The Dallas Cowboys are about to embark on a journey they hope leads them to a result different than the ones that keep coming up. Each year, they pull the handle on the slot machine and each year it does something different than land on the jackpot. Can 2021 be any different? According to the latest odds, the chances are long.
Dallas is one of several teams given +4000 odds to win the Super Bowl, according to Bet MGM’s latest lines. That ties them for 15th best in a league where only 14 teams make the playoffs. If those results come to be realized, then the Cowboys are missing the dance for the third time in a row. In the latest Draft Wire 2022 mock draft, a 2-round affair based on Super Bowl odds (and not a direct prediction), they draft 17th overall.
With their haul, Dallas finds themselves with a new edge rusher and a s
17. Dallas | Zach Harrison | EDGE | Ohio St.
The Cowboys do not have much consistent edge pressure behind DeMarcus Lawrence. While Randy Gregory has huge potential and seems to finally be in a great place and ready to contribute to an entire season for the first time since, well, ever, there are no assurances to how that will play out. Even if it does end in greatness and a new contract, the club will still need another player to put into the rotation.
Harrison was a big talking point in the Buckeyes spring game, hitting the gym and reshaping his body. The improvements have moved him into the conversation to be the next high-impact edge player out of a pipeline that continues to churn them out.
From Pro Football Network:
Beyond having an elite name for a defensive lineman, Harrison undoubtedly passes the eye test for his scouting report. Standing at 6’6″, 268 pounds, Harrison is long and burly. With his size, he can rush outside to inside, and he also has some positional versatility. Ohio State mainly used him on the edge in 2020, but he has shaded inside on occasion, even to zero-technique at one point against Indiana.
While Harrison possesses some versatility, his best role might be at defensive end. There, his physical skill set meshes best. Harrison has excellent straight-line explosiveness, and he converts speed to power well. His stride lengths cover lots of ground, and he flashes acceleration around the edge. He’s reportedly been timed with a 4.47 40-yard dash, so it comes as no surprise that his explosiveness impresses.
49. Dallas | Bubba Bolden | S | Miami (FL)
The Cowboys hope that they solved the hole at safety with some low-risk additions in the 2021 offseason. Dallas signed Damontae Kazee out of Altanta to reunite him with his former head coach and the Cowboys’ current defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Kazee however is recovering from an Achilles injury suffered in October. Despite having plenty of firepower, the Cowboys neglected the position until the sixth round of the draft when they selected South Carolina’s Israel Mukuamu with the intent to move him to centerfield.
Bolden stands 6-foot-3 and wieghs 200 pounds and seems like the prototype physically for the NFL’s shift to split (or even triple) safeties capable to playing deep and in the box as well as versatile enough to line up in the slot. He has some red flags associated with himself off the field, which may be an issue for some teams.
Again, from PFN:
The redshirt senior did not disappoint in 2020. While teammate Jaelan Phillips was elevating his NFL Draft stock, Bolden provided solid production from the secondary. In nine starts, he tallied 74 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, and 4 forced fumbles.
His performances earned him multiple ACC Defensive Back of the Week awards. The first came against Louisville, where he terrorized the Cardinals’ offense to the tune of 11 tackles, 1 forced fumble, and a tackle for loss. Even in a heavy defeat to Clemson, his 10 tackles, 1 forced fumble, and 2 blocked field goals were enough to land the honor. Additionally, he was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and received second-team All-ACC recognition.