Mel Kiper Jr. Tabs Teven Jenkins as First-Round Pick

After the Cowboys didn’t have a 2020 NFL Draft pick, this 2021 draft could be the Pokes’ best class in years.

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. released his 1.0 mock draft Tuesday, and it had Oklahoma State guard Teven Jenkins going in the first round. Kiper tabbed Jenks as the No. 20 overall pick, going to the Chicago Bears.

This is a really strong offensive tackle class, and we could see a run on them in the 20s. Jenkins started at both right tackle and left tackle for the Cowboys, and he was having a stellar season before he opted out in late November. At 6-6, 310 pounds, he has long arms and there are no questions about his size to play tackle. In Chicago, he could start immediately on the right side, where Germain Ifedi is a free agent, and be the long-term replacement to Charles Leno at left tackle. The Bears could also be in the market for a top receiver with Allen Robinson headed to free agency.

[ESPN]

If Jenkins did go in the first round, he would be OSU’s first first-round pick since Justin Gilbert went to the Browns in 2014. He would be the seventh first-round pick in the Mike Gundy era and the 21st first-rounder in program history.

Jenkins won’t be the only Cowboy drafted this year. Some outlets have corner Rodarius Williams going as high as the first round, and wide receiver Tylan Wallace and running back Chuba Hubbard will likely also be selected.

Wallace is already impressing in the practices at the Senior Bowl.

If Jenkins, Williams, Wallace and Hubbard are all drafted, it will be the third time since 2000 that the Cowboys have had four or more players taken in the same NFL Draft. The other two were in 2010 (Russell Okung, Dez Bryant, Perrish Cox and Zac Robinson) and in 2018 (James Washington, Mason Rudolph, Tre Flowers and Marcell Ateman).

The NFL Draft is April 29 through May 1.