It was no secret that the Dallas Cowboys were going to go heavy on the defensive side of the ball in the 2021 NFL draft. They did so by making eight selections on defense (had 11 picks total), with three coming on the defensive line.
Osa Odighizuwa (third round) and Quinton Bohanna (sixth round) were brought in to add depth along the interior. Chauncey Golston, a defensive end out of Iowa, was selected in the third round as a depth piece for the Cowboys outside pass rush. However, after his first mini-camp practice last Friday, Golston stated he’s ready to play wherever he’s given a chance to.
“You want to be a Swiss army knife,” Golston said, via the team’s website. “So, you want to be able wherever there’s opportunity.”
Golston only recorded two tackles as a freshman in 2017. A year later, albeit as a key reserve, he began to show his talent by racking up 35 tackles (nine tackles for loss), 3.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries, an interception, and a pass defended. Over his last two seasons, Golston was very productive with 92 combined tackles (18 tackles for loss), 8.5 sacks, two interceptions, six passes defended, and a forced fumble. He would be named honorable-mention All-Big Ten in 2019 and first-team All-Big Ten in 2020.
Although he primarily rushed the passer from the edge, Golston showed his versatility during his days are Iowa by sliding inside to play defensive tackle. He talked on Friday about his willingness to play the 3-technique in nickel and dime packages as well.
“That’s how I got on the field my first time in Iowa,” Golston said. “I’ve always been trying to get on the field no matter what or where. So, if I’m on the inside, I’m just trying to make a play. At the end of the day, it’s football.”
One of my favorites in this NFL Draft – @HawkeyeFootball DE Chauncey Golston – heading to @seniorbowl next week
Powerful pass rusher who can slide into 3tech in subpackage fronts… but he is an OUTSTANDING run defender! Sets physical edges and has no problem stack/shed blocks pic.twitter.com/FKz6VDgkZd
— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) January 23, 2021
Position flex is exactly what teams look for in today’s NFL. Golston’s quick first step and ability to bend off the edge make him a solid piece behind DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory. Also, he uses good power and excellent hands to shed blockers on the interior, which can add another body alongside Neville Gallimore and Trysten who each showed promise in 2020.
The former Hawkeye began his NFL journey dawning the shiny silver helmet of the Cowboys as an outside pass rusher, and he’s focused on getting the nuances of Dan Quinn’s defense down so that he can contribute right away.
“I’ll be focusing on defensive end right now,” Golston said. “That’s all we’ve gotten to so far. But overall just trying to get better at learning the defense and being a better first-step player.”
Quinn mentioned back in January that he was looking to pinpoint specific roles for players on the roster that had unique skill sets. With Golston’s ability to play multiple positions, Quinn can add his name to that list.
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