It’s mock draft season!
Watching the Philadelphia Eagles completely dominate the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl hopefully lit a fire under the Dallas Cowboys brass to change their philosophical approach to the offseason. This team currently has a lot of roster “needs” and will need to take full advantage of both free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft to build/upgrade their roster.
While being more active in free agency to bring in known and established players to be starters or add depth is something we highly encourage for the Cowboys, even though we all know they prefer to build their roster through the draft. They’ve been one of the better drafting teams in the league, but have struggled to find impact players recently.
Today, with the use of Pro Football Focus mock draft simulator, we attempt to predict how the Cowboys could use their picks in the first three rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft. We approached this with the mindset of committing to the running game, getting Dak Prescott another receiving weapon, and adding depth to the defensive line.
TRADE
Cowboys send 1.12 to Cardinals for 1.16, 3.78
1.16 (from Arizona) – OL Armand Membou, Missouri
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This pick is all about committing to the running game and protecting the highest-paid player in the league, QB Dak Prescott. Armand Membou has experience playing both RG and RT during his time at Missouri and is expected to bring that position flex to the NFL as well, something we all know the Cowboys place a high value on.
At 6’3″, 315-pounds with 34 inch arms, Membou would give the Cowboys another versatile offensive lineman similar to that of Tyler Smith. His ability to start at RG or RT would give Dallas the option to replace Terence Steele, making him a salary-cap casualty, or slide him into Zack Martin’s vacant RG position. He could be an invaluable piece moving forward.
2.44 – RB Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
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Again, this pick is all about committing/upgrading the running game. While it’s true the 2025 RB draft class is a deep one, without a fourth-round pick the Cowboys would be wise to strike early to upgrade their rushing attack and Kaleb Johnson has the ability to do just that. He checks all of the boxes NFL teams look for in a starting running back.
At 6’0″, 225-pounds, the former Iowa Hawkeyes RB has the prototypical size the Cowboys look for in their RB1 and the ability to be a complete three-down back. He has a rare blend of physicality, speed, and elusiveness, but it’s his vision and patience as a runner sets him apart from a lot of the RB draft class. He has big-play potential at the next level as a starter.
3.76 – WR Isaiah Bond, Texas
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It wasn’t long ago Isaiah Bond was considered a surefire first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but a down season last year at Texas negatively impacted his draft stock. For a team like the Cowboys who are in desperate need of adding more weapons to their aerial attack to help both Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, this could be an absolute steal.
At 5’11”, 180-pounds and still just 20 years old, Bond has the talent to be an impact weapon in the passing game despite a down year in 2024. He has the tools needed to be a three-level threat as well as the speed, explosiveness, and flexibility to be a YAC demon. With little more development, he could be one of the best WRs from this draft class.
3.78 (from Arizona) – DT Darius Alexander, Toledo
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Forget about the small school mantra, Darius Alexander was not only hard to handle throughout his career at Toledo, but backed up his play against some of the best offensive lineman in the country at the Senior Bowl. He could be someone Dallas’ new DC could pound the table for to upgrade and add some much-needed depth to the defensive line.
Matt Eberflus likes his defensive lineman to be big, long, and fast. That makes Darius Alexander an ideal prospect. At 6’3″, 310-pounds with 34 inch arms and a wingspan of 82 inches, the former Toledo DT definitely checks all the boxes. If that wasn’t enough, he’s capable of starting as a rookie as either a one- or three-technique in Eberflus’ 4-3 scheme.
