2020 NFL Mock Draft: Pre-Combine mock with Redskins trading down

The Dallas Cowboys are about to enter cap hell this offseason. They’re due to see three of their top talents hit the free-agent market in Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, and Byron Jones. They may not be able to keep all of them, and it seems that Jones could be the odd man out if Prescott and Cooper sign extensions.

That said, it’s possible that the Cowboys may let Cooper walk or slap him with one of the tags, depending on how CBA negotiations go and if they’re able to use both tags. If Cooper is on a short-term deal or if he leaves, the Cowboys will need to add another receiver to their offense to give Prescott weapons to work with. Luckily for them, this is a good receiver class and Shenault is one of the top players available.

Shenault is a 6-foot-2, 220-pound receiver with a thick build and excellent positional versatility at the NFL level. For Colorado last season, he caught 56 passes for 764 yards and four touchdowns, but he also added 161 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. He carried the ball 17 times the previous season as well, so it’s clear that he can be used as a runner out of the backfield, whether it’s as a running back or on jet sweeps.

Shenault isn’t the fastest receiver. And he’s not the best route runner. But he has very good hands and has still proven to be a playmaker during his time at Colorado. He should make contested catches at the next level but is explosive enough to earn separation. And that makes him a candidate to be a No. 1 receiver.

For the Cowboys, Shenault could take a crack at replacing Cooper. Or if the team brings Cooper back, Shenault could play the slot with Michael Gallup serving as the deep threat opposite Cooper. That would give the Cowboys plenty of weapons for Prescott to target, so this seems to be a sensible option.

Going with a safety like Alabama’s Xavier McKinney or LSU’s Grant Delpit could make sense here as well. But for the time being, I prefer Shenault as the option for the Cowboys.