Welcome to the ninth annual edition of my DRAFTPLEX featured content series, Drafting Dallas! In this exercise, I assume front office duties to mock draft the full seven rounds for my favorite team, the Dallas Cowboys, using my DRAFTPLEX Board and the current official draft order.
After a disappointing final campaign under former head coach Mike McCarthy, America’s Team is once again ushering in a new era, with veteran assistant Brian Schottenheimer ascending to the top job. Surrounding him is a staff of both new and familiar names, with the most notable among them being a new offensive coordinator in Klayton Adams and a returning Matt Eberflus taking over as defensive coordinator.
On the personnel front, Dallas said goodbye to a number of mainstays this offseason, headlined by the retirement of future Ring of Honor and Hall of Fame inductee Zack Martin. Meanwhile, free agency claimed veteran starters Demarcus Lawrence and Jourdan Lewis, as well as a number of core contributors including Cooper Rush, Rico Dowdle, and Brandin Cooks, who will all be playing elsewhere in 2025.
On the flip side, the Cowboys front office has been active in talent retention and acquisition, securing the services of Osa Odighizuwa and KaVontae Turpin for 2025 and beyond, swapping late-round picks for Kenneth Murray Jr., Kaiir Elam, and Joe Milton III, and signing Dante Fowler Jr., Javonte Williams, Solomon Thomas, and Jack Sanborn among others from this year’s free agent pool.
But, while Dallas has made moves to fill out and firm up the roster, there’s a case to be made that, on paper at least, the team is not any better than the one that fought and fumbled its way to a 7-10 record in 2024 — and may even be worse. That leaves the organization with a reasonable amount of ground to make up in next week’s draft as they look to close the gap with the reigning Super Bowl Champions in Philadelphia and an upstart contender in Washington within the division, while trying to find their way back into the tournament amidst a very competitive field in the NFC.
That said, if I’m being honest, I’m concerned with what they stand to gain from this particular draft and not just because of the prevailing opinion about the quality of this prospect class. The Cowboys simply have not gotten the returns they should have from the past three drafts. Sure, they have hit on an All-Pro in Tyler Smith, installed a strong starter in Cooper Beebe, and mined a pair of mid-round diamonds in DaRon Bland and DeMarvion Overshown (albeit with both missing significant time due to injury). But, it’s been a major knock on their draft-and-develop approach and a detriment to the roster overall that their last two first-round picks, Tyler Guyton and Mazi Smith, have not lived up to expectations, and their last three second-round picks, Marshawn Kneeland, Luke Schoonmaker, and Sam Williams, have yet to emerge as starters, let alone down-in, down-out difference-makers.
Unfortunately, this lack of confidence does color my judgment in completing this exercise and does temper my expectations for who I see the Cowboys coming away with from the 2025 NFL Draft. And while I am holding out hope to be pleasantly surprised by their haul, I’m not holding my breath.
With that in mind, I present to you what I believe is a realistic scenario that could play out based on my personal evaluations, my impressions of pre-draft reports, and how the board may fall.
Let’s go on the clock with Drafting Dallas 2025!
Round 1 | Pick 12
Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
While Ashton Jeanty was widely considered to be in line to become the next great Dallas back early on, the Boise State product is now seemingly out of reach. This has put the first-round focus almost exclusively on wide receiver, with the Cowboys potentially having the pick of this class of pass catchers — the two most likely candidates being Tetairoa McMillan, who was clear and away the top receiver coming into the process, and Matthew Golden, who has been a consistent riser and may have taken the lead as the favorite to be the first receiver off the board and to potentially emerge as the best receiver from this class.
It must be acknowledged that McMillan has regained steam as of late in draft circles as the Cowboys preferred option, but I’m not so sure that the front office doesn’t think they already have a high-ceiling, big-bodied target on the roster in Jonathan Mingo — who they acquired from Carolina in exchange for their 4th-round pick and a 7th-round pick in this year’s draft. So, while I personally tend to think that the pick should be McMillan, I have a feeling that Golden having the edge in speed, route savvy, and ability to separate, as well experience lining up across the formation, might lead them to feel he is the better fit for the offense.
Ideal Pick: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
Alternative Pick: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
Trade-Back Consideration: Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
In the Mix:
Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
Round 2 | Pick 44
Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa
Rico Dowdle parlayed a breakout year rushing for more than 1,000 yards into a free agent deal with Carolina, leaving Dallas without a back on the roster who contributed more than 70 yards on the ground last year. To reload the depth chart, they signed Javonte Williams, who projects as more of a complementary back, and Miles Sanders, who fell out of favor in Carolina, ironically enough, after two dismal seasons. The team also returns Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis, and Hunter Luepke, none of whom are locks to make the roster under a new coaching staff. Suffice to say, the Cowboys are not set in the backfield and need to come out of this draft with a lead ball carrier.
I expect they will prioritize the position early, but they may be at the mercy of the board in both the first and second rounds. Ashton Jeanty making it to #12 seems highly unlikely, while a pivot to Omarion Hampton there projects to be somewhat of a reach. Thus, the conversation is probably tabled until the second round, barring a trade back.
If TreVeyon Henderson happens to still be on the board when Dallas comes up on the clock, they should sprint to turn in the card, as that would be the ideal pick here. The Cowboys have also shown interest in Henderson’s teammate at Ohio State, Quinshon Judkins. But, I’m not sure either of them make it to #44, at which point, I expect the Cowboys might press and draft Kaleb Johnson.
Seemingly the forgotten man amongst the top of this crop of backs, Johnson has not had an optimal process after a productive year and career at Iowa, with his tape and testing seeing him fall in line behind the four names previously mentioned. But, Johnson is a big, strong back with vision and burst who can get downhill quickly, excels after contact, and is more than capable of carrying the load for Dallas. That said, I don’t think this would be my preferred outcome.
Ideal Pick: TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
In the Mix:
Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State
Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky
Trey Amos, CB, Ole Miss
Round 3 | Pick 76
Quincy Riley, CB, Louisville
Cornerback was a turbulent position for Dallas all of last year with DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs both spending time on the shelf, rookie Caelan Carson struggling, and a collection of journeymen rotating in and out of the lineup. With the one constant, nickel Jourdan Lewis, off to Jacksonville and Diggs expected to miss time again, the level of uncertainty remains high in the secondary.
But, beyond trading for Kaiir Elam, a former first-round pick who didn’t pan out in Buffalo, Dallas hasn’t done as much as you would think they should to address such a problematic position. As such, I would expect the priority to fall just behind wide receiver and running back in the draft — and wouldn’t rule out the possibility of them drafting a cornerback ahead of either of those two positions.
Given this scenario thus far, Quincy Riley is a player I’ve been circling as a potential selection for Dallas in this range. Riley’s competitive nature, athletic ability, and ball skills are notable, as well as his versatility to line up outside or inside, which would help give the Cowboys additional flexibility in matching up with opposing offenses.
Other considerations:
Andrew Mukuba, S, Texas
Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Virginia Tech
DJ Giddens, RB, Kansas State
Round 5 | Pick 149
Caleb Rogers, OL, Texas Tech
Without a fourth-round selection, Dallas has a long wait until they are back on the clock, although a trade up could be in the works with six picks still to go after this. One mid-round possibility is Caleb Rogers, the Texas Tech offensive lineman who offers the position flex the Cowboys tend to value. With multiple starts on both sides, at tackle and at guard, Rogers has the experience to either compete for a swing role or possibly contend for the start at right guard, where Brock Hoffman, T.J. Bass, Robert Jones, and Saahdiq Charles all expect to be in the mix.
Round 5 | Pick 174 (compensatory)
Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State
The state of the running back position I addressed earlier. Given that state and the slate of picks Dallas is scheduled to make, I would expect them to take another crack at finding a bell cow before the draft is over. Another big, downhill back who also offers value in pass protection and receiving out of the backfield, Ollie Gordon II is a risk-reward prospect I think I like more than most, but has trended down as the draft process has played out. While I do suspect Gordon will be off the board by this point, with the depth of this running back class, it’s not out of the question that he could still be available and be in play for the Cowboys after a Dallas Day visit with the team.
Round 6 | Pick 204 (via DET thru CLE & BUF)
Ajani Cornelius, OT, Oregon
With a complete turnover of the offensive coaching staff as far as the line is concerned, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Cowboys continue adding blockers as they try to find the right combination of starters and reserves for their offensive front. Dallas reportedly visited with Ajani Cornelius at Oregon’s Pro Day and with room to add another tackle to the mix, the experienced lineman could be a late-round target.
Round 6 | Pick 211 (compensatory)
Marques Sigle, S, Kansas State
Dallas has looked to Kansas State multiple times in the past two years for players (Cooper Beebe and Deuce Vaughn) and a coach (new offensive line coach Conor Riley), so there’s a level of familiarity with the program that could see another Wildcat or two head south. As Dallas auditions replacements for Jourdan Lewis in the nickel role, a hybrid safety like Marques Sigle could make sense later on Day 3.
Round 7 | Pick 217 (via TEN thru NE)
Cam Horsley, DT, Boston College
Round 7 | Pick 239 (via GB thru TEN)
Justin Barron, LB, Syracuse
Round 7 | Pick 247 (via KC thru CAR)
Ahmed Hassanein, EDGE, Boise State
With an offensive-heavy draft like this early, supplemented by secondary help, I could see the Cowboys using their seventh-round picks to bring players in to compete for reserve and developmental roles within the front-seven.
Defensive tackle Cam Horsley, linebacker Justin Barron, and edge Ahmed Hassanein have all reportedly visited with Dallas during the pre-draft process. Horsley is more of a run defender than a pass rusher, but is very experienced and could be a solid rotational add in the trenches. Barron is a versatile second-level defender and seasoned special teams contributor who has room to grow as a pro. And Hassanein is productive, high-motor pass rusher with developmental upside who would be the latest in a long pipeline from Boise State to Dallas and would notably be the first Egyptian player ever drafted into the NFL.
Jason Pruett
DRAFTPLEX