Fighting Chance’s 2021 NFL Draft Recap: Dallas Cowboys
The 2021 NFL Draft dust is now starting to settle now that we've got each pick in stone after months (and I do mean MONTHS) of speculation, scrutiny, and an endless amount of social media chattering and shouting into the void. We're ready for a whole new wave of scrutiny with a layer of optimism or pessimism depending on each team's selection.
Today, we tackle the Dallas Cowboys, so let's see what they did in this year's NFL Draft!
Who the Cowboys selected:
R1: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
R2: Kelvin Joseph, CB, Kentucky
R3: Osa Odighizuwa, DT, UCLA
R3: Chauncey Golston, Edge, Iowa
R3: Nahshon Wright, CB, Oregon State
R4: Jabril Cox, LB, LSU
R5: Josh Ball, OT, Marshall
R5: Simi Fehoko, WR, Stanford
R6: Quinton Bohanna, DT, LSU
R6: Israel Mukauma, CB, South Carolina
R7: Matt Farniok, G, Nebraska
The Fantasy Impact:
Dallas did not mess around when the opportunity came to shore up its defense in this year's draft. The picks aren't necessarily a sexy fantasy talking point, but if you play IDP, there are two linebackers who could make an impact on your team: Micah Parsons and Jabril Cox. Parsons checks all the boxes on what you would want in an IDP player. He's fast, he's mobile, and he has the versatility to make plays in every aspect of the game. Although he opted out last season, as a sophomore, he made 109 tackles, forced four fumbles, made five sacks, and recovered one fumble. Cox also possesses elite IDP play-making ability. He only had one sack at LSU, but he grabbed three interceptions, 6.5 tackles for loss, and one touchdown. With Sean Lee retiring and Leighton Vander-Esch's health issues, there will be plenty of playing time for these two to make an impact in Dan Quinn's defense.
The Bottom Line:
The 2021 draft definitely wasn't as star-studded with fantasy potential as last year's picks were (hello, CeeDee Lamb), but they did a nice job of filling in holes on the defensive side. If you play IDP, don't sleep on Parsons or Cox as late-round picks.