Dallas Cowboys: Three-potential first-round trade-back targets
The Dallas Cowboys hold the 10th overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. With five quarterbacks expected to go within the first 10 or so picks, Dallas is sitting in a pretty nice position. There is a decent chance that the Cowboys get the opportunity to draft the first defender in the draft. The teams […]
The Dallas Cowboys hold the 10th overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. With five quarterbacks expected to go within the first 10 or so picks, Dallas is sitting in a pretty nice position.
There is a decent chance that the Cowboys get the opportunity to draft the first defender in the draft. The teams in front of them could all go very well go quarterback, wide receiver, tight end, and offensive line. That would then leave the Cowboys with taking their highest ranked defender in the class.
Many assume that would be Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II. Surtain II, the son of former NFL Pro Bowl corner Patrick Surtain, has been groomed to be an NFL defensive back since an early age. While not the most athletic or twitchiest player, Surtain II is technically-refined and ready to step in and help a defense right away.
South Carolina Jaycee Horn is another option for Dallas at 10. Horn is an aggressive and physical corner that plays with a lot of swagger. The Cowboys could certainly use a player with that demeanor in their secondary.
There is always a chance that the Cowboys want to take the best player available, regardless of what side of the ball they play on. If that is the case, keep an eye on Northwestern offensive tackle Rashawn Slater. Slater could go as high as fifth overall to the Bengals. His 2019 performance against Chase Young would make Cowboys fans excited.
What happens if the Cowboys want to trade back, though? Quarterback-needy teams could certainly want to exchange draft capital with the Cowboys for the 10th overall pick if a signal caller slides. On the chance that happens on draft night, we outline three trade-back targets for Dallas.
BEST CORNERBACK AVAILABLE
This is kind of a cop-out, because this isn't just one player. Still, I think this sums it up pretty well. Cornerback should still be a position that the Cowboys target if they do indeed trade away from Surtain II and Horn.
The two likely candidates if Dallas trades back are Northwestern's Greg Newsome and Virginia Tech's Caleb Farley. Both Newsome and Farley are supremely talented, but both have question marks due to injury histories.
Newsome has played just 17 career games. That said, it is easy to see his talent when he is on the football field. The Chicago native is a smooth, fluid athlete that has the ability to glue to the receiver that he is covering.
Farley, meanwhile, was largely considered to be the best cornerback prospect in this class before his second back surgery this spring. At the very least, Farley was on-par with Surtain II at the position.
Two microdiskectomy procedures, however, has caused many to drop his stock heading into the draft. The wide receiver-turned-defensive back arguably has the best upside in the class, but the fact that he had the same procedure that Tony Romo had done is a valid reason for concern.
Aside from the back concerns, Farley is a legit prospect at a premium position. He has elite athleticsm, impressive ball skills, and is only scratching the surface of what he is capable of developing into.
The injury history should push Farley down the board, potentially presenting the Cowboys with a blue-chip prospect in the back-half of the first-round if Dallas opts to move back.
JAELAN PHILLIPS, EDGE, MIAMI
EDGE may not be the biggest position of need for the Cowboys with DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory in the building. That said, you can never too many pass rushers in the NFL. Plus, Aldon Smith signed with the Seahawks in free agency and we have yet to see a full season from Gregory.
That makes Jaelan Phillips a potential trade-back option for the Dallas Cowboys in next week's draft. Similar to Farley, Phillips is an elite prospect, but injury history is a real concern. Phillips began his career at UCLA but had to briefly medically retire due to an extensive history with concussions.
Phillips resumed his career at Miami and produced high-quality tape. The former number one overall recruit in the country is oozing with talent and is destined for stardom — if he can stay healthy. Eight sacks and 15.5 tackles-for-loss during his one and only season with the Hurricanes certainly backs that up.
Phillips' history with concussions could be enough for some teams to completely move him from their boards. If the Cowboys are comfortable, Phillips could be a great value add in the 15-25 range.
A LINEBACKER
I know, another cop-out. But like corner, the Cowboys certainly need to address their linebacker situation. Penn State's Micah Parsons and Notre Dame's Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah are likely to go early — and both could be considered reaches for Dallas at 10.
Still, there are some potential trade-back targets for the Cowboys if they decide to move back in the first-round. There have been reports that Dallas is intrigued by Tulsa's Zaven Collins, though Collins may be better suited for an EDGE-like role. Kentucky's Jamin Davis is seeing his stock rise in a big way. Missouri's Nick Bolton is another candidate.
It seems reasonable for the Cowboys to try to improve the linebacker room at some point during the draft. Dallas cannot afford to go into another season having to rely too much on Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch. Keanu Neal was a solid signing, but that might not be enough.
The fact that the Cowboys opted against signing KJ Wright in free agency could signal that Dallas might be looking at drafting a linebacker with one of their current 10 selections. A trade-back in the first-round or a trade-up in the second would make some sense.
The NFL Draft is only eight days away, so we are bound to find out what the Cowboys plans are very soon.
Featured image via David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
