After weeks and weeks of contentious debate, insane theories and the (excessively) thorough judgement of college football's premiere talent...it's finally here.

Draft week is upon us.

For casual Cowboys fans, NFL personnel and "armchair scouts" alike, this Thursday will provide the most palpable excitement since the 2015 NFL season ended some 80+ days ago (which may or may not feel like an eternity). College football's supposed "best of the best" will be drafted in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, and these young players will have high expectations facing them from the moment they hear their names called. Fans will cheer and jeer, futures will be decided for prospects, awkward hugs between 300 lb men & Roger Goodell will be exchanged. But, perhaps most importantly...

We'll all be proven wrong.

Well, maybe not all of us, but most of us who have spent time predicting which prospect goes where and what positions each team will look for will see our projections fall miserably short. Between the multitude of trades within the top 32, information about prospects that only stays in league circles, and the occasional wildly unpredictable pick, the first round has--or at least should have--conditioned NFL fans to expect the unexpected.

For the Cowboys, in particular, you don't have to look far to see that this rings true. On April 25th, 2013, the team was on the clock with the 18th pick in the draft. As far as fans were concerned, there was a match made in heaven waiting to happen. This was a Dallas team sorely lacking depth on their defensive line, with a nearly 30-year-old DeMarcus Ware expected to be the cornerstone of the new look 4-3 defense, and the consensus top defensive tackle, Florida's Sharrif Floyd, was still waiting to be picked. Then the unexpected happened. The Cowboys found a willing trade partner in San Francisco, moved back to the end of the first round, and confused most of Cowboys nation by taking a mostly unheralded center from Wisconsin named Travis Frederick.

Two years of great play and one Pro Bowl selection later, the front office has proven that going the "weird" route can be the answer.

With all this being said, however, there are still expectations that Cowboys fans, myself included, will have regarding Thursday night. We can say there are certain guys that they should or can draft based on some combination of team needs, the team's draft tendencies and where we (and, most of the time, the consensus) ranks a certain prospect. The following players are not necessarily those I think the Cowboys will draft, but just some that you shouldn't be as stunned to hear in a couple days as you might now.

1) Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana (5'11", 206)

Many fans are in love with the idea of landing either Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon or Georgia's Todd Gurley with the 27th pick, and while I would be ecstatic if the Cowboys snagged Gurley in particular, it is not a given that either will be available for the Cowboys at that point in the first. Furthermore, this potential pick, whether at 27 or later in the round, would hinge on the team's feelings toward the position. Do they feel particularly comfortable with a rotation of Joseph Randle/Lance Dunbar/Darren McFadden/Ryan Williams for 2015? With a deep draft at running back, do they feel like the missing piece to this backfield could be had in a later round? If the answer to these both questions is a firm "no," and they feel like they need their guy before a run is made on tailbacks later, Coleman could be the solution. Averaging 142.6 yards per start over his last two years on a bad Hoosiers team, and boasting some qualities similar to fan favorite-turned-nemesis DeMarco Murray, Tevin Coleman is capable of not only contributing as part of a rotation of runners, but also becoming the lead dog in Dallas. He also comes without questions that hang over other "Tier 2" backs like size (Duke Johnson), consistency (TJ Yeldon) and knee issues (Jay Ajayi). Though, even in my opinion, 27th overall might seem a bit rich for Coleman, I could see him being the move if he's pegged as the Cowboys' guy.

(Some reports on Coleman can be read here, here and here)

2) Randy Gregory, EDGE, Nebraska (6'5", 235)

This scenario isn't one that would be labeled as a "reach" by fans, but it would still be surprising to many to see Gregory land here. The reason for confusion here is twofold: how would someone as touted as Gregory slide to 27, and how would he fit in this defensive system? First, it would not be ridiculous to see Gregory fall toward the back of the 1st due to his failed drug test at the combine. Fans can debate all they want about whether marijuana should or shouldn't lower a player's stock, but to fail a test at a huge pre-draft event when you've known about it for months in advance? I'm sure at least a few teams will think twice about drafting him early after his display of questionable judgement. Additionally, many people assume that Gregory isn't a fit with the Cowboys because Rod Marinelli is coaching the defense, meaning he only strictly abides by the Tampa 2 mold...which would be incorrect. Marinelli's shown a willingness to switch up coverages and move guys around some in the front 7, and it's been thrown around by some close to the team that the Cowboys have been trying to implement elements of the defense that Seattle uses. One solid piece of that defense is the rangy, athletic Bruce Irvin, who has displayed the ability to get after the QB in obvious passing situations and even used his athleticism to "spy" more mobile, dual-threat QBs like Colin Kaepernick. I am confident that Gregory can do that and more for this defense. As a fan, I'd trust Marinelli to find creative ways to get this guy to frustrate QBs and eventually, with some weight added and improved technique, become a quality SAM, OTTO or defensive end. The more rushmen, the merrier.

(Reports on Gregory from CBS, Stephen White and SI)

3) Shaq Thompson, LB/S, Washington (6'0", 228)

If you've been following the pulse of the draft and the discussion among fans and journalists leading up to this week, you might have noticed one name being thrown around more often as of late: Eric Kendricks. The linebacker from UCLA has been projected in the late first/early second round range, and the Cowboys could certainly use the smart, ultra-productive Kendricks alongside Sean Lee and Rolando McClain, especially after the departures of Justin Durant and Bruce Carter have depleted the Cowboys' linebacker depth. But, as of late, I'm starting to feel like they might go with a different option. This might just be crazy fan speculation, but earlier this week we've had people like CBS' Dane Brugler, who has been spending a lot of this pre-draft process in Valley Ranch with Bryan Broaddus (who generally has a good idea of what the team wants to do), suggest that the Cowboys might be looking at someone other than Kendricks as that fallback option. With the already solid Anthony Hitchens teaming up with McClain and Lee, adding the more explosive Thompson would be a great option, especially for 3rd down defense. Putting up 81 tackles, an interception, 3 forced fumbles and 3 defensive TDs this past fall (on top of his duties as a running back), it has become apparent that he can thrive as a nickel linebacker, especially if paired with a guy who can see the field and direct a defense like Sean Lee. It may not fill an immediate need, but Cowboys fans should be excited by the element that Shaq Thompson would bring to this defense.

(Reports on Thompson from CBS, Bob Sturm and NFL.com)

4) Ronald Darby, CB, Florida State (5'11", 193)

Like the Tevin Coleman scenario, this would be a case of the Cowboys trying to get "their guy" while they can, even if it means taking him a bit earlier then they, or anyone else really, has him graded. As has been repeated numerous times, the NFL is truly a passing league now, and teams who may not need a quality corner in the first are more likely to stockpile the position than ever before. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, if there is a remotely urgent need remaining for this team, it's cornerback. The team needs another quality corner to pair with Orlando Scandrick, with Brandon Carr's status in question given his hefty contract, Mo Claiborne's disappointing career thus far in the NFL (and the big leg injury he has to overcome this offseason), and Patrick White and Tyler Patmon not being the answers, for 2015 at least. Enter Ronald Darby, the incredibly athletic corner who can man up on NFL receivers and play more physical at the line than you'd expect. Seen by many as the next best corner after the top group of Waynes, Jones, Peters and Johnson, Darby--at least in my opinion--is much more NFL-ready as a cover guy than Quinten Rollins, Jalen Collins, etc. If the Cowboys were to secure a quality corner in Darby, even if it meant "reaching" a bit at 27, it would really free them up to build depth across the team in the later rounds.

(Reports on Darby from Sturm, Bleacher Report and NFL.com)

5) Nobody

It is certainly possible that the Cowboys trade down out of the first round. If we've come to expect anything under the Jerry Jones regime, it's that he rarely sticks to his spot in the first. If their board is somehow wiped of quality defenders and runners come pick 27 and, say, there are quality tackles left on the board that a team might want to trade up from the second round to grab, the Cowboys should entertain the thought at the very least. Again, as fans, we all might want the Cowboys to take a big name, or someone we might think is a great fit for the team. But imagine a scenario in which the team ends up with two picks in both the second and third round and can add more quality depth and a starter or two. I, for one, would be more than happy with that.

But no matter who they take or how they move the 27th pick on Thursday...

Trust the front office.

Many Cowboys fans still like to say "Jerry wants this" or "Jerry just wants to sell," but, if you actually pay attention to the last few seasons and how they've handled veteran contracts, drafts and player assessments, you should realize that the team of Stephen Jones, Will McClay, Jason Garrett and, yes, Jerry Jones has done more than enough to earn our trust, and I'm not the only one who thinks this.