Getty BYU QB Zach Wilson
Should its current draft position hold, the Dallas Cowboys will (mostly) have the pick of the litter of the 2021 NFL class.
They could go cornerback and take Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II. Or perhaps linebacker with Penn State’s Micah Parsons. Maybe even an offensive tackle like Penei Sewell, assuming he falls that far.
But there’s a Door No. 4 for the would-be No. 4 overall selection: Dak Prescott’s replacement at quarterback. Such as BYU’s Zach Wilson, whom Pro Football Network believes is a legitimate candidate to don the star next season.
The first surprise of this 2021 3 round NFL mock draft, Zach Wilson makes his way to Jerry World. Despite the Cowboys already possessing an elite quarterback, it’s hard to ignore the combination of Dak Prescott’s injury, how far the two parties were in contract talks last season, and the Cowboys sitting in a position to take one of the top quarterbacks in college football this season. I believe paying Dak Prescott is the only correct choice, but I wouldn’t put it past the Cowboys to make a business decision like this.
Wilson possesses an above-average arm with impressive ball placement down the field. He uses his natural athletic ability to create plays out of structure and push the ball down the field. This selection would also help Jerry Jones save face by not forcing him to give Prescott a mega-extension that he avoided last year. Considering how poorly Dallas’ needs match the 2021 NFL Draft class’ positional strengths, this could become a real possibility.
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Wilson Scouting Report
A prototypical passer at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, Wilson is in his third year as the Cougars’ starter. He’s amassed 495 completions on 738 attempts (67.1%) for 6,684 yards, 49 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions across 27 games.
The true junior has set career highs in completion percentage (74.3), yards (2,724), TDs (26), and QB rating (205.3) amid a still-incomplete 2020 campaign. He’s considered the fourth-best QB in an extremely top-heavy pool that includes Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, Ohio State’s Justin Fields, and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance.
“Once a no-name quarterback at BYU who had shown flashes but was often injured, Wilson is proving in his 2020 season that he has impeccable upside,” Wilson’s scouting report reads, via Pro Football Network. “In 2019, he had spotty accuracy to all levels of the field, but especially to the deep portion of the field. That all changed in 2020, however, as Wilson is consistently hitting his receivers in stride. Despite a soft schedule, Wilson is proving he can make this NFL throws in tight windows. He has a special ability outside the pocket to make plays most players can not make. In the modern NFL, mobility is becoming more important, and Wilson has that. His feel for pressure in the pocket is calm but a pragmatic one. He does well to stand in the pocket and takes hits if needed but does a great job of moving in the pocket to find the creases to either extend the play or take off when necessary.”
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL