Another season in the books, and another that ended in disappointment for the Dallas Cowboys, who finished 7-9-1 and missed the playoffs. Despite finishing top 10 in points per game, defensive struggles cost the Cowboys this season.
Even after adding Logan Wilson and Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline, Dallas finished last in points allowed, surrendering just over 30 per game. The team also ranked in the bottom three of yards allowed per game, with only the Washington Commanders and Cincinnati Bengals finishing worse.
As a result, Dallas fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, marking the fourth consecutive season in which the Cowboys’ defense will be led by a different coach. Dallas will also be picking at No. 12 in the NFL draft for the second consecutive year.
Fortunately for the Cowboys, this year’s draft class features immense talent, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Furthermore, Dallas owns the Green Bay Packers’ first-round pick this year, pick No. 20, which was acquired in the Micah Parsons trade. With these two picks in mind, here are five players the Cowboys should target with said selections.
1. Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
Along with teammate and fellow top draft prospect Arvell Reese, the linebacking corps at The Ohio State University anchored the best defense in all of college football, allowing fewer than 10 points per game. Styles would provide a jolt of energy to a Dallas linebacking group that desperately needs it, led this season by guys like Kenneth Murray and Shemar James. If DeMarvion Overshown returns healthy next season, a starting trio of Styles, Overshown, and Logan Wilson could be extremely effective.
2. Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn
Dallas’ defense recorded just 34 sacks this season, ranking near the bottom of the league, and a sharp drop off from the 52 sacks it posted last season, which ranked third in the NFL. Was there an edge rusher the Cowboys had last season that they didn’t have this season?
While Faulk is unlikely to match the production and explosiveness Micah Parsons provided, adding him to a defensive front that already features Quinnen Williams, Osa Odighizuwa and Kenny Clark would drastically improve Dallas’ ability to get to the quarterback.
3. Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami
Owner and GM Jerry Jones has always had a thing for big-name prospects, and Mesidor is exactly that. In his final game with the Hurricanes, Mesidor got home and sacked the Heisman Trophy winner, Fernando Mendoza, twice, on college football’s biggest stage. With six seasons of playing time between West Virginia and Miami under his belt, Mesidor has the experience to earn a starting job on Day 1.
4. Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
The Cowboys have a complicated history of drafting cornerbacks in the first round. There have been hits, like Terrance Newman at No. 5 overall in 2003, and Byron Jones at No. 27 in 2015. There have also been big misses, like when Dallas traded up in 2012 to select Morris Claiborne at No. 6 over Stephon Gilmore.
But with Trevon Diggs gone, and Daron Bland showing major signs of regression this past season, Dallas desperately needs a cornerback of McCoy’s skill set.
5. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
When WR CeeDee Lamb fell to No. 17 in the 2020 NFL Draft, wide receiver was not the Cowboys’ biggest need. However, Lamb’s talent made it impossible not to take him. A similar situation could apply to Love, a unanimous All-American and the Doak Walker Award winner. If Love falls to No. 20, Dallas could fall in “Love,” as the Cowboys’ rushing attack has lacked explosiveness since Ezekiel Elliott.
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