With their recent track record of home runs in the first round, the Dallas Cowboys might not shy away from drafting talented but risky cornerback Marcus Peters out of Washington.

An understated reason the Cowboys are Super Bowl contenders is their recent hits in the first round. Outside of monumental bust Morris Claiborne in 2012, the Cowboys have struck gold four of the past five years in the top 32 picks: wide receiver Dez Bryant (24th overall, 2010), left tackle Tyron Smith (ninth overall, 2011), center Travis Frederick (31st overall, 2013) and guard Zack Martin (16th overall, 2014).

The Cowboys currently own pick No. 27, so there is a good chance their first round draft board (RB Todd Gurley, etc.) will be wiped out, but it might be a good opportunity to take a chance on a talent who slips down the draft board. Peters has his baggage, but he is also arguably the most talented cornerback in this draft class and would push for starting reps as a rookie, something Dallas desperately needs on the depth chart.

First Round Mock Draft:

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-14) Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State: Nothing has changed at the top. The Buccaneers have a need at quarterback and Winston is believed to be their target with the No. 1 overall pick.

2. Tennessee Titans (2-14) Leonard Williams, DT, Southern California: It won’t take long to find the wildcard of the first round as the Titans could go in a number of directions here, including trading back with a team needing a quarterback. Mariota is also in the conversation for Tennessee, but Williams is the current favorite to be the pick at No. 2.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-13) Dante Fowler Jr., OLB, Florida: Jacksonville has drafted offense in the top five (OT Luke Joeckel, QB Blake Bortles) in the first two years of the David Caldwell era, so the Jaguars’ focus turns to defense this year. Fowler is a pesky pass rusher that loves to stress offenses and should make an impact on day one.

4. Oakland Raiders (3-13) Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama: The Raiders failed to land a marquee free agent and it looks more and more likely that this pick will be a pass-catcher to help second-year starting quarterback Derek Carr. Bigger question might be, which receiver does Reggie McKenzie like the most?

5. Washington Redskins (4-12) Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson: With Brian Orakpo leaving Washington via free agency, pass rusher will be high on the Redskins’ wish list. Beasley absolutely crushed the NFL Combine showing up at a good weight (246 pounds) and showing off the strength/athleticism combo that teams covet at the position.

6. NY Jets (4-12) Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon: The Jets have been active so far this offseason and could make another splash on draft day if Mariota is still on the board. New general manager Mike Maccagnan and head coach Todd Bowles won’t count on Ryan Fitzpatrick or Geno Smith to be the long-term option at quarterback.

7. Chicago Bears (5-11) Kevin White, WR, West Virginia: This pick has to be defense, right? After the Brandon Marshall trade, wide receiver is now a possibility and with White still on the board, it’s a match that makes sense.

8. Atlanta Falcons (6-10) Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska: The Falcons have been active adding front-seven defenders via free agency, but that won’t stop Atlanta from targeting a “Leo” pass rusher at this pick. Gregory has immense potential and would benefit from the coaching of new head coach Dan Quinn.

9. NY Giants (6-10) Shane Ray, DE, Missouri: The Giants franchised Jason Pierre-Paul, but that is only a short-term answer for their pass rush needs. Ray has the best first-step quickness in this draft class and boosts New York’s front four.

10. St. Louis Rams (6-10) La’el Collins, OT, LSU: The Rams went offensive line in the top-10 last season (Greg Robinson No. 2 overall) and could target another SEC blocker at this pick. Collins has the versatility to play right tackle or guard.

11. Minnesota Vikings (7-9) Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State: Wide receiver and offensive line are strong possibilities with this pick, but the Vikings also have a need at cornerback. Waynes has the speed/size combination that will land him in the top 15 picks and Minnesota has shown interest.

12. Cleveland Browns (7-9) Danny Shelton, DT, Washington: Cleveland needs to revamp the front-seven in order to stop the run and a good place to start is at nose tackle. Shelton won’t have the same type of production in the NFL like he did at Washington, but he should be a long-term anchor for a three-man front.

13. New Orleans Saints (7-9) Arik Armstead, DT, Oregon: The Saints have Cam Jordan under contract for the 2015 season, but might not be able to retain him long-term. Although raw, Armstead is one of the most impressive talents in this class with Calais Campbell potential.

14. Miami Dolphins (8-8) DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville: The Dolphins are in the midst of revamping their wide receiver depth chart, shedding Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline and adding Kenny Stills. But Miami still needs a potential No. 1 target on the outside and Parker fits that mold.

15. San Francisco 49ers (8-8) Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma: San Francisco GM Trent Baalke drafts with the long-term in mind and although a talent like Dorial Green-Beckham could be risky, the potential payoff is what will land him in the first round.

16. Houston Texans (9-7) Malcom Brown, DT, Texas: With no quarterback worth this pick the Texans go best available, which might be Brown, who can offer depth anywhere on the defensive line.

17. San Diego Chargers (9-7) Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia: There is a great chance this year’s draft has a first round running back, but how high? The Chargers moved on from former first rounder Ryan Mathews and could upgrade with Gurley, the best running back to enter the NFL in several years.

18. Kansas City Chiefs (9-7) Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa: The Chiefs added Ben Grubbs, but need more depth on the offensive line. If Scherff slips out of the top-15 picks, it would be tough for John Dorsey and Andy Reid to pass on the versatile blocker.

19. Cleveland Browns (from Buffalo) (7-9) Alvin Dupree, DE, Kentucky: The Browns addressed the front-seven at pick No. 12 (Danny Shelton) and could do so again with a pass rusher at No. 19. Dupree is a tremendous athlete for his size and adds a dynamic element to Mike Pettine’s defense.

20. Philadelphia Eagles (10-6) Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest: Even with the addition of Byron Maxwell and Walter Thurmond, Johnson is a player who should be on the radar regardless. He has natural cover instincts and skills that make him worthy of consideration this early.

21. Cincinnati Bengals (10-5-1) Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford: Entering the final year of his contract, Andrew Whitworth turns 34 years old this season and even if he does fit into the Bengals’ long-term plans, it might be at left guard. Peat needs to refine areas of his technique, but the natural traits are there to play in the NFL for a long time.

22. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5) Owamagbe Odighizuwa, DE, UCLA: With Jason Worilds retiring and Jarvis Jones not living up to his first round draft slot, pass rusher is a strong possibility here. Eli Harold and Odighizuwa are the top two options remaining and the UCLA edge rusher might be the better fit for Pittsburgh.

23. Detroit Lions (11-5) Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami (Fla.): The Lions have a few stop-gap options at right tackle, but Flowers would give Detroit long-term stability at the position.

24. Arizona Cardinals (11-5) Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin: The Cardinals need more depth and firepower in the backfield and Gordon is one option if he’s on the board at this pick.

25. Carolina Panthers (7-8-1) D.J. Humphries, OT, Florida: The Panthers need help on the offensive line, specifically at left tackle, making Humphries a possibility here. A Charlotte native, he is still very unpolished, but his feet and lower body are first-round quality.

26. Baltimore Ravens (10-6) Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF: It’s a fair bet that the Ravens will pick a receiver at some point in this year’s draft and with talented pass catchers available in the late first round, Perriman-to-Baltimore is a fit.

27. Dallas Cowboys (12-4) Marcus Peters, CB, Washington: Brandon Carr has disappointed and Morris Claiborne has been the one blemish on an otherwise flawless first-round resume for the Cowboys the past five years, making cornerback a need in this year’s draft. Peters has his baggage, but the reward outweighs the risk at this point.

28. Denver Broncos (12-4) T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh: The Broncos’ offensive line is going through changes this off-season and with right tackle Chris Clark better suited as a back-up, Clemmings would be a logical addition in Denver to help keep Peyton Manning healthy.

29. Indianapolis Colts (11-5) Landon Collins, SS, Alabama: Veteran safety Mike Adams had a better than expected 2014 season and recently re-signed with the Colts, but he is 34-years old and Indianapolis has little depth behind him.

30. Green Bay Packers (12-4) Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State: With Bryan Bulaga re-signing in Green Bay, this pick is almost certainly defense and Goldman has the front versatility to give the Packers options at nose tackle.

31. New Orleans Saints (from Seattle) (7-9) Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia: Although still raw, Harold has the potential to develop into an impact edge rusher, doing his best work when standing up to manipulate space.

32. New England Patriots (12-4) Ronald Darby, CB, Florida State: After losing Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner this offseason, the Super Bowl champs are expected to address the cornerback position in the 2015 NFL Draft. Darby lacks ideal size and ballskills, but he can cover like a blanket with impressive athleticism.

–Dane Brugler is an analyst for NFLDraftScout.com, a property of The Sports Xchange distributed in partnership with CBSSports.com.