Dallas Cowboys 7-round 2021 mock draft: Bolstering the secondary

Round 1

The Dallas Cowboys select Patrick Surtain II from Alabama with the tenth pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. As I was sitting there watching the first nine picks, I noticed that all nine picks were offensive players. This gave the Dallas Cowboys their pick of the litter on any defensive player in the draft.

I believe that the Dallas Cowboys will have Kyle Pitts and both offensive tackles Rashawn Slater and Penei Sewell as players they would select if they are there. In this scenario, all were gone and they had a debate between Surtain and Jaycee Horn, as well as a couple of trade back options. In the end, the Dallas Cowboys are elated with their selection.

Patrick Surtain brings the Alabama pride with him to Dallas. He pairs with his former teammate Trevon Diggs, who was drafted in the second round in the 2020 NFL Draft. With the pairing of these two, the secondary will look drastically different as they transition into a new cover 3 scheme.

I do believe that Surtain will come in day one as the Cowboys’ number one cornerback. Surtain plays with tremendous discipline at the line of scrimmage and doesn’t get fooled easily by double moves. He does a good job of using his leverage and length to his advantage. He also displays great technique in his drops and hand placement on receivers. He is very patient and will be in every play. He isn’t afraid to tackle and isn’t afraid to mix it up on blitzes and run fits.

I love this pick for the Dallas Cowboys as they start to improve their defense.