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We are officially less than a week away from the 2021 NFL Draft and all the madness that typically comes with this offseason spectacle. For the Dallas Cowboys, the first round of the draft has largely been kind as they've been able to pick up a number of impact players over the years like receiver CeeDee Lamb (2020), linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (2018), and, of course, running back Ezekiel Elliott (2016). That's not even mentioning the likes of corner Byron Jones, guard Zack Martin, and center Travis Frederick if you want to go even further back. 

What does 2021 have on deck? Well, the oddsmakers at William Hill Sportsbook are leaning towards a specific side of the ball for Dallas' first-rounder this year. We'll dive into that and more below as we dissect some of the more notable bets currently on the board for the Cowboys leading up to the draft.

Odds on position of Cowboys' first pick

  • Offense +300
  • Defense -300

Addressing the defensive side of the ball makes sense on a number of different fronts. Dallas just gave Dak Prescott a massive contract extension and he looks well on his way towards a full recovery from that season-ending ankle injury so there doesn't seem to be any need (or desire) to try and land one of the top QB prospects at No. 10. While this is the range where receivers like Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith are projected to come off the board, the Cowboys used their 2020 first-rounder on CeeDee Lamb and it seems unlikely they'd double-dip. The biggest reason why going defense makes sense, however, is that the unit simply could use the help. Dallas allowed the 10th-most yards in the NFL last year and gave up 29.6 points per contest (fifth worst). They need an impact defensive player desperately and they'll likely target that in the first, which is why the odds are heavily leaning that way. 

Odds on exact position of Cowboys' first pick 

  • Cornerback +100
  • Offensive lineman +300
  • Defensive lineman +325
  • Linebacker ++800
  • Tight end +2000
  • Wide receiver +2500
  • Safety +5000
  • Quarterback +10000
  • Running back +10000
  • Kicker/punter/long snapper +50000

It's not too surprising to see cornerback atop the odds. As we noted above, the Cowboys struggled mightily on defense in 2020 and a large portion of those struggles came in the secondary. Getting a prospect with the potential of becoming a true shutdown corner would be massive for Dallas' Super Bowl chances in the future and there are a number of corner prospects projected to comes off the board in that range. However, if Florida's Kyle Pitts starts to fall beyond the top five selections because of the other quarterbacks in this class, would anyone be shocked if Jerry Jones -- who is said to be enamored with the tight end -- goes for broke and targets him? I sure wouldn't, which makes that +2000 quite juicy. Of course, corner is the wise bet, but if you're feeling frisky that could be a spicy way to roll.  

Over/under draft position for potential Cowboys targets

  • CB Patrick Surtain II: O/U 10.5
  • CB Jaycee Horn: O/U 13.5
  • TE Kyle Pitts: O/U 5.5

Patrick Surtain II has been a popular player that has been mocked to Dallas throughout the pre-draft process, so it's not totally shocking to see his O/U hovering right at the Cowboys' draft position. If you're hoping that Surtain comes off the board here and hits his under, you'll likely be rooting for all the QB prospects to be taken before Dallas is on the clock. If that proves to be the case, there may be less temptation to swing a trade with a team in the teens, who is looking to trade up and select that signal-caller. If they're all gone before No. 9, that's even better as the Broncos -- who are likely in the QB market -- could opt for Surtain instead to bolster its secondary. Under that circumstance, the under on Jaycee Horn could be a nice play with Dallas taking him.