NFC Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Washington

Cowboys

The Cowboys said after the draft that first-round LB Micah Parsons was one of their highest-graded defensive players and they were happy to come out with him despite not landing one of the first-round corners. Evaluators across the league were high on Parsons as a potential souped-up Bruce Irvin for new Cowboys DC Dan Quinn. 

“Parsons will be phenomenal,” an evaluator said via the Athletic’s Mike Sando. “He is like a chess piece. Bruce Irvin was explosive and muscular, but stiff. This guy can drop into coverage. On passing downs, you can use him like Yannick Ngakoue. I think he’s just getting started, and his best days are ahead of him.”

Eagles

• Eliot Shorr-Parks thinks that because there is a strong 2022 draft class on the way, the Eagles may have decided against selecting a cornerback until late in the 2021 draft, as they have three picks in the first round next year.

Washington

• The Athletic’s Ben Standig talked to a number of scouts about Washington’s draft class and a number really liked first-round LB Jamin Davis. He was a meteoric riser through the pre-draft process and one scout thinks that could continue into the regular season: “The more I think about it, heck, with that defensive front in front of him, and this guy’s a good athlete or better, who knows, the first six weeks of the season we might be talking about this guy a lot around the NFL.”
• Most of the scouts liked Washington’s decision to forego a quarterback in the second round and take Texas OT Samuel Cosmi, though one scout wasn’t a fan and thought he’d be a guard. 
• Opinions were split on fourth-round TE John Bates among the scouts Standig talked to. One thought he was just a guy, while another called him the “Bill Laimbeer of blocking.”
• One scout thought Washington was fortunate a deep receiver class pushed WR Dyami Brown to them in the third round.
• Another wouldn’t be surprised if all three seventh-round picks — DE Shaka Toney, DE William Bradley-King and WR Dax Milne — developed into contributors: “Bradley-King is more of a technician. Toney is a good edge type of athlete. He needs to get stronger, but he’s got pass-rush upside. …Oh, and the Dax Milne kid is solid. If you go back and watch Zach Wilson’s tape, he’s throwing a lot of balls into coverage where (Milne) makes plays for him.”