9. Chauncey Golston, EDGE
The fourth pick for the Cowboys in the 2021 NFL Draft came at No. 84 overall and this is where they landed Chauncey Golston, who comes in at a position of need. Right now, Dallas doesn’t have a lot of depth at defensive end with DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory set to start in these roles.
Gregory came back to Dallas after missing all of 2019 and the first six games of 2020 and after shaking off the rust, he started to show the burst we are all accustomed to seeing out of him. Having said that, he has never played a full season in his career so banking on him to be the starter after Aldon Smith left is a bit risky.
As for depth behind him, the Cowboys have Dorance Armstrong, Tarell Basham, and Bradlee Anae. Neither has really been able to prove they’re the long-term answer, which is why adding a new defensive end in the draft was so important.
Chauncey Golston might not have been one of the premier defensive ends in the draft but that doesn’t mean he can’t play. Golston is a decent pass rusher who can not only play on the edge, but at 269-pounds, he can also slide inside — much like Tyrone Crawford who just retired.
His versatility will be big for him to get on the field early and while this also felt like a bit of a reach, he was still an important addition due to the need.