After months of waiting, the 2019 NFL draft has finally reached our doorstep, as the festivities kick off Thursday night with the first round.

This year's draft will be a slower buildup for the Dallas Cowboys, a team devoid of a first-round pick, but it will ramp up on Days 2 and 3 when the franchise goes on the clock with six picks.

Because of their efforts in free agency and on the trading block, the Cowboys are sitting pretty and in position to stay true to their draft board this weekend. They could certainly upgrade a position or two, but Dallas doesn't need to reach for talent at any particular one.

With that in mind, let's dive headfirst into our final Cowboys mock draft:

Note: In an effort to keep this mock draft as realistic as possible, we will be using The Draft Network's Mock Draft Machine.

Round 2, No. 58 overall:Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S, Florida

In reality, this pick could end up being any of the top safety prospects (Johnathan Abram, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Taylor Rapp and Juan Thornhill) who Dallas brought in for official pre-draft visits. In this simulation, Florida's Gardner-Johnson was the last safety on the board whose value was commensurate with the 58th overall pick.

I love the idea of Chauncey Gardner-Johnson in DAL. He's outstanding in shallow zone coverage and has man coverage ability from the slot. I think he and Xavier Woods would be a fun safety combo. pic.twitter.com/CNgg8mW9ol — John Owning (@JohnOwning) April 3, 2019

Listed at 5-foot-11, 210 pounds with 30 7/8-inch arms, Gardner-Johnson is one of the most versatile safeties in the class. He lacks the length to play outside cornerback in Kris Richard's coverages, but he has the experience and skill set to be a slot cornerback, down safety or deep safety.

His speed (4.48 40-yard dash), ball-tracking skills and processing ability enable him to play with impressive range from the deep middle. Gardner-Johnson is advanced in his ability to identify, recognize and anticipate route combinations, which allows him to curtail and minimize throwing windows to the deep portions of the field.

He also has the quickness (4.2 short shuttle and 7.03 three-cone) and anticipation ability to jump routes and mirror crossers in shallow zones.

Gardner-Johnson is also extremely effective from the slot, where he was targeted 54 times in 2018 and allowed just 31 catches (57.4 completion percentage) for 261 yards and a touchdown. He also had four interceptions.

On top of his coverage ability, he's also an effective blitzer and run defender. He does an excellent job timing his blitzes, which leads to him leveraging his considerable athleticism to penetrate the backfield. Gardner-Johnson is unafraid to take on and defeat blocks from tight ends and receivers when defending the run, serving as an active run defender who loves to stick his nose in the fray.

But he isn't without his warts, showing an issue with missed tackles in recent years. He has double-digit missed tackles in each of the last two seasons (19 in 2017 and 13 in 2018, according to Pro Football Focus) as a result of his inconsistency with coming to balance at the tackle point. Gardner-Johnson pursues ball carriers like a heat-seeking missile, making it hard on himself to adjust and react to a ball carrier's path.

When asked about the types of safeties the Cowboys prefer recently, head coach Jason Garrett said:

"I think that gives you the best freedom to play the coverages the way you want to play them. Typically on most teams, guys will have a strength. Some guys are considered more strong safeties, box players, and the guys who are more suited to play deep. But I think the more flexible those guys are, I think the better opportunities you have to defend really each week and be multiple in your defensive approach."

Gardner-Johnson's presence would allow the Cowboys to use their safeties interchangeably since he and Xavier Woods can both provide effective play in the slot and at the strong and free safety positions, which should make it easier for Dallas to disguise coverage.

Gardner-Johnson would be an outstanding selection to kick off the draft for the Cowboys, providing a great value and an upgrade at the safety position.

Round 3, No. 90:Maxx Crosby, DE, Eastern Michigan

After upgrading the safety position in the second round, the Cowboys could go a myriad of ways in the third. Central Florida's Trysten Hill has become a popular pick for Dallas in the third round as a means to upgrade the defensive tackle rotation, but he wasn't available in the simulation.

With no defensive tackles worthy of the 90th overall pick available, Dallas would be wise to grab a high-upside defensive end in Eastern Michigan's Maxx Crosby, a Colleyville Heritage High School product.

Listed at 6-5, 255 pounds with 32 7/8-inch arms, Crosby is one of the most athletic defensive ends in the class, having tested into the 88.7 percentile among NFL edge defenders (fifth-highest in the edge defender class), according to Three Sigma Athlete. His athleticism translates well to the field, where you see a smooth mover who displays impressive lower-body flexibility, speed and quickness.

Crosby possesses active hands and a large library of hand techniques to attack and defeat blocks, but they need significant refinement. Luckily, it's much easier to refine the technique of an edge defender with active hands rather than get an edge defender with decent technique to be more active with his hands.

Maxx Crosby is a baller folks. So damn explosive off the snap allows him to get this angle and then dip around the edge. Love his tape. pic.twitter.com/K5EXhBnf1A — Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) March 29, 2019

Despite that lack of refinement, Crosby's athleticism and flexibility enable him to bend and contort his body in unique ways when rushing off the edge, making it difficult for blockers to land a clean strike on him.

Against the run, he dominates tight ends at the point of attack and understands how to maximize his length with long arms when setting the edge. He also has the quickness to penetrate and make plays behind the line of scrimmage (averaged 1.58 tackles for loss per game in 2018).

But much like with his pass-rush ability, Crosby's unrefined technique can get him into trouble against the run. His base often gets compromised, which inhibits his balance when engaged with a blocker.

While some may be worried about selecting a small-school defensive end who needs refinement in the third round, the Cowboys afforded themselves this opportunity by trading for Robert Quinn, whose presence allows them to be patient with Crosby in Year 1.

Slick arm-over by Eastern Michigan EDGE Maxx Crosby (6041/265) pic.twitter.com/yHT9lhP8y8 — Ty Wurth (@WurthDraft) August 1, 2018

Ultimately, Crosby is a high-upside defensive end who can deepen Dallas' defensive line rotation immediately and has the potential to develop into a starting-caliber talent in Year 2 or 3.

It's never a bad idea to invest in pass-rush upside.

Round 4, No. 128:David Montgomery, RB, Iowa State

If Iowa State's David Montgomery is available when Dallas goes on the clock for the first of its two fourth-round picks, it should set the record for least amount of time used before turning in a pick.

Started doing some prep work on the draft and I've spent a good portion of the day re-watching some of Iowa State RB David Montgomery's jump-cuts. Explosive for a big dude.



Runs angry and looks to hit someone to finish off his runs. Def an energy-giver. pic.twitter.com/LocoU5LWXl — BJ Kissel (@ChiefsReporter) March 19, 2019

Montgomery is one of the most talented running backs in this year's draft, but the depth of the class as a whole along with his poor athletic testing (4.63 40-yard dash and 28.5-inch vertical jump) could cause him to fall to the fourth round.

While he's not the best athlete, Montgomery is one of the most refined running backs in the class, possessing impressive vision, power, balance and elusiveness with the ball in his hands.

This run by David Montgomery is incredible. pic.twitter.com/sQkt2krjSX — Jordan Reid (@JReidNFL) June 23, 2018

He is a tackle-breaking machine, racking up an absurd 185 broken tackles over the last two seasons (86 in 2017, 99 in 2018). Montgomery on average forced 0.39 missed tackles per attempt, the best such mark among draft-eligible running backs, according to PFF.

Montgomery is no stranger to yards after contact and may be the best back in the class at dealing with backfield penetration -- which he dealt with a lot at Iowa State -- as his creativity as a runner enables him to elude defenders while his power allows him to trudge through arm tackles.

He is even more of a nightmare for defenses in the open field, stringing moves together to leave defenders grasping for air or dropping his pad level to run over and punish defensive backs.

Montgomery also displays impressive patience on zone concepts, doing a good job of manipulating his stride length and frequency to allow his blocks to develop before bursting through the proper hole. He does a good job setting up his blocks and understands how to read the leverage of defenders to inform himself of his proper path.

On top of his running ability, Montgomery is also above average in pass protection and pass-catching out of the backfield, accumulating 71 catches for 582 receiving yards in his college career.

#IowaState RB David Montgomery — 4th down run vs. WVU to close out the game. Have to beat the safety here. Check out the cut. Quick at 216 pounds. #NFL pic.twitter.com/N895KCWyo9 — Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) February 13, 2019

If the Cowboys are looking for a more traditional running back to back up Ezekiel Elliott rather than a complementary, jitterbug type, Montgomery has to be one of the names atop the wish list. His presence as a starting-caliber backup would not allow defenses to catch their breaths while Elliott is out of the game and effectively protect the Cowboys in event that Elliott is ever forced to miss significant time.

Round 4, No. 136:Kingsley Keke, DT, Texas A&M

In previous rounds, the value of available defensive tackles didn't match up with the cost of Dallas' pick. That changed at the end of the fourth round, where Texas A&M's Kingsley Keke possesses the talent commensurate with a pick.

This is a mighty impressive rep from Kingsley Keke. He's the first DL out of his stance. Good stride length up the arc soften the corner with an effective rip move. Perfect footwork when cornering enables him to immediately flatten after beating the LTs outside hip. 👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/FzKf4XdQOA — John Owning (@JohnOwning) April 13, 2019

Having spent a good portion of his time at defensive end, Keke projects better inside, where his athleticism would be considered an asset. He tested above the 75th percentile among defensive tackles since 1999 in the 40-yard dash, short shuttle, vertical and broad jumps at the NFL scouting combine, according to MockDraftable.

Of all the defensive tackles in the draft, Keke -- listed at 6-3, 288 pounds with 34 1/2-inch arms -- is the one who seems to ignore leg day. While most interior defensive linemen come out of college with a well-developed lower body and underdeveloped upper body, Keke is the opposite, possessing a strong and stout upper body to go with a thin lower half.

His unique body composition has a real effect on his skill set, as he can jolt blockers with his strikes but lacks the lower-body strength to hold his ground and anchor to his gap, which causes him to get displaced by single and double-team blocks more often than he should.

Gorgeous spin move by #Cowboys 30 visitor Kingsley Keke.



Does well to widen his rush to threaten the RGs outside edge. Nice hand tech to clear contact to execute the spin. Finishes with ice pick and immediate gains ground toward QB.



Impressive rep. pic.twitter.com/U145gjIM1i — John Owning (@JohnOwning) April 7, 2019

Despite the lack of strength in his lower half, Keke possesses a couple of notable traits as a pass rusher. When he's allowed to play forward and penetrate, he has a strong get-off, which can stress the sets of interior offensive linemen. Keke leverages his strong get-off to set up his dynamic spin move, which he uses to defeat blocks and apply pressure on quarterbacks.

Overall, Keke could immediately improve depth for the Cowboys at the under tackle position (3-technique tackle). Moreover, his skill set has enough upside to develop him into a potential replacement for Maliek Collins, who is scheduled to become a free agent in 2020.

Round 5, No. 165:Jalen Hurd, WR, Baylor

A former running back who transferred from Tennessee to Baylor in an effort to switch to wide receiver, Jalen Hurd is exactly the kind of low-risk gamble the Cowboys should take in the fifth round.

With just one year of game experience at wide receiver under his belt, Hurd is obviously still early in his development at the position. Despite that inexperience, Hurd showcased enough refinement and upside in his game to become a draftable receiver prospect as he recorded 946 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 69 catches (13.7 yards per catch).

Measuring in at 6-5, 226 pounds, he has the size and potential skill set of a possession receiver or big slot receiver. Hurd's size gives him the ability to shield defensive backs from the catch point, which enables him to be effective in contested-catch situations.

Hurd will need to drastically improve his releases against press coverage, but he has shown notable improvement at the break point in his routes, which enabled him to create separation on dig, out and crossing routes.

While he's still unrefined without the ball in his hands, Hurd predictably shines after the catch, when he leverages his running back traits to be a consistent yards-after-catch threat.

He could immediately vie for a spot on the gameday roster while he develops under the tutelage of receivers coach Sanjay Lal. With his frame and blocking upside, he could potentially challenge Noah Brown for a spot on the roster as a rookie, though he isn't likely to provide much as a traditional receiver until Year 2 or 3.

Round 7, No. 241:Chris Westry, CB, Kentucky

In the seventh round, teams are looking to draft players with developmental traits -- the perfect description of Kentucky cornerback Chris Westry.

Though he didn't start much during his senior year, Westry possesses the size (6-4, 199 pounds with 33 3/4-inch arms) and athleticism (4.36 40-yard dash, 38-inch vertical and 10-foot-1 broad jump) that make him an ideal prospect to gamble on in the seventh round.

His size, speed and length make him a great fit in Richard's coverages, though he does need significant refinement with his footwork -- he struggles when forced to quickly change direction to mirror receivers in man coverage.

Westry appears most comfortable when using press-bail technique in Cover 3, as his speed and size enable him to blanket vertical routes to dissuade quarterbacks from taking a deep shot at him.

Though Westry's skill set needs significant refinement, Richard has proven capable of developing long and athletic cornerbacks with such needs, which means the Cowboys are uniquely positioned to get the most out of Westry's skill set.

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Twitter: @JohnOwning