Could Chauncey Golston be the Cowboys ‘best’ draft pick?

The Dallas Cowboys need considerable help across the board of their defense. There has been a concerted effort and pouring of resources into the defense via the draft and free agency. Insert rookie defensive end Chauncey Golston, a third round draft pick out of the University of Iowa.

All eyes have been on linebacker Micah Parsons and rightfully so. First round draft picks deserve the buzz and attention that come with being so high-profile. As good as Parsons can be, a defense like the 2020 Dallas Cowboys can’t be fixed with one player.

Golston has a chance to be the “best” pick of this class and could provide the most value to the Cowboys. I use the term “best” here in a unique way. Golston could be the best in a way that combines skill with consistency, character, and work ethic; a few areas the Cowboys could improve on greatly.

Golston knows what it’s like to prove himself. Only one Big Ten scholarship offer came in during his recruitment. He is no exception here as he took the long road at Iowa. Golston comes from the University of Iowa, a program known for weight room development, a top-tier work ethic, and a huge sense of pride in players consistently outperforming their skillsets and given rankings.

Golston was redshirted his freshman season to give the Hawkeyes program an extra year of development which proved to be fruitful as he eventually became First Team All Big Ten and an Honorable All-American in his final season. What may be most impressive is that Golston was part of the leadership group at Iowa, an honor not taken lightly by head coach Kirk Ferentz.

This speaks volumes about the type of teammate and person that Golston is. In my eyes, this is a trait you can’t coach. But when you get lucky enough to have a player with his off-field traits paired with NFL talent, it’s often something special.

Being lucky enough to attend over half of the Hawkeyes games the past couple of seasons, there was no missing the havoc Golston created. The guys he was beating were no joke as the Big Ten often puts out NFL-caliber offensive lineman year after year. The Cowboys alone have a handful of Big Ten offensive lineman in Tyler Biadasz, Connor McGovern, Brandon Knight, and former center Travis Frederick.

https://twitter.com/IowaOnBTN/status/1388506432270749699?s=20

Nothing was given to him and all he did was prove himself week in and week out against the likes of Wisconsin, Northwestern, and Penn State to name a few. That sort of chip on the shoulder and fire showed in the growth and development Golston saw during his time at Iowa. Don’t be surprised if he carries that same motivation throughout training camp and his rookie campaign for Dallas.

Defensive line help is always gladly accepted but I think Golston could provide more than just help to the Cowboys. The former Hawkeye has the makeup to become a mainstay and disrupt some depth charts.

A pedigree built upon fighting to earn his spot in college, becoming a team captain, and growing into a player with national recognition from a program known for producing hard-working NFL players is one the Dallas Cowboys need to capitalize on. The Iowa Hawkeyes seem to do alright churning out NFL talent and this occasion is no different. Chauncey Golston proved it once and if I was a betting man, I would not want to bet against the former Hawkeye stepping up in a big way for the Dallas Cowboys.