NFL Draft: 3 targets the Dallas Cowboys need to start looking at now

The Dallas Cowboys need to draft one of the game-changers on defense in 2021.

The Dallas Cowboys might try to blame their poor injury luck or the COVID-altered 2020 offseason as the reason for their disappointing performance, but anyone with even a cursory understanding of football can see how awful their defense is.

The Cowboys need to select the best defensive player available in 2021 if they want to secure a foundational cornerstone that helps them next year and beyond. If that’s the route Jerry Jones ends up going, one of these three players will likely be drafted by Dallas in 2021 given their projected Top 10 selection.

These three defensive stars could end up as Cowboys after the 2021 draft

Parsons opted out of the 2020 season, as he was considered the best linebacker in the last few draft classes for some time. Even without a 2020 season on tape, his projection hasn’t changed much, and Parsons looks like he’ll be the first linebacker off the board in 2020. At 6-3 and 245 pounds, Parsons blends the speed of an edge rusher and hitting power of an old-school two-down thumper, all the while showing enough ability in coverage to start Day 1 in either a 4-3 scheme and or 3-4 alignment. The former 5-star recruit more than lived up to the hype, and his athletic ability should get Dallas interested.

Linebacker seemed like a position of strength given the return of Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith, but their drop-off in talent has been staggering. Vander Esch looks nothing like the player who won so much praise as a rookie, while Smith is having one of the worst seasons any linebacker in the league is having. If the Cowboys are potentially able to get something for one of those two, they could slot Parsons into a starting role instantly. If everything about Parsons’ projection turns out to be true, he’s the kind of player to adjust your defense for in order to cater to his strengths.