Dallas Cowboys 2021 mock draft: Fixing the defense at every level

The rebuilding of the secondary isn’t done just yet. As we turn to the second round, it’s about addressing the safety position. The Dallas Cowboys had high hopes for Xavier Woods, but he’s struggled on the back end making plays.

It’s time to bring a whole new attitude to the secondary, one based on creating turnovers and making offenses pay. Selecting Syracuse safety Andre Cisco in the second round would be very good value.

Cisco would bring immediate playmaking ability to the back end of the defense. He has 13 career interceptions in his time with the Orange, and his ball skills and instincts on the back end show up every week. Cisco best aligns in either a single high look or in a deep third where he can read and converge from deep to make plays. His closing speed is good and he has reliable hands.

The Orange have made a shift on their defense regarding the secondary, and Cisco has gotten more reps near the box in recent weeks. Cisco needs to work on his tackling, especially in space. He will often throw a shoulder at players and not wrap up. While that is a concern, having a player who can create turnovers and give the offense short fields is huge.