The impact of a draft class is not often instantly realized. While draft grades are all the rage following the three-day event, they don’t necessarily reflect what’s about to transpire during the coming offseason work and future training camp. No, just because the Dallas Cowboys’ fifth-round flyer received an A grade doesn’t mean that he’s penciled into the starting lineup.
Still, the acquisitions do have impact. At worst they mean new blood has been injected into a position group, but there are 90 players on an offseason roster to begin with. At best, there is true competition and veterans who are either on the last year’s of their contract or on deals where they can be deemed expendable have been put on notice. Sometimes though, the team doesn’t address an issue that the media and fans wondered if they would attack. In those instances, a player (and his representative) are likely breathing a sigh of relief.
Here’s a look at who we deemed the early winners and losers, from a veteran perspective, of the Cowboys 2021 draft haul.