What makes Dallas Cowboys rookie Chauncey Golston a promising rookie
By moving back two spots in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys picked up an additional third-round pick. With it, they made sure to get some depth behind their starting edge rushers by drafting Chauncey Golston, DE from Iowa. Although he might be the least discussed Cowboys' pick from the […]
By moving back two spots in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys picked up an additional third-round pick. With it, they made sure to get some depth behind their starting edge rushers by drafting Chauncey Golston, DE from Iowa.
Although he might be the least discussed Cowboys' pick from the three third-round picks, Golston will be a critical player for the Cowboys' 2021 draft class.
Pro Football Focus graded the Cowboys' draft class with a B. PFF mentions Jabril Cox as a strong reason for their good grade, even calling Cox a second-round prospect. But another reason for their good grade is Defensive End Chauncey Golston.
To be more specific, it's because of Chauncey Golston's constant improvement at Iowa. According to PFF, Golston's grades improved every season he played as a Hawkeye:
"Golston developed at a solid pace during his time at Iowa, going from a 63.7 grade in 2018 to 75.1 in 2019 before breaking out with an 82.3 grade last season. He is a physical and willing run defender and uses his hands extremely well as a pass rusher. He just might not have the explosiveness to play every down in the NFL."
Golston's PFF grade isn't the only thing that improved year over year. His production also improved as he racked up 8.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in 2020 (eight games) compared to 9.5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks in 2019 (13 games).
Clearly, Golston meets the Dallas Cowboys' arm length requirements. According to Dane Brugler's Draft Guide, scouts need two measuring tapes to get Chauncey's wingspan, arms, and hands numbers.
Not only that, but Golston has the position flex that Will McClay and Stephen value. In Iowa, he played as the team's left defensive end but frequently played inside in passing downs.
Thanks to his leadership skills and work ethic, Golston was able to overcome adversity as a three-star defensive recruit out of high school. In the NFL, he'll try to do so again in a Dallas Cowboys team that has a clear starting duo at edge rusher and plenty of players competing for the backup jobs.
Featured Image via Byron Houlgrave-USA TODAY NETWORK
