2021 NFL Draft – Dallas Cowboys Draft Grades: The good, the bad, the ugly

Dallas Cowboys Picks, Round 4 and 5

Pick 179:  Semi Fehoku, WR

If anyone can overcome his draft status, it’s WR Semi Fehoku. At 6-foot-4 and 222 lbs. he’s an enormous prospect with a special set of intangibles. Simi has 4.43 speed and comes to Dallas rated108 overall on Dan Brugler’s board. Major value pick here.

He rises to the challenge and has dominated on every level. 77% of his catches last season resulted in a first down or touchdown. He’s not a great route runner but he’s a deep threat with speed, he knowns how to use his body, and he wins jump balls. He’ll be a red zone weapon and field stretcher. He’s a strong special teams player as well.

https://twitter.com/Pac12Network/status/1188214576573120513

He has drops, but the Dallas Cowboys found a steal at pick 179. We may not see it immediately this season, but he should be a top-4 WR as soon as 2022, and possibly higher.

Initial Grade: B+

Pick 138: Josh Ball, OT

Great value as a player but he’s available for a reason: A domestic violence issue early in his college career. Much like the Micah Parsons’ issues, we don’t know what’s true and what isn’t. But it’s a factor worth mentioning because it’s the reason Josh Ball fell all the way to Pick 138.

Ball is a top-100 talent. He stands 6-foot-7 308lbs with 35-inch arms. He has starter traits and skills and if all goes well, he could be an absolute steal. He’s raw and needs grooming and technical work but he has an abnormally high ceiling at this point in the draft.

For the Dallas Cowboys, the 2020 NFL Draft class was highly regarded because Dallas picked great players at important positions at great spots. This is a very 2020 type pick in regards to value. Again, he’s a high value talent with some major red flags. If it wasn’t for the off field issues I’d grade it as an A-, but the added risk drops the score an entire letter.

Initial Grade: B-

Pick 115: Jabril Cox, LB

The Dallas Cowboys found some of that 2020 magic when the best player on the board, Jabril Cox, fell into their laps. Cox, arguably the best coverage LB in the class, rated as Dane Brugler’s 6th rated linebacker (77th overall player) and No. 47 on PFF’s big board was a true steal in Round 4.

At a time when playing the pass has never been more important, Cox comes to Dallas as a surefire future starter. At 6-foot-3, 232 lbs, he’s not built to take on blockers. The big boys up front are key to his success as a run-stopper. But if they can, Cox can be a 3-down asset. It’s safe to say it’s much easier to make a player a tackler than it is to teach them to cover.

This is the best pick Dallas made in the draft (not to be confused with best player).

Initial Grade: A