The NFL Draft is just three months away and the Dallas Cowboys are already filling out their own draft board. With the 10th overall pick in this year’s draft, Dallas is in a prime position to draft one of the best players in the 2021 class.
There are many ways that the Cowboys can go in this draft. They can draft a defensive player, continue to help Dak Prescott and draft an offensive lineman or even select Kyle Pitts who draws comparison to Darren Waller of the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Cowboys will have plenty of time to decide which way they want to go in the draft. Nonetheless, here are three players the Cowboys should target in the 2021 draft.
Micah Parsons– LB (Penn State)
The first player that the Cowboys should eye is Micah Parsons from Penn State. Parsons is one of the premier prospects in the 2021 NFL draft. Although Parsons sat out the 2021 season for Penn State, his two-seasons prior showed just what kind of player he is. With Sean Lee becoming a free agent, the Cowboys could use another linebacker to pair with Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch.
There are many things about Parsons’ game that the Cowboys would love. For starters, Parsons comes in at 6-foot-2, 244 lbs. His size mixed with his gazing speed would make him one of the best linebackers for years to come. Speed is something that some linebackers lack, but Parsons is someone who can certainly stick with some running backs/tight ends.
Parsons led the Nittany Lions in tackles in back-to-back seasons. In his first season as a true freshman, Parsons only started one game but was still able to make 84 tackles to go with 2 forced fumbles. Then, in his second season, he finished with 109 tackles and four forced fumbles.
It’s unlikely that Parsons will fall to the tenth pick, but if he does, the Cowboys should select Parsons without a problem.
Patrick Surtain II– CB (Alabama)
The Cowboys struggled last season in their secondary, so they should be actively trying to draft a cornerback. As a result, a player that they should look heavily at is Patrick Surtain II. Surtain II is the son of former NFL cornerback Patrick Surtain who played 11 seasons for the Dolphins and Chiefs.
Surtain has the tools to be a solid corner back in the league. He sits at 6-foot-2, 203 lbs which put him as a dream come true for defenses. His size and frame make him one of the best corner backs in the draft alone.
Surtain is also one of the most physical corner backs in this year’s draft. His hands-on defense in coverage is something that teams love to see. If the Cowboys can grab Surtain, they would be in luck because Surtain won’t make anything easy for receivers.
If the Cowboys don’t take Surtain, it might be due to his coverage down the field. In his three-year career at Alabama, Surtain really excelled at coverage in short parts of fields. However, there was oftentimes at Alabama, where receivers would get plenty of separation down the field. One question mark that does remain with his game is his deep speed/recovery speed.
The Cowboys need corner back help and even with the question marks that surround Surtain’s speed, he is a solid selection with the tenth pick.
Caleb Farley– CB (Virginia Tech)
Like Parsons, Caleb Farley sat out the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns. However, Farley is still set to be a top-15 pick in the 2021 draft due to his size, speed and excellent coverage skills. He comes in at 6-foot-2, 207 lbs, which is extremely similar to Surtain. Farley and Surtain are the top two corner backs on every team’s draft boards but are interchangeable at the top.
Farley does a lot of things well but the part of his game that the Cowboys could use is his press coverage skills. He is physical at the line of scrimmage and doesn’t get beat often. In two seasons at Virginia Tech, Farley had 19 passes deflected and six interceptions.
The Cowboys should be looking to draft a corner back in the first round as they really struggled in that category this season. Farley’s size, speed and coverage skills make him a solid pick for Dallas.
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