28 days and counting till the 2021 NFL Draft and the likelihood of the Dallas Cowboys having the chance to choose the top defensive player on their board is beginning to look more feasible than ever. However, with a strong possibility that 5 quarterbacks could be selected in front of the Cowboys’ No. 10 pick, some of the other top offensive players could fall to Dallas.
According to longtime ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper’s updated top 25 prospects, that’s the direction Dallas should go lest they want to be considered reachers. The highest graded defender is linebacker Micah Parsons at No.11. The next highest is another linebacker, Jamin Davis out of Kentucky. Provided Dallas doesn’t feel the need to go LB this early, any other pick would be a stretch according to Kiper’s rankings.
Kiper’s top cornerback for the upcoming draft is Caleb Farley out of Virginia Tech, ranking No.15. Farley recently had a microdiscectomy that could cause him to fall in April’s draft. Alabama’s Patrick Surtain and South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn check in at 17 and 18 respectively for the corners.
17. Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama
HT: 6-2 | WT: 206 | Previously: 15
You probably recognize the name; Surtain’s father, Patrick, picked off 37 passes and earned three Pro Bowl trips over 11 NFL seasons. He was a second-round pick by the Dolphins in 1998. Surtain II is a little bit bigger than his dad, but they have similar coverage traits. His frame reminds me a little bit of Marlon Humphrey, another Crimson Tide corner who went in Round 1 (2017). Surtain is a shutdown corner who can break on throws with ease — he had 23 pass breakups over the past three seasons, along with four total interceptions. He also forced three fumbles in 2019. It’s going to be close between Surtain, Farley and the next player on my list for the No. 1 corner in this class.
18. Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
HT: 6-1 | WT: 205 | Previously: 21
Horn is an instinctual corner with good size and speed. He had only two interceptions in three seasons at South Carolina, but his tally of 23 total pass breakups shows that he makes plays on the ball. He should add more picks in the NFL. Horn also has three career sacks, so he could be used as a blitzer. He’s another cornerback whose father played in the NFL; his dad is former wide receiver Joe Horn. Horn has a chance to go in the top 12 picks.
The Cowboys are in desperate need of a CB who can play opposite of Trevon Diggs, would they be willing to reach in order grab one of the top three?
Two offensive players who could potentially fall to Dallas at No. 10 are offensive linemen Penei Sewell and Rashawn Slater, who are eight and nine on Kiper’s board. Sewell is prototypical left tackle. With Tyron Smith still in the fold, Dallas would likely play the Oregon product at guard or right tackle (moving La’el Collins to guard), unless Smith was sidelined again due to injury.
The 6-foot-6, 330 pounder would be the left tackle of the future for Dallas. Slater is considered an even more versatile player capable of playing all five positions on the line. Kiper believes his best position is at guard, if the Cowboys were to draft the former Northwestern standout, he would start next to Smith and be the swing tackle for the team.
Another player who could potentially slip down the board due to a QB run, is Florida tight end Kyle Pitts. The freaky-athletic TE sits at No. 2 on Kiper’s draft board.
Kyle Pitts' 40-yard dash clocked in at 4.44u.
That speed at 6'6" and 246 lbs though 👀 @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/qjysreMifF
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 31, 2021
Put plainly Pitts is a matchup nightmare, who might have the highest ceiling in the draft. If Pitts is siting at No. 10, Dallas would have to heavily consider drafting the former Gator. With the Giants and Eagles sitting at picks 11 and 12, it would be a sickening feeling to watch a possible generational talent wind up with a division rival.
It’s clear that Dallas needs an infusion of talent on the defensive side of the ball, however Kiper doesn’t see the corners as being worth that price.
That is definitely not to say that Surtain, Farley or Horn won’t be good players, but it would be very hard for Dallas to pass on any of the offensive players previously mentioned. Some of the Cowboys best picks in the first round of the draft have come when they stick to the best player available mentality, reaching for positional needs result in picks like Taco Charlton.
Obviously Dallas’ draft board will be different from Kiper’s, but the Cowboys could be in a position similar to last years draft. When CeeDee Lamb was sitting at No. 17 with a draft grade far above any defensive player that was also there, the Cowboys could not pass up the chance to draft the talented wideout.