The Cowboys can ace this draft by trading back

This year’s class is short on blue chip players

The Dallas Cowboys landed themselves a premium draft pick this year, selecting 12th overall, but they’ve found themselves in an odd pickle: there are few players who seem to be home run picks in that range, barring a CeeDee Lamb-type slide.

Many have connected Ashton Jeanty to the team, though it’s hardly a guarantee he’ll be available. And draft experts seem to be significantly lower on this draft’s receiver class than initially believed, leaving it unclear what the right position to target at 12 would be.

This has, at least partially, led to some developing the opinion that the Cowboys should seek to trade up in the draft to ensure a blue chip prospect like Travis Hunter. Such a move wouldn’t be worth the squeeze, as we broke down recently, but there is another option that should emerge as the best way to ace this draft: trade down.

Pete Prisco may have actually exaggerated the number of sure-fire stars in this draft, too. Hunter and Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter are easily classified as blue-chip prospects, while the draft’s top quarterbacks will always go high just based on positional value.

Offensive tackles Will Campbell (LSU) and Armand Membou (Missouri) are likely to come off the board in the first 10 picks, as are Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham, Penn State tight end Tyler Warren, Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, and the aforementioned Jeanty.

That puts the Cowboys in an odd spot. They’re likely to have their pick of receiver prospects, but what if they don’t love Tetairoa McMillan at 12? Or what if they do, but McMillan comes off the board at pick 11, similar to what happened with cornerbacks in the 2021 draft?

That’s where the trade comes in so handy.

Dallas has traded back in the first round in two of the last four years, gaining immense value both times. In 2021, they moved back two spots and still landed Micah Parsons, who would be a sure-fire top five pick in a redraft today. They also netted Chauncey Golston because of the trade.

Last year, they moved back five spots and took Tyler Guyton, who many believe they would’ve drafted anyway if not for trading back. Because of the trade, though, they were also able to snag Cooper Beebe, who started all but one game at center as a rookie and finished 11th at his position in Pro Football Focus’ player grades.

Given the way this draft class stacks up, the Cowboys would be wise to focus on accumulating more draft picks rather than trying to land a blue-chip player at 12. They’ll be able to find players in the second, third, and even fourth (if they can get a pick there, of course) round that can round out this roster just as well as guys they’re likely to get in the first round.

Of course, trading down is easier said than done. It takes two to make a deal, and the Cowboys can’t force anyone’s hand in these kinds of negotiations. For the same reason the Cowboys should want to trade down, they’re unlikely to find any sweet deal prior to draft night as is.

That said, Will McClay has been a master of letting draft night come to him. After all, that’s how Lamb became a Cowboy. There’s no need to jump the gun and trade out of 12 right now, but the Cowboys ought to come into the draft fully ready to do just that. If one of those precious few blue-chip players falls to 12, hand in the card and get to celebrating.

Otherwise, find a trade partner and celebrate another year of maximizing value on draft night.