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

Round 6

With the 192nd pick in the 2021 NFL Draft the Dallas Cowboys select Josh Imatorbhebhe. This might seem like a reach with this pick, but as scouts always say when you hit round six and seven, you start drafting for traits. One area that Josh excels in is having many traits. He is a big strong athlete that is very springy and explosive.

Josh does a great job with his acrobat catches and dominating smaller cornerbacks. There are some pretty big holes in his game that may lead to him falling farther than when we selected him. He is very inconsistent with his hands and his route running needs to be refined at the next level. He needs to become better at getting off the line against press coverage. He isn’t very fluid with quick movements and subtle adjustments within the route.

He will need to become better with his hand usage as he had a pretty high drop rate. He does a great job with making contested catches and high pointing the football. He has a high ceiling and there is a chance for a player with a similar ability as D.K. Metcalf.

With the 227th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys select Wyatt Hubert. Hubert isn’t ideal for an edge spot with his height and length. He probably would project better as a 3-4 outside linebacker. I do have visions of him being used in sub-packages with Dan Quinn’s system. He uses a ‘Leo’ type role with a rusher that stands up and is usually a really good athlete. Think about Bruce Irvin with Seattle. I have very similar views as a situational rusher in Hubert.

Hubert is a hustle player and never gives up on plays. He does a great job with his quickness and his close-range bend and quick twitch. I think Hubert is going to struggle with disengaging on blocks and being too predictable with his rushes. He seems to use the same rush moves that linemen catch on to pretty quickly.

I think in a sub-package role Hubert can be used to get upfield and provide the last linebacker/edge on the roster. Hubert has a really good football IQ and is very coachable.

Overall, adding to the defense is the focus of this draft and will continue to be the theme for the 2021 Dallas Cowboys.

Round 7

With the 238th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft the Dallas Cowboys select Alaric Jackson. The Cowboys take another offensive lineman. This pick was purely selecting the best player on the board that had a 6th-round grade on my board. Jackson is a big man that can really wear you down with his strength.

Jackson would come in and compete at tackle but I believe his best position is going to be at guard. With Connor Williams, the Cowboys starting left guard, set to hit free agency next year, Jackson can come in and give depth to that spot. I think that Jackson transitions to guard best because he gets beat by rushers with long arms.

I think that Jackson can be effective in the run game by moving defenders but it will take him a while to get comfortable taking on next-level pass rushers. I think that Jackson has to potential to be a low-end starter in a couple of years but will probably be a swing tackle throughout his career.

Dallas Cowboys Mock Draft Grade: B+

Summary: Overall I think that the Dallas Cowboys had a good draft and addressed many defensive needs early and often. I think the Cowboys added three defensive starters in Surtain, Holland, and Williams. I think they also did a great job adding value and depth to the linebacker core and the secondary.

I think that we reached for position of needs with the EDGE spots. During that time of the draft, there were better players on the board but I wanted to address the defensive line. I think that the Cowboys did an excellent job of grabbing a couple of offensive linemen to help add to a strength as well as a receiver that has some upside to his game.

If the Dallas Cowboys can remain healthy and add a couple more pieces after this draft, they could be setting themselves up to win the NFC East and compete for one of the best in the NFC.