With the 2024 draft now in the rearview mirror, grades are being handed out left and right. Snap judgements, and not talking about who is going to play how much, are the current currency, but the rule of thumb for grading a team’s draft class hovers around the three-year mark.
With the anniversary of the Cowboys 2021 class upon us, taking a stroll down memory lane to determine the outcome shows brilliant strategy and cringeworthy statements. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy ended his first season in Dallas with a 6-10 record. He had to navigate his team through the COVID-19 epidemic along with an injury-riddled team. That earned Dallas the No. 10 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
The Cowboys entered the annual event needing a cornerback and many draft pundits believed Dallas had their eyes set on cover guys Patrick Surtain Jr. out of Alabama and South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn. With both off the board when their turn came around, the team traded back two spots with Chicago, picking up an extra third-rounder in the process.
Philadelphia moved up into Dallas’ spot and picked Alabama wideout Devonta Smith. The New York Giants, who were targeting Smith, bailed on the No. 11 pick, allowing Chicago to move up to select QB Justin Fields, who was just traded to Pittsburgh for a ham sandwich and a Fanta. Dallas then took Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons with the 12th overall pick kicking off their class.
First Round (12) | Micah Parsons | LB Penn State | A+
Mel Kiper of ESPN, otherwise known as the Godfather of the NFL draft, initially gave the Cowboys a “B” further cementing the fact that many did not know Parsons would be the pass-rushing phenom we have come to know him today.
“The questions now are… where does Micah Parsons (12) fit, and what does it mean for 2018 first-round pick Leighton Vander Esch and 2016 second-rounder Jaylon Smith? I didn’t peg off-ball linebacker as a need for Dallas, but the organization didn’t draft Parsons to sit on the bench. So maybe it will move on from Vander Esch and plant Parsons at middle linebacker. He’ll improve a porous run defense; the Cowboys allowed a woeful 1,758 rushing yards before first contact last season, by far the most in the league. With Rashawn Slater still available, I thought he would have filled a need at guard. They added to the off-ball linebacker group on Day 3 with Jabril Cox (115), who has some coverage traits.”
Mel Kiper ESPN Draft Analyst
In his rookie season, Parsons played more snaps at the second level as a linebacker (498) than on the defensive line (374). Those numbers have drastially changed since. Parsons was named 2021 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, has made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons, and has been named first-team All Pro the past two years. Parsons has his name frequently mentioned in NFL MVP conversations cementing his status as a home run draft selection.
Notable Draft Picks still available:
Rashawn Slater OT (Chargers)
Christian Darrisaw OT (Vikings)
Greg Newsome CB (Browns)
Second Round (44) | Kelvin Joseph | CB Kentucky | F
With a need at cornerback, Dallas rolled the dice on Kentucky cornerback Kelvin Joseph in the second round. The talented cover man entered the draft with red flags after being suspended at Mississippi. He would later be suspended at LSU before finally landing in Kentucky. With a need at the position, Kiper gave the Cowboys a more favorable review.
The Cowboys continued their attempt to improve the defense on Day 2 and ended up using all five of their picks on defenders. Cornerback Kelvin Joseph (44) has lock-down traits, and the team will hope that he can make the same sort of impact that second-rounder Trevon Diggs did a year ago.
Mel Kiper ESPN Analyst
Joseph landed in some hot water with the authorities after he was named as a person of interest in a murder investigation. Calls for his removal from the team went ignored and Joseph played out his second season. After 26 games in two seasons in Dallas, the team traded him to Miami for former first-round cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, who is no longer on the roster.
Notable Draft Picks still available:
Asante Samuels Jr. CB (Chargers)
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah S/LB (Browns)
Creed Humphrey C (Chiefs)
Third Round (75) | Osa Odigizuwa | DT UCLA | B+
Cowboys selected defensive tackle Osa Odigizuwa to beef up an interior that employed second-year defensive tackle Trysten Hill, who had torn his ACL the season prior, and former third-rounder Neville Gallimore. All Odigizuwa has done is become a mainstay on the Dallas defense alongside his draft classmate.
The double team on Parsons frees up Osa Odighizuwa for the sack 💪
📺: #DALvsNYG on NBC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/DITLbvj034 pic.twitter.com/xvJ0PhCr0B— NFL (@NFL) September 11, 2023
Odigizuwa has not been recognized with any NFL honors but he is easily the second-best player in this draft class. Big names above him have dominated extension talks and Odigizuwa has earned the right to be mentioned as a player who deserves a new contract.
Notable Draft Picks still available:
Josh Palmer WR (Chargers)
Third Round (84) | Chauncey Golston | DE Iowa | C-
The transformation into a Dan Quinn-led defense supplied the Cowboys with many role players and Goston has provided the team with solid play and versatility. He has lined up all along the defensive line allowing the team to employ multiple fronts. His willingness to play on various special teams units makes him a solid contributor.
Fake extra-point, DL Chauncey Golston TD catch from punter Bryan Anger
Cowboys 18, Patriots 3 pic.twitter.com/n3IBQt75Df
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) October 1, 2023
Although he hasn’t lived up to third-round expectations, Golston is a valuable member for this team. Doing more with less is becoming the teams mantra going into the season. Dallas may have to lean on Golston’s versatility to fill in any gaps left from a quiet offseason.
Notable Draft Picks still available:
Nico Collins WR (Texans)
Third Round (99) Nahshon Wright | CB Oregon State| D
Cornerback Nahshon Wright wowed the team with above-average measurables. The team ignored those who beleived he was destined for a mid-Day 3 selection. Dallas needed a corner opposite of promising second-year pro Trevon Diggs who was selected a year earlier. It is safe to say many were most surprised by this pick.
“Wright was something of a surprise pick in the third round, but his size (6-foot-4, 183 pounds) made him a perfect match for what coordinator Dan Quinn wants in a cornerback. Through the rookie minicamp and into the organized team activities and mandatory minicamp, Wright has been around the ball a ton. He had multiple interceptions and a handful of pass breakups. It hasn’t always been clean and he has a long way to go, but the Cowboys might have hit on a less-than-known pick”
Todd Archer – ESPN
Fast and long-limbed have been hallmark traits for Cowboys cornerbacks recently and Wright provided that and more. He has played in 32 career games but has only started three times in his career but has become a solid special teams contributor.
Notable Draft Picks still available:
Quinn Meinerz OG (Broncos)
Amon-Ra St. Brown WR (Lions)
Fourth Round (115) | Jabril Cox | LB LSU | D-
As a rookie, linebacker Jabril Cox excited the fanbase when he chased down Giants quarterback Daniel Jones and prevented him from scoring a touchdown. Thoughts of him roaming the second level of a defense behind Micah Parsons overshadowed the fact that he only played 22 snaps after tearing his ACL midway through his rookie season.
“He’s doing really well,” Jones said of the 23-year-old Cox. “Feel great about him, feel great that he’s the right fit for what Dan wants to do defensively… Should be a big plus for us this year, probably fill right in where Keanu [Neal] left off. Think he’s got great coverage skills. A good offseason with him will be good for him. Really like his upside.”
Dan Quinn Cowboys Defensive Cordinator 2021-2023
Cox never lived up to the hype following a major knee injury and was claimed by the Washington Commanders after Dallas released him in the final roster cuts of 2023. Cox is currently unsigned and free to join any team.
Notable Draft Picks still available:
Rhamondre Stevenson RB (Patriots)
Chuba Hubbard RB (Carolina)
Fourth Round (138) Josh Ball | OT Marshall | D
Offensive tackle Josh Ball made headlines when the Cowboys drafted him out of Marshall University. The talented lineman was suspended at Florida State after being accused of multiple violent acts against his former girlfriend.
"The past is the past and everybody's moved on so I don't really have a comment on all that." – Josh Ball with us. Bad answer to me if allegations are true. Some people don't get to move on from that trauma so easily.
— Jeff Cavanaugh (@timeforjeffrey) May 1, 2021
On the field, injuries have derailed his career and he enters the final year of his rookie contract having suited up for only 13 games with zero starts, all in 2022. With multiple options and presumably a new lineman by way of the 2024 NFL draft, time may be running out for Ball.
Notable Draft Picks still available:
Evan McPherson K (Bengals)
Kenneth Gainwell RB (Eagles)
Fifth Round (179) Simi Fehoko | WR Stanford | D
Simi Fehoko, the 6-foot-4 wideout out of Stanford, had intriguing measuralbles that made him a popular pet cat pick among the fanbase. After running a 4.37 forty yard dash at his Pro Day, many beleived proper coaching would unleash his potential.
Looking for a sleeper WR in the 2021 NFL Draft Class?
Look no further than Stanford's Simi Fehoko. pic.twitter.com/cf3BcgqE7z
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) April 6, 2021
Fehoko failed to make the 2023 final roster and was released by the team. After a short stint in Pittsburgh, Fehoko reunited with former Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore in Los Angeles with the Chargers. Fehoko is currenlty unsigend and is available to sign with any team.
Notable Draft Picks still available:
Talanoa Hufanga S (49ers)
Sixth Round (192) | Quinton Bohanna | DT Kentucky | C-
Dallas had traditionally ignored the big bodies that patrol the interior of the defensive line so it was refreshing to see them add a potential contributor to that position group.
I try not to make too much of practice rotations, especially at a rotation-heavy position like D-Line. But it’s impossible not to notice how much time Quinton Bohanna spends as the first-string 1T.
— David Helman (@davidhelman_) August 17, 2022
Notable Draft Picks still available:
Khalil Herbert RB (Bears)
Sixth Round (227) | Israel Mukuamu | CB South Carolina | C
Defensive back Israel Mukuamu has been buried behind a deep roster but has provided decent play when called upon. In a way too early draft prediction, at least one expert predicted Mukuamu would be a first-round pick.
“Niners defensive coordinator Robert Saleh loves length at cornerback for his physical single-high scheme, and Mukuamu is a 6-foot-4 press corner with arm length for days. His ball production was outstanding in 2019 with nine passes broken up and four picks, though he is still developing his recognition skills. Richard Sherman and Ahkello Witherspoon lead a pack of seven cornerbacks on this San Francisco roster playing on the last year of their deals this season. Mukuamu has the football sense to pick up the scheme quickly and make a big impact in his first pro season.”
Todd McShay ESPN Draft Analyst
Things obviously didn’t go as planned and the Cowboys ended up with an unbelievable talent in the sixth round of the 2021 draft. Mukuamu has been a versatile piece for Dallas, specifically on special teams.
Notable Draft Picks still available:
Seventh Round (238) | Matt Farniok | OG Nebraska | D
Hopes were high for center Matt Farniok yet the bottom fell out just as fast as it rose. Farniok manned the backup center job and many were pleased with the development of the seventh-round pick.
Matt Farniok put in some good work at center in the 4th quarter. pic.twitter.com/1s85Bn1hTx
— Bobby Belt (@BobbyBeltTX) January 11, 2022
Farniok was released on final cutdown day in 2023 and landed on Chicago’s practice squad. After spending most of the season there, he jumped to the Lions practice squad before signing a reserve/futures contract with them for 2024.
Notable Draft Picks still available:
Ben Skowronek WR (Rams)
Final Grade B
Every member of the Cowboys 2021 NFL draft class lasted at least two seasons with the team. Today, the Cowboys have a perennial defensive MVP candidate (Parsons), one good starter (Odigizuwa), one rotational player (Golston) and has three depth players (Mukuamau, Ball, Wright). On the flip side, this class has three players on other teams (Joseph, Bohanna, Farniok) and two players who remain unsigned (Cox, Fehoko). With 11 draft selections, the depth this draft provided along with the star power at the top earns a decent final grade of a “B”. While many experts can be wrong, it seems Mel Kiper’s initial grade was spot on.
2021 Shadow Draft
A shadow draft is an exercise in who could’ve been selected at each stop along a team’s haul. Here’s a look at what the 2021 draft class could’ve looked like for the Dallas Cowboys.
1.12: Edge Micah Parsons
2.44: Center Creed Humphrey (Chiefs)
3.75: DT Osa Odighizuwa
3.84: WR Nico Collins (Texans)
3.99: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions)
4.115: RB Rhamondre Stevenson (Patriots)
4.138: RB Kenneth Gainwell (Eagles)
5.179: Safety Talanoa Hufanga (49ers)
6.192: RB Khalil Herbert (Bears)
6.227: Safety Israel Mukuamu
7.238: WR Ben Skowronek (Rams)
