Cowboys 5-Year Draft Class Review: Best, Worst, Jerry Jones Doing It Right?
FRISCO - It's been an interesting past few seasons for the Dallas Cowboys organization and its fans. The Dak Prescott injury two seasons ago set the team back a bit but raised expectations for 2021. Unfortunately, several factors led to a failed season and a disappointing one-and-done playoff run.
But not all has been bad. The Cowboys have been able to draft and develop well in recent years, and it's showing with 'homegrown talent' contributing on the field. Let's take a look at the past five draft classes for the Cowboys and see where things stand as we look back at 2021.
2021 DRAFT REVIEW
1st Round: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State – Top Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate and breakout player his rookie season. (16 games played, 16 games started)
2nd Round: Kelvin Joseph, DB, Kentucky – Missed the first half of the season with injury and didn’t show much when given playing time. (10/2)
3rd Round: Osa Odighizuwa, DL, UCLA – Offered depth to the defensive line as a rookie and registered two sacks and 36 tackles. (16/12)
3rd Round: Chauncey Gholston, DL, Iowa – Was part of the regular defensive rotation his entire rookie season and registered one sack and 32 tackles. (15/0)
3rd Round: Nahshon Wright, DB, Oregon State – Considered by many to be a reach where he was taken, he didn’t show much when given playing time. (13/1)
4th Round: Jabril Cox, LB, LSU – Used sparingly until a season-ending knee injury in Week 8, but his role should grow next season with the departure of Jaylon Smith. (7/0)
4th Round: Josh Ball, OL, Marshall – Spent the entire season on injured reserve. (0/0)
5th Round: Simi Fehoko, WR, Stanford – Used sparingly in a deep wide receiver room. Needs more playing time. (5/0)
6th Round: Quinton Bohanna – DT, Kentucky – Was part of the regular defensive rotation all year. Showed signs of promise, especially for a sixth-round pick. (14/1)
6th Round: Israel Mukuamu, DB, South Carolina – Drafted to be used at safety, he appeared in only four games. Needs more playing time. (4/0)
7th Round: Matt Farniok, G, Nebraska – Used mainly on special teams, will have a chance to move up next season in camp. (12/0)
SUMMARY: One of the better drafts in Cowboys history with every player still on the roster a year later and contributing, with the exception of the injured Josh Ball.
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TOTAL PICKS | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 11 |
CURRENT STARTERS | 1 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
CURRENT BACKUPS | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 10 |
ON OTHER TEAMS | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
PRACTICE SQUAD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
OUT OF THE LEAGUE | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
5-YEAR BREAKDOWN
There have certainly been some misses by Jones & Co. over the last five drafts, but for the most part, the higher draft picks have all been hits with the exception of a couple. The entire 2021 draft class is still with the team, a draft that emphasized defense almost exclusively, and it showed on the field, with dramatic improvement on that side of the ball in 2021.
They drafted Trevon Diggs and Micah Parsons in consecutive drafts, now two anchors of the defense, and CeeDee Lamb first in 2020, a potential No. 1 wide receiver next season with the club. Most importantly, the team has found depth on the offensive and defensive lines in the later rounds.
BEST PICK: Micah Parsons, R1, 2021 – Parsons is a force no matter where he’s asked to line up, and can disrupt the offense at any point of the game.
WORST PICK: Taco Charlton, R1, 2017 – Played sparingly as a backup his entire time in Dallas and has bounced around the league since being released in 2019.
