40. Dallas Cowboys- Aaron Williams, Texas Longhorns
As our 2011 NFL mock draft rolls on, we've come to the 40th overall pick, the second pick for the Dallas Cowboys. Despite them taking cornerback Prince Amukamara in the first round, their secondary is still the area that most needs improvement for Dallas, and would be a good idea to keep stacking youngsters on their defense. So with that being said, the Dallas Cowboys should choose cornerback Aaron Williams out of Texas with their selection here.
Williams is a versatile defensive back who has played multiple positions in the secondary, and has good recognition, great size and speed, and loves to play with an edge. He can get caught peeking in the backfield from time to time and can sometimes show some inconsistencies in man-to-man coverage, but those can get worked out once in the NFL. Here's what Big 12 blogger David Ubben has to say about Aaron:
"The thing with Williams, he has so much more raw talent of any of the corners in the draft...I've heard at the NFL level some teams may want him at safety, because he's a big hitter. But he also has speed. He's talented as a cover guy, he can play everywhere. If he's going to play safety, I think you have to give him a little bit of time. But at corner he can step right in and do really well at it. So it kind of depends on the team. If you need help right now, you play Williams at corner. If you want help later and you can wait some time to develop him, then it's safety."
Wherever the 'Boys decide to play him, he's going to have an impact on the secondary. And if Dallas can get two talented defensive backs in Amakumara and Williams the first two rounds, I'm sure they wouldn't mind.