The Cowboys were a popular Super Bowl pick before the 2021 NFL season, but they couldn't even win the beyond-lackluster NFC East. Part of that was due to Dak Prescott's season-ending leg injury, but it also didn't help that the Cowboys had one of the worst defenses in the NFL.
Last year, the Cowboys allowed 386.4 yards per game, a bottom-10 mark in the NFL, and allowed 29.6 points per game, a bottom-five mark in the league. The Cowboys badly need to keep adding talent on that side of the ball and they will likely spend a majority of the 2021 NFL Draft doing that after retaining some offensive continuity via a long-term deal with Prescott this offseason.
Of course, the team does still need to upgrade some spots on offense. While the Cowboys could be a playoff team if these holes are filled, they are going to have to hit on quite a few picks to make any sort of postseason noise. They do have 10 at their disposal, so they should be able to find some upgrades this offseason.
Here's a look at the Cowboys' picks in the 2021 NFL Draft:
MORE NFL DRAFT: Complete 7-round mock | Top 100 big board
Cowboys draft picks 2021: Who did Dallas take?
- Round 1, Pick No. 12: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
- Round 2, Pick No. 44: Kelvin Joseph, CB, Kentucky
- Round 3, Pick No. 75: Osa Odighizuwa, DT, UCLA
- Round 3, Pick No. 84: Chauncey Golston, DE, Iowa
- Round 3, Pick No. 99: Nahshon Wright, CB, Oregon State
- Round 4, Pick No. 115: Jabril Cox, LB, LSU
- Round 4, Pick No. 138: Josh Ball, OT, Marshall
- Round 5, Pick No. 179: Simi Fehoko, WR, Stanford
- Round 6, Pick No. 192: Quinton Bohanna, DT, Kentucky
- Round 6, Pick No. 227: Israel Mukuamu, CB, South Carolina
- Round 7, Pick No. 238: Matt Farniok, G, Nebraska
Cowboys 2021 NFL Draft order
| Round | Pick |
| 1 | 12 (from Eagles) |
| 2 | 12 |
| 3 | 11 |
| 3 | 20 (from Eagles) |
| 3 | 36 (Compensatory Selection) |
| 4 | 10 |
| 4 | 33 (Compensatory Selection) |
| 5 | 35 (Compensatory Selection) |
| 6 | 8 (from Lions) |
| 6 | 43 (Compensatory Selection) |
| 7 | 10 |
MORE: Read the latest NFL Draft news at SN's draft HQ
Cowboys NFL Draft needs
- Defensive tackle: The Cowboys struggled immensely against the run last year, allowing 158.8 rushing yards per game on the season. That was second-worst to only the Houston Texans. Adding one or two tackles here will be imperative for the team to improve in that area.
- Defensive end: With Aldon Smith gone and not likely to return to the Cowboys, they need another edge rusher to complement Demarcus Lawrence. The team does have Randy Gregory in the fold, but can they really trust him to stay on the field?
- Cornerback: Trevon Diggs had a good rookie season for the Cowboys and they re-signed Jourdan Lewis to a contract. Still, they should try to land a true No. 1 corner to complement Diggs and serve as a quality outside starter.
- Offensive tackle: Tyron Smith has had trouble staying healthy in recent seasons. Now 30, how much will he have left in the tank? The team needs to have a good depth option behind him and while Ty Nsekhe is a good start, he's 35 years old. Adding a young backup and potential future starter in a great offensive line class would be a smart move for the Cowboys.
- Linebacker: Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith are good starters for the Cowboys, but the depth behind them is virtually non-existent.
Dallas Cowboys mock draft 2021
Here are the latest 2021 NFL Draft projections for the Cowboys, according to Vinnie Iyer's seven-round mock draft:
| Round | Pick | Team | Position | College |
| 1 | 10 | Patrick Surtain II | CB | Alabama |
| 2 | 12 | Carlos Basham | EDGE | Wake Forest |
| 3 | 11 | Paris Ford | S | Pittsburgh |
| 3 | 36 | Spencer Brown | OT | Northern Iowa |
| 4 | 10 | Marvin Wilson | DT | Florida State |
| 4 | 33 | Alim McNeill | DT | NC State |
| 5 | 35 | Frank Darby | WR | Arizona State |
| 6 | 8 | Jack Anderson | G | Texas Tech |
| 6 | 43 | Kelvin Joseph | LB | Kentucky |
| 7 | 10 | Sam Ehlinger | QB | Texas |
