Top 5 non-QB draft picks for the Dallas Cowboys in 2021

The Dallas Cowboys season has been marred by injuries and disappointment. So let’s take a look at who they might draft in 2021.

The Dallas Cowboys currently sit at 2-7 on the season thus far with a bleak outlook the rest of the way. Keeping that in mind, and considering the fact that the Cowboys are now more than halfway done with this year of football, it is time to begin to consider the possibilities of the future.

There has been some speculation that if America’s Team does not right the ship by the end of the year they may be forced to consider drafting a quarterback in the first round of next years’ draft. While that is a perfectly reasonable debate it should be at least be pointed out that their starting quarterback Dak Prescott was on pace to shatter the passing yardage record before he went down with a gruesome ankle injury against the New York Giants.

Dallas will be forced to choose whether or not it wants to move forward with Prescott under center or whether they want to move on with one of the several promising signal-callers in this draft class. However, if the team does decide to move forward without making a change under center then that begs the question of what should they do with their, probably, high draft pick?

That question is exactly what this article will hopefully address. Without further ado here are the top five non-quarterback draft picks for the Dallas Cowboys in the upcoming 2021 Draft.

5. Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State

Widely considered the best linebacker in this upcoming draft class Micah Parsons has been a dominant defender for the Nittany Lions. Last year, in his sophomore season, Parsons finished the season with the 3rd most total tackles in the Big Ten with 103. He also managed to rack up 14 tackles for loss, five pass deflections, and four forced fumbles.

The young defender felt so confident in his resume that he opted not to play this season and will instead be preparing for the 2021 draft. That decision was, of course, heavily influenced by the COVID-19 crisis that has heavily affected the United States.

It should be noted that this pick would not necessarily be one designed to fill a glaring need for the Cowboys. The team memorably extended linebacker Jaylon Smith to a five-year, $64 million dollar deal back in 2019. Dallas also just got their third-year former first-round draft pick, Leighton Vander Esch, back from a neck injury.

In addition to the combination of Vander Esch and Smith the organization also brought in pass rusher Aldon Smith this offseason. Smith has been one of the lone bright spots for the organization this year as he is currently leading the team with five sacks.

However, the team is clearly in desperate need of help on the defensive side of the ball. Dallas is currently giving up a league-high 32.2 points per game and has struggled to consistently put pressure on the opposing teams’ quarterback. Parsons would certainly help the team in those areas right away.

Parsons would also be a welcome addition to the team in part because of the growing injury history of Vander Esch. The “Wolf Hunter” missed seven games last year and has struggled with neck injuries throughout most of his young career.

Regardless, America’s Team would be very fortunate to have a player of Parsons abilities on the defensive side of the ball.