What if? How the Cowboys 2021 draft could have played out.

The Dallas Cowboys 2021 draft had mixed reviews among draft experts, analysts, and fans of the team. The selection of Micah Parsons at #12 was the first selection that divided the opinions of the fanbase. From there some other controversial selections and omissions helped ensure that the Cowboys front office will be heavily scrutinised for several years as the careers of each prospect in question begin to unfold. Since questioning draft picks is second nature for football fans, it is perfectly reasonable to imagine an alternate scenario of how the Dallas Cowboys 2021 draft could have played out differently. What if the Cowboys selected OT Rashawn Slater instead of Micah Parsons? What if the team didn’t prioritise “length and strength”, as Will McClay stated in the Cowboys post draft press conference? What if they instead simply targeted the best players available? What if, the Cowboys 2021 draft played out like this?…

ROUND 1 PICK#12: OT, RASHAWN SLATER, NORTHWESTERN

The Cowboys traded back from pick#10 and with the 12th pick in the 2021 NFL draft they selected Penn State, LB, Micah Parsons. Some consider Parsons the best defensive player in the draft but others have concerns over his inexperience at the LB position, maturity and character concerns, and positional value. Many feel that the best player available at pick #12 was Northwestern, OT, Rashawn Slater. Slater ended up being selected with the very next pick by the Los Angeles Chargers but in this “What if?” scenario, the Cowboys turn in his card. In doing so, the Cowboys address their offensive line depth and solidify the left tackle position for the future.

ROUND 2 PICK#44: LB, NICK BOLTON, MISSOURI

With pick #44, the Dallas Cowboys selected Kentucky, CB, Kelvin Joseph. Many fans were thrilled with this pick because Joseph has first round talent with the potential to become a #1 corner. Unfortunately, concerns about his commitment to football as well as being dismissed from 2 separate college programs make him somewhat of a risky selection. I am tempted to leave this pick as is for this exercise but there were also some other great prospects available at that spot that I have to consider. Undersized corner Asante Samuel, outstanding LB/S Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, and dynamic edge rusher Azeez Ojulari. Those players also come with concerns due to size, fit, and medical red flags. Another player who I am a big fan of is Missouri LB Nick Bolton. He lasted well into the second round because he is on the smaller side and a little more athletically limited than some of his counterparts at LB. In spite of those limitations, Bolton is a naturally instinctive, intelligent, and hard hitting football player who many believe is going to have an exceptional career in the NFL.

ROUND 3 PICK#75: CB, PAULSON ADEBO, STANFORD

With the first of three picks in the third round, the Cowboys selected an undersized but long DT named Osa Odighizuwa out of UCLA. The pick immediately after Odighizuwa was Paulson Adebo from Stanford. In this “what if?” scenario, the Cowboys have yet to address the CB position with their first 2 selections and Adebo is a playmaker on the outside who could compete to start right away opposite Trevon Diggs.

ROUND 3 PICK#84: DE, RONNIE PERKINS, OKLAHOMA

The Cowboys acquired the 84th pick in the 2021 NFL draft after trading back 2 spots with Eagles in round 1. They spent that pick on Iowa DE Chauncey Golston. Golston is a versatile defensive end who is solid against the run and can play multiple positions on the defensive line. Golston has potential to contribute right away although his ceiling and pass rush potential are very limited. Ronnie Perkins is by no means a perfect prospect but he does offer far more potential and production as a pass rusher. If the Cowboys went this route with pick #84 it is unclear how Perkins would fit into Dan Quinn’s defense but Perkins offers far more upside than the player they ultimately selected in Chauncey Golston.

ROUND 3 PICK#99: CB, ELIJAH MOLDEN, WASHINGTON

With the 99th pick in the bottom of the third round, the Cowboys turned more than a few heads by drafting CB, Nahshon Wright from Oregon State. Wright is unusually tall and thin at 6″4 and 184 lbs. Aside from this player being way off the radar for most of us Cowboys fans, what made this pick frustrating was that there were a couple of highly touted cornerbacks that were drafted immediately after the Cowboys made this selection. One of those players was Washington, CB, Elijah Modlen. Molden’s biggest issue is that he undersized and he tested rather poorly at his pro day but he is universally considered one of the better defensive backs in the entire draft. Molden has position versatility and could play slot corner or free safety. Molden would have been an excellent pick for the Cowboys at 99th overall so I am going to take him here in this “what if?” scenario.

ROUND 4 PICK#115: LB, JABRIL COX, LSU

Following the least popular pick the Dallas Cowboys made at #99, they came back to start off day 3 with easily the most popular pick in the entire draft. Jabril Cox is one of the better coverage linebackers in the 2021 draft class and many expected him to be selected as high as the second round. I am fine leaving this pick right where it is. The overhaul of the disappointing Cowboys linebacking corps is now complete in this alternative scenario with Nick Bolton and Jabril Cox instead of Parson’s and Cox.

ROUND 4 PICK#138: CB, SHAUN WADE, OHIO STATE

Pick #138 may have easily topped Nahshon Wright as the least popular among Cowboys fans and it has nothing to with OT Josh Ball’s ability as a football player. The Cowboys 2021 draft is full of question marks in terms of character and maturity. In this “what if?” scenario, there are no such concerns. I struggled between 3 different players here. The first was Safety Jamien Sherwood of Auburn who could provide depth at strong safety and linebacker but also contribute on special teams. The second was Indiana Safety Jamar Johnson who could be the Cowboys centre fielder free safety but his limitations as a tackler were too much of a concern for me. Ultimately I decided to go with Ohio State CB Shaun Wade who struggled in 2020 as an outside corner but is very capable as a slot corner or free safety. Adding Shaun Wade, Elijah Molden, and Paulson Adebo to the Cowboys secondary could solidify the unit for years.

ROUND 5 PICK#179: WR, SIMI FEHOKO, STANFORD

Simi Fehoko was one of three offensive players out of 11 the Cowboys drafted and he was an intriguing pick in the 5th round. The Cowboys missed out on Kyle Pitts as the “Pitts Train” stopped early in Atlanta with pick#4. Despite missing out an Pitt’s elite talent, the Cowboys offense could benefit from a player who could improve their red zone efficiency. Fehoko is big and fast and he matches up well against smaller corners. The Cowboys have one of the better receiving corps on the NFL but they lack a truly dominant redzone target. This pick can remain unchanged for this “what if?” scenario.

ROUND 6 PICK#192: DT, QUINTON BOHANNA, KENTUCKY

The Cowboys drafted a big Nose Tackle in Round 6 and that is fine by me. Every year I want them to address the interior defensive line with big bodied, run stuffers, and every year they disappoint me. I won’t change this pick.

ROUND 6 PICK#227: DT, MARVIN WILSON, FLORIDA STATE

There must have been some medical concerns that caused Florida State DT Marvin Wilson to go undrafted. He had a stellar career at Florida State until his final year in 2020 when he struggled with a position changed and battled injuries. Adding him in the 6th round instead of competing to sign him as undrafted free agent would have been a savvy move for a team with 11 draft picks. The potential reward on a player that was considered a top 10 pick by many coming into the 2020 season would be well worth the minimal risk at the bottom of the 6th round.

ROUND 7 PICK#238: S, AR’DARIUS WASHINGTON, TCU

Undersized safety Ar’Darius Washington was the champion of 105.3 The Fan radio personality and host of the DallasCowboys.com Draft Show Jeff Cavanaugh. Even those who were not as high on him as Cavanaugh was did not anticipate that he would go undrafted. Similar to Marvin Wilson, throwing a flyer on a talented player like Washington in the 7th round would have been a smart move for the Cowboys.

Here is a comparison of the Dallas Cowboys 2021 draft class to the “what if?” version presented here:

So would the Cowboys have been better off making the selections on the right or did the draft play out better than expected for them? You decide!

*Photo by Maize and Blue Nation https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode