Dallas Cowboys Round 4, Pick 138
Walker Little, OT
Stanford
While the 2020 NFL Draft offered an extremely deep first tier of offensive tackles, this year the strength is in the middle tier. And with La’el Collins and Tyron Smith looking good and set to come back on schedule, that works out great for the Dallas Cowboys.
If things continue as planned, Dallas won’t need a starting caliber OT for the 2021 season. They may not even need one in 2022. So it’s a great time for them to focus on developing offensive tackles for the future.
I make the case for a pair of high potential developmental prospects here: Why Dallas Should Draft a Developmental Prospect at OT in 2021
Walker Little is a player who’s about as boom-or-bust as they come. Once upon a time he looked like he was a top-10 draft pick in the making. But after he missed the 2019 season to significant injury and opted out of 2020 entirely, that’s but a distant memory.
Walker hasn’t really played football in two years. Let that sink in. No matter how skilled a player is, if he’s had major injury concerns and hasn’t played in two years, the risk is pretty significant. That’s why he’s available on Day 3.
The Draft Network has Walker Little ranked as 148th on their big board so appropriate value can be found here. It’s likely some will have him higher based on his potential ceiling while others won’t have him on their boards at all based on his potential floor.
I’m fine picking him as soon as 115 when it really comes down to it. With the swing tackle position already filled, Dallas can ease Little into action as a pro. Building up his body and getting up to speed should be the primary goal of Year 1.
But there’s no reason to think that if he stays healthy and finds his legs again, he couldn’t be a starting caliber OT by 2022. That makes him a steal and well worth a Day 3 pick.