Coming into this offseason, the Dallas Cowboys had to improve their defense. In the 2021 NFL Draft, they did just that. The Cowboys used eight of their 11 selections, and their first six picks on the defensive side of the ball. A lot of the Cowboys’ selections, however, were subpar. Their board seemed a bit out of wack with the general consensus of draft experts and there’s a ton of people questioning their draft. Dallas started the first round by trading down with the division rival Philadelphia Eagles and ended up selected Micah Parsons at pick 12.
Make sure to check out all of our 2021 NFL Draft Team Recaps.
Best Pick: Jabril Cox (Round 4, Pick 115)
Cox falling to the fourth round was absolutely baffling. He’s an ultra-talented athletic linebacker with incredible range and coverage ability. Even though the Cowboys already took a linebacker in the first round in Parsons, Cox was easily the best player on the board. Dallas now has a stacked linebacker core in Jaylon Smith, Leighton Vander Esch, Parsons, and Cox. They will almost certainly be getting rid of Smith or Vander Esch within the next season or two but the depth they have will allow Cox to develop and become a very good starter.
Grade: A+
For more on Cox, check out our scouting report here.
Worst Pick: Nahshon Wright (Round 3, Pick 99)
This one is a tight one between Kelvin Joseph and Wright. Joseph was selected in the second round but does have some serious character issues. Wright is a cornerback who almost no one has even heard of. Quite frankly, this was a shocking pick in the third round. The need for secondary was obviously addressed here, but with the completely wrong player.
Grade: D-
Sleeper Pick: Israel Mukuamu (Round 6, Pick 227)
Out of the three defensive backs the Cowboys took, Mukuamu could be the safest one. He’s a better player than Wright is and does not have the character concerns that Joseph has. Mukuamu made a really strong pairing with Jaycee Horn at South Carolina and they seemed to be a lockdown duo. He can really line up anywhere and has got incredible length. Mukuamu could easily make a push to get into the rotation right away and is certainly the best long-term solution at cornerback out of any of the three guys taken.
Grade: A
Summary
After an incredible 2020 draft, the Cowboys disappointed this year. Their picks were really hit or miss and it seems like the majority may miss. They did well to recognize what their needs were but often didn’t select the best available player. The Cox pick really boosts their draft as a whole and without it, they could be looking at a much worse grade. Another issue with this draft is that they first addressed line in the fourth round with the selection of Josh Ball. For an injured and aging offensive line, rebuilding it in the fourth round with a guy who has various character concerns isn’t ideal. Overall, this is one of the worst drafts across the league but does show some promise in a couple of their picks.
Overall Grade: D
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