Getty New Cowboys WR Simi Fehoko
Doubling down on offensive talent, the Dallas Cowboys took Stanford wide receiver Simi Fehoko in the fifth round (No. 179 overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft.
His selection follows that of Marshall offensive tackle Josh Ball, who was chosen in the fourth round (No. 138). The Cowboys previously picked six consecutive defensive players to open the Draft, a new franchise record. Its updated haul can be found below.
LB Micah Parsons
CB Kelvin Joseph
DL Osa Odighizuwa
DL Chauncey Golston
CB Nahshon Wright
LB Jabril Cox
OT Josh Ball
WR Simi Fehoko
“I’m speechless. I am absolutely speechless,” Fehoko said after being drafted, via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. “I grew up a Cowboys fan. That was my first Halloween costume as a child.”
The Fehokos are fired up as @Simi_Fehoko got the call from the @dallascowboys!
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Scouting Report
Fehoko was a three-year contributor for the Cardinal, pulling down 62 receptions for 1,146 yards and nine touchdowns across 16 games from 2018-2020. He skipped his senior campaign to enter the Draft.
Fehoko doesn’t have a ton of tape to his name, but he tested well as a big (6-foot-4, 222 pounds), speedy (4.4 forty-time) and decorated (first-team All-Pac-12) wideout who averaged 18.4 yards per catch at Stanford, third-best in school history, noted Cowboys reporter Rob Phillips.
The Utah native, although admittedly “raw and underdeveloped,” can be deployed along the boundary or in the slot. He’s also an adept special-teamer, likened to former Jets WR Quincy Enunwa.
“Fehoko’s high-end height, weight and speed measurables are automatic eye-openers and with a catch of 40-plus yards in eight of his last 15 games, teams needing speed will take additional notice,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote in his scouting profile. “However, it needs to be said that he doesn’t always play fast. He lacks the suddenness and aggression to consistently separate out of breaks on the first two levels. He doesn’t always take what he wants from the coverage, but definitely has the ball skills and potential to impose his size on cornerbacks if he adds a little more grit to his game.”
Simi Fehoko tho t.co/mWZkppvAPY
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Role in Dallas
Fehoko will need to carve out a job on John Fassel’s special teams unit before graduating to offensive coordinator Kellen Moore’s. As most know, Dallas is particularly stacked at WR with Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, CeeDee Lamb, Cedrick Wilson, Noah Brown all returning in 2021.
Perhaps Fehoko unseats Wilson or Brown as the season progresses, depending on how quickly he picks up the system. His playbook absorption between now and September will be paramount in dictating the 21-year-old’s short-term outlook.
Fehoko, who caught 16 passes for 230 yards and three TDs in his final college appearance, could be a victim of the numbers game as a rookie. Say this for him, though: His confidence isn’t lacking.
“I think with my God given ability there’s no reason I can’t be the best wide receiver in this draft class, if not the league,” Fehoko told reporters after being drafted.
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL