ESPN’s Todd McShay released his first mock draft, where he gave the Dallas Cowboys one of the drafts top CBs, Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II.
For the Dallas Cowboys, a pivotal offseason awaits. Over 20 Cowboys are set to become free agents, including quarterback Dak Prescott. The 2021 NFL draft will be extremely important for Dallas, as they try to fill in the roster around Prescott (assuming he re-signs with the Cowboys for the hefty price he deserves).
Today, less than a week after the NFL regular season ended, ESPN’s well-know draft expert, Todd McShay, released his first official mock draft. McShay’s too-early projection has the Cowboys staying put at the No. 10 pick and selecting Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II.
McShay justified his pick for Dallas, stating,
“What Dallas does in the draft will likely come down to the outcome of Dak Prescott’s contract situation. The Cowboys will know whether they need a QB by the time they’re on the clock; we just don’t know right now. But considering Surtain is still available, and Dallas hasn’t had a shutdown corner in years, this seems almost too easy.
It wasn’t Surtain’s best season, but he has strong instincts and can redirect wideouts where he wants them. Trevon Diggs — Surtain’s former teammate in Tuscaloosa — appears to be a great value pick for Dallas (No. 51 in 2020), but fellow cornerbacks Jourdan Lewis and Chidobe Awuzie could be coming off the books this offseason. On throws outside the hashes, Dallas allowed the fourth-highest opponent QBR in 2020 (83.5).”
Surtain II currently sits at No. 7 on McShay’s overall rankings, which places him as the second defender in the draft behind Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons, and as the top overall defensive back. McShay’s abbreviated evaluation of Surtain’s game is as follows:
“Surtain, a true shutdown cover corner, has a pick-six, 10 pass breakups and 32 tackles in 11 games. I love his instincts and the way he quickly diagnoses wide receivers’ routes and funnels them where he wants them to go. He is also a natural playmaker, with good ball reaction skills and soft hands. His father, Patrick Surtain Sr., was a Pro Bowl corner in the NFL and a second-round pick in 1998.”
South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn and Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley are two other corners at the top of most draft rankings.
Dallas has been linked to all three prospects throughout early mock drafts, and it’s easy to see why. The Cowboys defense was dreadful in 2020. The Athletic’s Bob Sturm Shared the following statistics.
- No Dallas team has ever allowed 34 passing touchdowns, until this season.
- No Dallas defense has ever allowed a passer rating of 100 for a year, until this season.
- Only one Dallas defense, the 1960 expansion team, allowed more points per game.
Yes, the run defense is arguably a bigger problem for the Cowboys, but so-far this year’s draft noticeably lacks the elite interior defenders that Dallas would certainly consider at pick No. 10.
Dallas defensive struggles aren’t the only reasons Surtain to Dallas makes sense. As mentioned above, the Cowboys have a ton of free agents, especially in the defensive backfield.
Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis, two of the Cowboys top four corners from 2020 are on the market, as well as the clubs starting safety, Xavier Woods.
There is certainly a chance that the Cowboys re-sign one or two of those three for the right prices, but even in that scenario, the addition of a potentially elite cornerback on a rookie deal would be incredibly valuable for Dallas.
The Cowboys secondary moving forward is headlined by Surtain’s former teammate in Tuscaloosa, CB Trevon Diggs, who had a promising rookie year in Dallas.
Reuniting the lanky cover men could pay dividends for a Dallas defense that desperately needs improvement at every level.
Alabama faces Ohio State in the National Championship on Monday, January 11, in what will be a must-watch for fans wanting to scout some of the top NFL prospects.
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