowboys' Nation, from the fan base perspective, will be in an uproar come Thursday evening and Friday morning, and that's what makes this time of the year so great.
To even muddy up the waters a little further, and it's a crying shame this guy is way too valuable, and will certainly be a top 8 pick, he is the player the Cowboys need most. Yes, you heard it here first. This guy, bar none, would be the Cowboys most effective and dividend-paying pick. Sorry, Gang, put Felix Jones (already proven) and DeMarco Murray are injuries just waiting to happen. Bent Trent can take a pounding, and he is the prototypical back needed in today's NFL.
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