Dallas Cowboys full 7-round mock for the 2021 NFL Draft
By Connor Green
Round 3, Pick 99: Cameron Sample, Edge Rusher – Tulane
The Dallas Cowboys defense was pitiful last season. The unit gave up the fifth-most points per game in the league last year with 29.6. The team also allowed the second-most rushing yards per game with 158.8 and often struggled to get to the opposing teams’ passer.
Although the organization did try to address this need with a handful of underwhelming pickups in free agency, it is still an area in which they could improve. Enter Tulane edge rusher Cameron Sample who the team decides to select with the 99th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The young defender has been consistently improving during his collegiate career and managed to post career-highs in sacks (five), tackles for a loss (7.5), and total tackles (52) last year for the Green Waves.
The six-foot-three, 280-pound pass rusher would also be an ideal fit for Dan Quinn’s defensive scheme. Sample’s best fit is a 4-3 defensive end and he would be a good addition to the teams’ unit moving forward.
The biggest concern for Sample is that he is a little undersized for an edge rusher and some view him more as a project than a prospect. However, given the teams’ recent moves to shore up their defensive line the organization will have some time to let him develop.
The Dallas Cowboys take a little bit of a chance on Sample with the 99th pick in the draft. However, considering the trajectory of the young defenders’ college career and the fact that he is a good fit for the type of defense Dallas wants to implement moving forward they take this risk with confidence hoping that he could one day blossom into a consistent starter for the team.