Dallas Cowboys Draft: 5 Best Available Prospects on Day 3

The Dallas Cowboys have made five selections in the 2021 NFL Draft. All selections have been defensive players consisting of LB Micah Parsons, CB Kelvin Joseph, DT Osa Odighizuwa, EDGE Chauncey Gholston, and CB Nahshon Wright.

The Cowboys were adamant there would be a greater focus on the defensive side of the ball this draft and they have executed accordingly.

Here are the top-5 players remaining for the Dallas Cowboys to target in the NFL Draft

Now the Cowboys have another six opportunities to pick players on Saturday afternoon and there are still several solid players available. The biggest positions of need for the Cowboys would likely be OT, IOL, and Safety. There are plenty of prospects at each position and with the Cowboys drafting relatively early in each round that should bode well for them.

Given how this draft has turned out, it is hard to gauge the Cowboys’ perception on prospects. Players like Elijah Molden and Ifeatu Melifonwu were available at every pick for Dallas and were both swooped two picks after the Cowboys final Day 2 pick. Clearly, the team is set on drafting prospects designed for Dan Quinn’s defense; quite the change in philosophy as it usually takes two seasons for the team to draft a lot of defensive personnel.

As it stands, the expectation is the Cowboys should be willing to draft some offensive players tomorrow. There was talk, by HC Mike McCarthy, of the team wanting to draft an offensive lineman at some point in the draft. Wide receiver could be in play as well as the impending contract of Michael Gallup. Need I say anymore about the safety position?

At this point, we’re aware of the stakes at hand. Allow me to cut to the chase with this list of best available prospects!

James Hudson, OT, Cincinnati

It’s fair to say Hudson’s stock was somewhere in the third round in a stacked tackle class. Teams always reach for offensive tackles on Day 2 inevitably pushing guys like Hudson and East Carolina OT D’Ante Smith down the board.

The former Michigan defensive lineman was successful in his lone season in Cincinnati as an offensive tackle and has the potential to be a spot starter because of his commitment to growth at the position. He doesn’t have the ideal length with sub-33 inch arms, but at 6-foot-5, 315 pounds he displays good size and play strength to be a good run blocker at the next level.

Hudson displays solid use of hands attacking defenders breastplate and shows good punch timing to disrupt the flow of the pass rusher. He displays good grip strength to prevent defenders from disengaging blocks and breaking from his grasp to finish pass rush moves.

The biggest concern with Hudson is his athletic ability. While he is big and solid agility out of his pass set, he can get beat by counter and speed rushers who can get past his half-man displaying a lack of lateral quickness and really slow feet that leave him unable to change direction inside and out. As a waist-bender and with adequate arm length, there is also concern lunging forward to initiate contact out of the pass set can cause him to get beat on speed rushes in addition to his lacking athletic ability.

At this point in the draft, he would be a valuable prospect for any team as he would be a good backup piece to develop either on the outside or inside. With his anchor, he could prevent inside rushers from collapsing the pocket. On the outside, he could put away the vast number of power edge rushers in the league.