Cowboys got Parsons, but could've also locked up OL, WR for a decade in 2021 draft

First Round (12) | Micah Parsons | LB Penn State | A+

Mel Kiper of ESPN, otherwise known as the Godfather of the NFL draft, initially gave the Cowboys a "B" further cementing the fact that many did not know Parsons would be the pass-rushing phenom we have come to know him today.

Second Round (44) | Kelvin Joseph | CB Kentucky | F

Joseph landed in some hot water with the authorities after he was named as a person of interest in a murder investigation. Calls for his removal from the team went ignored and Joseph played out his second season. After 26 games in two seasons in Dallas, the team traded him to Miami for former first-round cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, who is no longer on the roster.

Notable Draft Picks still available:

• Asante Samuels Jr. CB (Chargers)
• Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah S/LB (Browns)
• Creed Humphrey C (Chiefs)

Third Round (75) | Osa Odigizuwa | DT UCLA | B+

Cowboys selected defensive tackle Osa Odigizuwa to beef up an interior that employed second-year defensive tackle Trysten Hill, who had torn his ACL the season prior, and former third-rounder Neville Gallimore. All Odigizuwa has done is become a mainstay on the Dallas defense alongside his draft classmate.

The double team on Parsons frees up Osa Odighizuwa for the sack 💪

📺: #DALvsNYG on NBC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlushttps://t.co/DITLbvj034pic.twitter.com/xvJ0PhCr0B

— NFL (@NFL) September 11, 2023

Odigizuwa has not been recognized with any NFL honors but he is easily the second-best player in their draft class. Big names above him have dominated extension talks and Odigizuwa has earned the right to be mentioned as a player who deserves a new contract.

Notable Draft Picks still available:

• Josh Palmer WR (Chargers)

Third Round (84) | Chauncey Golston | DE Iowa | C-

The transformation into a Dan Quinn-led defense supplied the Cowboys with many role players and Goston had provided the team with solid play and versatility. He lined up all along the defensive line allowing the team to employ multiple fronts. His willingness to play on various special teams units made him a solid contributor.

Fake extra-point, DL Chauncey Golston TD catch from punter Bryan Anger

Cowboys 18, Patriots 3 pic.twitter.com/n3IBQt75Df

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) October 1, 2023

Although he hasn't lived up to third-round expectations, Golston was a valuable member for this team. Doing more with less became the team's mantra, but Golston was allowed to move on in free agency, joining the Giants for 2025.

Notable Draft Picks still available:

• Nico Collins WR (Texans)

Third Round (99) Nahshon Wright | CB Oregon State | D

Cornerback Nahshon Wright wowed the team with above-average measurables. The team ignored those who believed he was destined for a mid-Day 3 selection. Dallas needed a corner opposite of promising second-year pro Trevon Diggs who was selected a year earlier. It is safe to say many were most surprised by this pick.

Notable Draft Picks Still Available:

• WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions)

Fourth Round (115) | Jabril Cox | Linebacker | D+

What could have been. Cox was a heat-seeking missle who semed to be coming into his only, only to be derailed by an ACL tear. He wasn't himself after coming back, was cut after his second year and played one season in Washington in 2023.

Notable Draft Picks Still Available:

• RB Rhamondre Stevenson (Patriots)
• RB Chuba Hubbard (Panthers)
• OT Dan Moore (Steelers)

Fourth Round (138) | Josh Ball | Offensive Tackle | F

Ball came with baggage, a domestic violence incident, and then never amounted to anything the Cowboys could use on the field.

Notable Draft Picks still available:

• TE Brevin Jordan (Texans)
• S Michael Carter (Jets)

Fifth Round (179) | Simi Fehoko | Wide Receiver | D+

Fehoko did not spend a long time in Dallas, never able to separate from the position group and was let go after two years. He's spent two more nondescript seasons with the Chargers since.

Notable Draft Picks still available:

• S Talanoa Hufanga (49ers)

Sixth Round (192) | Quinton Bohanna | DT Kentucky | D

Another in a long line of late-round picks, or late-camp signings, meant to help the interior defense that didn't pan out.

Notable Draft Picks still available:

• G Trey Smith (Chiefs)
• RB Elijah Mitchell (49ers)

Sixth Round (227) | Israel Mukuamu | DB South Carolina | A-

Things obviously didn't go as planned and the Cowboys ended up with an unbelievable talent in the sixth round of the 2021 draft. Mukuamu has been a versatile piece for Dallas, specifically on special teams and remains on the roster two defensive coordinators later.

Seventh Round (238) | Matt Farniok | OG Nebraska | D

Hopes were high for center Matt Farniok yet the bottom fell out just as fast as it rose. Farniok manned the backup center job and many were pleased with the development of the seventh-round pick.

Farniok was released on final cutdown day in 2023 and landed on Chicago's practice squad. After spending most of the season there, he jumped to the Lions practice squad before signing a reserve/futures contract with them for 2024.

Notable Draft Picks still available:

• Ben Skowronek WR (Rams)

Final Grade: B-

There's only so low a draft that brings a team a talent like Parsons can drop. He's an All-World player and despite there being no movement on a new deal , he's a centerpiece and then some. Odighizuwa has been a strong player in the middle of the team's defensive line and Mukuamu continues to make the club. Outside of that, though, there were a ton of swings and misses from this front office. The shadow draft proves what could've been if they had made better choices.

2021 Shadow Draft

A shadow draft is an exercise in who could've been selected at each stop along a team's haul. Here's a look at what the 2021 draft class could've looked like for the Dallas Cowboys.

1.12: Edge Micah Parsons

2.44: Center Creed Humphrey (Chiefs)

3.75: DT Osa Odighizuwa

3.84: WR Nico Collins (Texans)

3.99: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions)

4.115: OT Dan Moore (Steelers)

4.138: RB Kenneth Gainwell (Eagles)

5.179: Safety Talanoa Hufanga (49ers)

6.192: G Trey Smith (Chiefs)

6.227: Safety Israel Mukuamu

7.238: WR Ben Skowronek (Rams)

This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Retro Grade: Cowboys 2021 draft class, four years later