2020 NFL Draft: Dallas Cowboys mock draft with a safety on top

At this particular point in time, most draft boards have Alabama safety Xavier McKinney somewhere in the early-mid 30s or 40s, and he’s not gotten a lot of first-round hype.

With the Dallas Cowboys picking 21st (at least for right now) in the draft order, this may seem like a bit of a reach but I can’t seem to figure out a reason why McKinney isn’t a first-round safety other than perhaps a little bit of over-aggressiveness at times.

McKinney can play in the box and around the line of scrimmage, and that’s probably where he’s best, but he reads the field exceptionally well no matter where he’s lined up.

While he’s certainly known for being physical in the box, McKinney doesn’t let up much in pass coverage either, and he flies to the football when he reads the quarterback’s eyes.

The Cowboys need a playmaker like this on the back end who can play instinctively and play fast and physical behind their stellar linebacker duo of Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch.

McKinney already matched his season-high 74 tackles this season in 10 games and it took him 15 to do it in 2018. He’s seeing the field well and making plays.