Dallas Cowboys rookie offensive lineman Drew Shelton has been getting beat like a piñata for most of the preseason, to the point that fans are wondering how he made the 53-man roster. The fall from grace is even steeper when one considers the high regard Dallas held him in.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler way back in the days after the Draft, the Cowboys were so high on Shelton that they were willing to pick him in Day 2. Had that line of thinking won out, the Cowboys would have used a third-rounder on Shelton instead of Jaishawn Barham, who has impressed in the same setting where Shelton has faltered.
There's a chance that a Cowboys linebacker room would be deprived of a dynamic, versatile chip in Barham, who continues to look like the difference-maker he was at Michigan, all while being stuck with a player who has been so poor that his status as a fourth-round pick may be the only thing saving his roster spot.
Cowboys could have taken Drew Shelton on Day 2 instead of Jaishawn Barham
Here's Fowler's reporting on Dallas' infatuation with Shelton as a prospect:
"Some inside Dallas' building were stumping hard for fourth-round offensive lineman Drew Shelton -- as early as Day 2. The coaching staff is high on Shelton's ceiling. "Only so few humans can play tackle in the NFL, and he's one of them," a team source said. 'Super athletic.'"
Not only did Barham look good as a run defender and recorded a pressure when rushing the passer, but he is reportedly getting some work with starter DeMarvion Overshown. Barham's Arvell Reese-adjacent hybrid style could give Christian Parker a ready-made sub-package Swiss Army Knife. Shelton, meanwhile, looks lost.
It takes quite the drastic performance to earn a 0.0 PFF grade, but Shelton managed that against the Arizona Cardinals and their backups. Shelton surrendered four pressures, three quarterback hurries, and one hit. Shelton's technique, namely his hand usage and footwork, is such a mess that even backups are blowing by him.
Drew Shelton is struggling for the Dallas Cowboys
Shelton was viewed as a premium athlete who could overcome technical issues and poor functional strength with raw movement skills, but he doesn't appear close to putting it all together.
He is very clearly the fourth-best tackle on this team behind Tyler Guyton, Terence Steele, and Nate Thomas, and not every team carries four tackles.
Rookies struggling in camp is not alarming. It's expected, even. Looking lost isn't even crazy for seventh-round and undrafted players. However, fringe Top-100 players who were almost Day 2 picks playing like this should set off alarms.
Shelton could have a successful pro career, but he has been a wreck so far in the preseason, and Dallas needs to stick him at the far end of the bench in 2026 as they work on turning him into someone who has proven to be a complete ground-up developmental project.
Imagine if he were a Top 100 pick.
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