Cowboys Draft: Cornerback in the first round or bust?

While most of the offseason press surrounding the Dallas Cowboys has been about the future of quarterback Dak Prescott, the team has some major questions to answer on defense. The firing of Mike Nolan after a single season as defensive coordinator proved that much.

The hiring of Dan Quinn as Nolan’s replacement was only the first step in rejuvenating a defense that was the worst in franchise history at points last season. The next step is finding Quinn defenders who can implement and execute his new scheme.

With several players from last year preparing to hit free agent next month, there’s a chance Quinn and company could end up with a unit worse off than the one the team fielded in 2020. Three pending free agents are of particular interest in safety Xavier Woods and cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis.

With the secondary potentially losing three starters to the open market, there’s heavy speculation that the Cowboys will choose to use their top selection in the 2021 NFL Draft on a defensive back. And Virginia Tech Hokies defensive back Caleb Farley seems to be a popular choice.

Here’s what Anthony Treash of Pro Football Focus wrote about Farley still being on the board when the Cowboys’ pick 10th overall in the first round of the upcoming draft would be the best-case scenario for Dallas.

"“Farley didn’t play a lot of press man in college at Virginia Tech, but he has the physical tools needed to thrive in this type of defense. Before opting out of the 2020 season, Farley allowed one or fewer catches in seven of his 11 starts in 2019 while intercepting four passes and breaking up nine en route to a 26.8 passer rating allowed and a 90.5 coverage grade.”"

If the Cowboys are going to use a top-ten selection on a cornerback, it has to be one that can start beside second-year defensive back Trevon Diggs and veteran Anthony Brown. Dallas could also choose to re-sign one of their pending free agents to act as a bridge player for any incoming rookies.

If the Cowboys decide to use a first-rounder on a corner, the choice appears to be between Farley and Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II. Both prospects come in at 6-foot-2 and at a weight hovering just over 200-pounds.

In 2019, Farley racked up 20 total tackles, 12 pass defends, and four interceptions in 10 games. While Surtain, who didn’t opt out this past season, recorded 37 combined tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, nine pass defends, and one interception in 13 games last year. Both also posted defensive touchdowns in their respective seasons.

It appears in some mock drafts, both Caleb Farley and Patrick Surtain II are interchangeable names for the Dallas Cowboys 10th overall simply due to their glaring need at the position. Could this be one of those rare instances where team need and available talent allow the perfect player to fall to Dallas? It’s certainly starting to feel like it’s landing one of these two top-tier cornerbacks or bust for the Cowboys in the first round.