Dallas Cowboys 2020 rookie grades: Touted class delivers mixed bag

One of several fantastic value picks for the Cowboys rookie class, Neville Gallimore came into the 2020 season in a difficult position as he was thrust into a complicated new scheme that the entire defense was learning. Pair that with being behind on the depth chart and it stands to reason why he got off to a slow start.

As the year progressed, though, Gallimore clearly became more comfortable and showed some real flashes. He finished the season with four tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks despite only playing on 36 percent of Dallas’ defensive snaps for the year. But he more than earned the opportunity to fight for a bigger role in 2021.

Talent was never in doubt for Gallimore as he was valued by many as more than a third-round pick. With a hopefully more cohesive defense and full offseason to learn a new system, we could see a breakout sophomore campaign from the big defensive tackle.

Coming out of Tulsa, I was a tremendous fan of grabbing Reggie Robinson II in the fourth round. He continued to address the shallow Cowboys secondary and had tremendous upside coming from a smaller college program. With his physical tools, it was exciting to see what he could possibly offer.

We didn’t get that opportunity, however. Dallas’ coaching staff was dead-set on giving veterans the nod on the defensive side of the ball and it led to Robinson not getting the chance to see the field in a meaningful way. He was active for only five games and didn’t log a single snap on defense, though he did notch a forced fumble on special teams.

Now that Dan Quinn takes over as defensive coordinator, his affinity for big, rangy cornerbacks should lead to Robinson getting more looks in 2021. It’ll still be exciting to see what he brings to the table after a rookie season that, in almost every facet, can only be graded as incomplete.