John Williams
As Quarterback Dak Prescott predicted before the start of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys had a defensive heavy draft. In an attempt to fix a defense that was one of the worst in the NFL in 2020, Will McClay, Stephen Jones, and Jerry Jones added eight of their 11 picks to Dan Quinn’s side of the football.
Of the three players they added to the offensive side of the ball, the most intriguing is easily Stanford Wide Receiver Simi Fehoko. At 6-4 and more than 220 pounds, Fehoko brings 4.37 speed to the Cowboys and provides incredible size.
Though he was a late producer in college, if you watch his work during the 2020 season for Stanford, you see a guy that has a lot of tools that can translate to the NFL game. According to Cowboys Vice President of Player Personnel Will McClay, Fehoko has that “it” factor about him.
Cowboys VP of player personnel Will McClay on @1053thefan on 5th-round WR Simi Fehoko: “He’s just got this ‘it’ about him as a player & he hasn’t achieved his full ceiling yet…I had about 4-5 teams contact me afterwards and they were like, ‘Damn, we were going to go after him.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) May 5, 2021
When you go back and watch him in 2020, you see a guy that lines up all over the field in Stanford’s offense. Fehoko plays on both sides of the formation and lines up regularly in the slot where he can use his size and speed to run seam routes down the middle of the field or slot-fade, slot-corner routes.
Fehoko possesses really good hands. He’s patient working across the formation. He has a good burst that allows him to make plays after the catch. Stanford used him a lot on shallow drag routes and WR/bubble screens. This allowed him to use him to get into open space and use his speed to run by people. On the outside, Stanford would send him on go and fade routes. He’s a natural hands catcher who isn’t afraid of the physical aspect of the game.
As McClay said, he’s got that “it” factor. And at the wide receiver position, that’s one of those intangibles that you just can’t measure. Wearing 81, the number that Terrell Owens wore, Fehoko gives off similar vibes when he has the ball in his hands.
Simi Fehoko may have only been a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but his size, speed, route versatility, and scheme versatility make him an intriguing prospect that could fill in across the depth chart for the Dallas Cowboys. Though Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and CeeDee Lamb will get a vast majority of the wide receiver snaps, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Fehoko earn offensive snaps in year one with the Dallas Cowboys.
potential and late round gem? Surprised the Cowboys didn’t get cute and take him in the 2nd
Any player with the “it” gene won’t last on a practice squad …
If he truly possesses an “it factor”, it should be evident even in a pared down preseason. If he’s special, we’ll know by August. Doesn’t mean he earns a starting gig or anything, but he could easily get a roster spot. I like both Wilson and Brown, but neither has shown anything special, so if this kid does, its an easy decision.
I think we will see quite a different Cowboys team this year. I think management and ownership is trying to change the culture and will replace quite a few of the guys we have come to know over the years. Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb will be the top 3 WRs, however I am looking for Fehoko to unseat Cedrick Wilson as the 4th receiver. Also, I don’t see why both Brandon Smith and Brennan Eagles couldn’t make the roster as the 5th and 6th receivers. They would replace Malik Turner and Noah Brown. One of the following 4 guys will be on the Practice Squad, but it’s up in the air who it will be: Stephen Guidry, Aaron Parker, TJ Vasher, Osirus Mitchell.
This is one of the guys I wanted the Cowboys to draft. The other one was the North Texas receiver. I agree it’s something about him that I like he’s big and he’s fast and he will get some playing time, if not he’ll end up like Guyton at San Diego
He’s got some competition for snaps this year with Wilson and Brown. But I could see him earn the sixth wide receiver spot and then next year find himself further up the depth chart.
Instantly my favorite pick of the draft! He can be as effective as Lamb was in the slot. No shade, but it’s time to see if Lamb can lineup outside the hashes… especially, before we make a decision on MGallup. Fehoko is a great fit, conceptually. I would love to see him play that MilesAustin role on team. Would open things up big-time for TEs and run-game.
Lamb can certainly win outside. It wouldn’t surprise me to see them begin to transition him out there this year, use more Cooper, Wilson, and Fehoko in the slot.
This guy could be something special with the right coaching! I think we as fans really don’t realize just how athletically these guys are and how close they match up talent wise! Factor in size and the mental aspect of how to play the game you just never know who is truly a first round player! Hopefully he can surprise all of us and be an all pro one day !
Fehoko is such a mystery to me how he fell so far.
If this kid can have his name mentioned in the same sentence with Terrell “T.O.” Owens, that’s a big time WIN for the Dallas Cowboys!!! Owens was big, strong, and deceptively fast. If he has just a little bit of that; home run Cowboys!!!
Yeah, I was in no way trying to put those kind of expectations on him, that’s for sure, but he does have some of TO’s game to him.