ESPN’s Mel Kiper launches new big board, dissecting Cowboys’ options



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28 days and from the 2021 NFL Draft and the likelihood of the Dallas Cowboys having the chance to pick the best defensive player on their field starts to look more feasible than ever. However, with a strong possibility that 5 quarterbacks could be selected ahead of the Cowboys’ No.10 pick, some of the other top offensive players could fall in Dallas.

According to longtime ESPN analyst Mel Kiper, the 25 best prospects updated, this is the direction Dallas should go for fear of wanting to be seen as targets. The highest-rated defenseman is linebacker Micah Parsons, No.11. Second-highest is another linebacker, Jamin Davis of Kentucky. Provided Dallas didn’t feel the need to become LB so soon, any other choice would be a bit of a stretch according to Kiper’s ranking.

Kiper’s top cornerback for the upcoming draft is No. 15-ranked Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley. Farley recently had a microdiscectomy that could drop him into the April draft. Patrick Surtain of Alabama and Jaycee Horn of South Carolina check in at 17 and 18 for the turns, respectively.

17. Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama

HT: 6-2 | WT: 206 | Previously: 15

You probably recognize the name; Surtain’s father, Patrick, had 37 assists and won three Pro Bowl trips in 11 NFL seasons. He was a second-round pick by the Dolphins in 1998. Surtain II is a bit taller than his father, but they have similar coverage traits. Its setting reminds me a bit of Marlon Humphrey, another Crimson Tide corner that participated in the first round (2017). Surtain is a corner kick who can break throws with ease – he’s had 23 pass breakouts in the past three seasons, as well as four total interceptions. He also forced three fumbles in 2019. It’s going to be tight between Surtain, Farley and the next player on my list for the No.1 corner of this class.

18. Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina

HT: 6-1 | WT: 205 | Previously: 21

Horn is an instinctive corner with good size and good speed. He’s only had two interceptions in three seasons in South Carolina, but his total of 23 break-ups shows he’s playing on the ball. It should add more choice in the NFL. Horn also has three career sacks, so he could be used as a blitzer. He’s another cornerback whose father played in the NFL; his father is former wide receiver Joe Horn. Horn has a chance to be in the top 12 picks.

The Cowboys are in desperate need of a CB capable of playing against Trevon Diggs, would they be ready to reach to grab one of the top three?

Two offensive players who could potentially fall in Dallas at No.10 are offensive linemen Penei Sewell and Rashawn Slater, who are eight and nine years old on the Kiper board. Sewell is a prototypical left tackle. With Tyron Smith still in the fold, Dallas would likely play the Oregon product on guard or right tackle (moving La’el Collins to guard), unless Smith was sidelined again. due to injury.

The 6-foot-6, 330-pounder would be the left tackle of the future for Dallas. Slater is seen as an even more versatile player capable of playing all five positions on the line. Kiper believes his best position is on guard, if the Cowboys were to draft the former Northwestern star he would start alongside Smith and be the team’s swing tackle.

Another player who could potentially slip onto the board due to a QB run is Florida tight end Kyle Pitts. The freaky-athletic TE can be found at # 2 on the Kiper’s dashboard.

Put simply, Pitts is a fighting nightmare, which could have the highest cap in the project. If Pitts is at No.10, Dallas should seriously consider drafting the old Gator. With the Giants and Eagles sitting at picks 11 and 12, it would be a sickening feeling to see possible generational talent end up with a division rival.

It’s clear Dallas needs an infusion of talent from the defensive end of the ball, but Kiper doesn’t consider the corners to be worth that price.

This certainly doesn’t mean that Surtain, Farley or Horn won’t be good players, but it would be very difficult for Dallas to pass on any of the offensive players mentioned earlier. Some of the Cowboys’ top picks in the first round of the draft came when they stick with the best available player mentality, meeting positional needs translates into picks like Taco Charlton.

Obviously, the Dallas draft committee will be different from Kiper’s, but the Cowboys could be in a similar position to last year’s draft. When CeeDee Lamb was No.17 with a draft rating well above any defensive player who was also there, the Cowboys couldn’t pass up the opportunity to draft the talented gap.



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