It’s no secret that the Dallas Cowboys’ offense took a turn for the worse in 2024. With both QB Dak Prescott and WR CeeDee Lamb stuck in negotiations all offseason, the passing game was not firing on all cylinders to start the year. WR Brandin Cooks struggled through the start of the season dealing with a knee injury, and with third-year WR Jalen Tolbert failing to step up, things never gelled before Prescott was lost for the year with a hamstring injury.

Cooks is now a free agent, and the offense will look a lot different with head coach Mike McCarthy not returning. The Cowboys will need some help to augment their passing game, and based on picking No. 12, wideout is going to be a position often assigned to them in mock drafts.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper feels similarly. In his first mock exercise of 2025, he wedded Dallas to Missouri WR Luther Burden III.

12. Dallas Cowboys – Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri

Yes, it’s a mock draft without Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty going to Dallas! I think it’s possible the Cowboys will take Jeanty, and there’s no arguing that they need a boost to the run game. But I imagine they’d first try to fix that hole in free agency. And regardless, this team has to find playmakers all over, period.

Putting Burden’s valuable after-the-catch ability opposite CeeDee Lamb would open things up for Dak Prescott. Dallas has been looking for a reliable one-two receiver punch in the offense for a while; it hasn’t had two WRs over 700 receiving yards since 2021, when Amari Cooper was still in town. Burden has the explosive traits to change that.

Kiper isn’t the only one who feels strongly about the pairing. On Thursday, Pro Football Focus went to work identifying the perfect 2024 draft prospect for each of the NFL’s 32 teams. Burden was the match for Dallas there as well.

The Cowboys definitively have needs along their defensive roster, but Jerry Jones is as concerned with the Cowboys brand as much as he is winning and wants that brand to be exciting and on our television screens as much as possible, so adding an explosive offensive weapon to pair with CeeDee Lamb would do just that.

While CeeDee Lamb played about half of his snaps out wide and half in the slot, Burden has played over 80% of his snaps out of the slot over the past two seasons. Burden is dangerous with the ball in his hands. He can be used on jet sweeps and screens to quickly get the ball to him and allow him to use his incredible acceleration to generate big plays. Burden has 25 touchdowns over the last three seasons, including four rushing touchdowns.