Dallas Cowboys entire 2021 draft class makes the initial 53-man roster

Don’t look now, but every single one of the Dallas Cowboys selections in the 2021 NFL Draft have made the initial 53-man roster. If you’re doing the math at home, that’s 11 of 53 roster spots going to first-year players. As things stand right now, nearly a fifth of Dallas’ entire roster is made up of rookies.

Dallas Cowboys 2021 Draft Class

• Micah Parsons
• Kelvin Joseph
• Osa Odighizuwa
• Chauncey Golston
• Nahshon Wright
• Jabril Cox
• Josh Ball
• Simi Fehoko
• Quinton Bohanna
• Israel Mukuamu
• Matt Farniok

It’s a rarity to see so many draft picks make it through the final cuts, especially considering there weren’t expected to be many roster spots up for grabs. This was a Cowboys team who were all but set on the offensive side of the ball with maybe only a handful of starting jobs to be had on defense. Not many would have predicted Dallas’ entire 2021 draft class earning a spot after the final cuts were made, and yet, here we are.

Changes will be made of course. The Cowboys will continue to shuffle things around prior to the season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, meaning there are several of these rookies who shouldn’t feel too comfortable about their roster spot right now. In fact, a few of them could be headed to injured reserve in just a day or two.

Due to their current injuries, Kelvin Joseph and Josh Ball are candidates to be moved to IR. This would mean they are shelved for at least the first three weeks of the season, which would be like killing two birds with one stone on the Cowboys part. Not only would it free up a couple more roster spots, but it would also allow the aforementioned players time to fully heal.

Outside of the rookies who could be headed to IR, Simi Fehoko and Matt Farniok are probably the most at risk of losing their current spot on the 53-man roster. Unfortunately for Fehoko, he plays a position the Cowboys are currently really deep at, and as such, could be in jeopardy of losing his job soon. For Farniok, he could be replaced by a free agent or waiver wire claim who has a little bit more experience playing center/guard in the NFL.

All in all, though, having 11 of the 53 roster spots currently being held down by rookies is pretty telling as to what the Cowboys think of their 2021 draft class. There’s definitely some talent there, and only time will tell as to how much these first-year players will contribute this year or in the not-too-distant future. It’s going to be really interesting to see how all of this plays out in the end.