Cowboys Potential Draft Picks: Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, CB, Indiana of PA

Owusu-Ansah reminds us of Dominique Rodgers-Cromatie. Both were small-school prospects with a big game.

We recently detailed the 2009 success of the Cowboys’ cornerbacks in our Grading the ‘Boys segment.  Leading the pack was Mike Jenkins, who really took tremendous strides last season.  The second-year player led the team in interceptions, pass deflections, completion percentage against, and yards-per-attempt against.

Surprising to some was how highly we graded Terence Newman (B+).  Newman has been underrated for years, though, and last season he was finally healthy enough to perform well over the course of an entire 16-game schedule.  Newman was thrown at on just 9.49 percent of plays, making him the least targeted cornerback on the team.

The success of Jenkins and Newman was not matched by nickel CB Orlando Scandrick.  Scandrick, who began the season as a rotational starter, regressed in his second season in Dallas.  He was actually one of the most targeted players in the league and yielded a pedestrian 62.9 percent of passes his way to be completed.

The difference between Jenkins and Scandrick doesn’t appear to be in their skill sets as much as it is in their minds.  Jenkins gained confidence at a seemingly exponential rate as the 2009 season progressed.  Scandrick, who was often in position to make a play, often displayed a bit of hesitation which ended up costing him by year’s end.

We believe Scandrick has the adequate physical tools and mindset to rebound nicely in 2010.  Still, a team can never have enough talented cornerbacks.  Thus, the Cowboys may be looking to bolster the position during the draft, perhaps even in the early rounds.

Akwasi Owusu-Ansah is a small-school cornerback out of Indiana University of Pennsylvania.  He is a personal favorite of ours not only because of his coverage, but also due to his electrifying return ability.  The latter of these skills is the primary reason we view him as a target for Dallas (we rated a dominant return man as the team’s #1 draft need).

Scouting Report

Owusu-Ansah is eerily similar to Cardinals’ CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.  At 6’0”, 207 pounds, Owusu-Ansah has the requisite size to be solid in run support.  He does not have the blazing speed of DRC (AOA ran a 4.47 at the Combine), but he may actually be a more versatile player.

Owusu-Ansah was highly productive in college, albeit against DII talent.  The major knock on him coming out is that he has not faced elite competition.  How will he react when he gets beat?  That basically never happened at IUP, so his ability to respond to adversity is a question mark at this point.

For Dallas, Owusu-Ansah would be an upgrade at both punt and kickoff returner.  He displays great vision and has the strength to break tackles.  His biggest weakness on returns is his propensity to use his superior athleticism to dance around before getting up-field.  That will obviously not work in the NFL.

A possible concerning issue for Dallas is the fact that Owusu-Ansah is probably better suited to play outside than in the slot.  If the team is interested in bringing someone in to compete with Scandrick, they may want to look elsewhere.  However, this concern could easily be alleviated by playing Newman in the slot and Owusu-Ansah outside in nickel situations (assuming AOA beats out Scandrick).

Projection

AOA is steadily climbing draft boards just as Rodgers-Cromartie did two seasons ago.  While he won’t be a first round selection, AOA figures to go somewhere in round two.  In our opinion, he represents great value if he falls to Dallas at pick #59.  We would rate the odds of this happening at about 50/50.

Cowboys 2010 Draft: 10 Sleeper Picks

Idaho guard Mike Iupati.  Texas safety Earl Thomas.  Maryland tackle Bruce Campbell.

Everyone is familiar with the guys the Cowboys are supposed to take.  Surely they couldn’t pass on Iupati if he drops to pick #27, right?

The draft rarely plays out as we expect.  Below are a few first and second round prospects that no one (except maybe us) expects the Cowboys to select, yet all could be securing tickets to Dallas come April.

Round 1

Brandon Graham, DE/OLB, Michigan

The first two players on this list made our “Sweet 16” bracket but are still not considered likely Cowboys’ draft selections.  In that article, we mentioned Graham as a guy to keep your eye on, and for good reason–he is a pass-rushing monster who is equally stout against the run.  Wade Phillips loves that combination and the Cowboys are unproven at OLB behind Demarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer.

Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State

Wilson joined Graham as a “winner” in his Sweet 16 match-up.  Wilson’s value to Dallas would come not only in his ability to push Orlando Scandrick for the nickel job, but also (maybe more importantly) in his return skills.  The Cowboys may have a tough decision on their hands should Wilson, who is expected to get drafted in the middle of the first round, falls to their selection.

Derrick Morgan, DE/OLB, Georgia Tech

The reason Morgan is an unpopular mock draft selection for Dallas is that most teams envision him as a 4-3 defensive end.  He struggled at the Combine when asked to stand up and drop into coverage–a task that would be asked of him as a 3-4 outside linebacker.  If the Cowboys deem his weaknesses correctable, though, Morgan could be a dominant pass-rushing OLB.

Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri

The more we talk with scouts, the more we realize just how highly rated Weatherspoon is on a lot of team’s boards.  Like Morgan, his “small” size may have him more suited to play in a 4-3 defense.  Weatherspoon’s selection would be dependent on how Dallas projects his skill set in the NFL.

Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee

Williams is an under-the-radar player who has been rumored to possibly go as high as the Miami Dolphins at pick #12.  Unlike Jared Odrick and some other DT prospects, Williams is a true nose tackle–he will not convert to defensive end for the Cowboys.  If Dallas views their backup situation behind Jay Ratliff as dire, or if they envision Ratliff moving to defensive end for certain plays (unlikely), Williams could get a look.

Round 2

Eric Norwood, LB, South Carolina

We have made no secret about the fact that we are huge Norwood fans.  We see him as a legitimate first round-type player, but obviously many scouts disagree.  There is a good chance Norwood is on the board for the Cowboys in the second round.  In the likely scenario that the team opts to bypass the OLB position in round one, Norwood will be a candidate to be the selection at pick #59.

Chris Cook, CB/FS, Virginia

Cook soared up boards after his ridiculous Combine performance (his 4.46 forty was second among cornerbacks and his 11’0” broad jump was tops among all players).  His value to Dallas would come in his versatility–Cook can effectively play both cornerback and free safety.  In that way, he is a bit like Texas safety Earl Thomas.

Jason Worilds, DE, Virginia Tech

We spoke with one scout who has Worilds as his second-rated defensive end.  Worilds is a prime candidate to transition to outside linebacker for the Cowboys.  The problem is that, despite a lack of publicity, Worilds could go as high as the back of the first or early second.  If he begins to slide, however, he becomes a legit possibility for Dallas.

Kareem Jackson, CB, Alabama

We have been hyping up Alabama CB Javier Arenas for quite some time, but it is his teammate Kareem Jackson who may be the better cornerback of the two.  Arenas’ return ability may make him a better fit for Dallas later in the draft, but if the organization truly feels like it needs an upgrade over Scandrick, Jackson will get a look.

Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, CB, Indiana of Pennsylvania

Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (AOA) is a personal favorite of ours.  Some scouts say he is the best returner in the entire draft.  He has the measurables and production of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, another small-school product.  At 6’0”, 207 pounds, AOA ran a 4.47 at the Combine and was timed as high as 4.38 at his recent Pro Day.

Likelihood of Sleeper Picks Becoming Cowboys

1  Eric Norwood

2  Akwasi Owusu-Ansah

3  Chris Cook

4  Kareem Jackson

5  Jason Worilds

6  Brandon Graham

7  Kyle Wilson

8  Sean Weatherspoon

9  Derrick Morgan

10  Dan Williams