Cowboys 2021 NFL Draft: 5 first-round scenarios to ponder
By Angel Torres
Make the Pick – #4 Overall Pick
With Lawrence and Surtain gone, the obvious choice would be Sewell. The only issue is your defense is still going to be looking for playmakers and this selection impacts the injection of talent it so desperately needs.
Penn State Linebacker Micah Parsons is an off-the-ball linebacker that could be exactly what this team needs. The only problem would be what to do with linebackers Leighton Vander Esch but more importantly Jaylon Smith.
Taking an off-the-ball linebacker is something that I really would like to stay away from but the impact Parsons could have would be like breaking a mold. Recent memory has favored talented yet injury-prone linebackers to Dallas.
Parsons has a mixture of Sean Lee’s instincts and the ferocity of NaVorro Bowman. The best news is has been pretty reliable and doesn’t carry an injury-prone label with him. Penn State has produced some gems in the past and Parsons with a star on the side of his helmet would likely continue that trend.
Trade the Pick
Like with the third overall selection, the returns would be minimal considering the place of selection but there could always be that desperate team that falls madly in love with a player and bets the farm on him.
This is also a critical juncture in the draft where the selection could throw every other team off course. If anyone can remember a few months ago, somehow CeeDee Lamb ended up a Cowboy. The New York Giants selected recently benched tackle Andrew Thomas out of Georgia with the fourth pick in the 2020 draft which changed the course of the draft.
The Giants could have traded down and possibly still landed Thomas. If there is a gut feeling that the Cowboys could do that, I would be all in acquiring picks and still get the guy you want.
The Verdict
The Dallas Cowboys need to stay here and make the pick. I would be alright with Parsons as long as the team added some size to the interior of their defensive line. Having linebackers unprotected at the second level of the defense makes zero sense especially if you spend any type of resources on the position.