The Dallas Cowboys are going to have a lot of different options available to them in this year’s draft based on the crop of talent and where Dallas is picking. Perhaps their best possible path forward is by trading back, thereby accumulating more value for a stacked class.
With that in mind, here is a full seven-round mock draft (crafted through the mock draft machine at Pro Football Focus) that explores the reality of the Cowboys moving backwards in the first round.
Round 1, Pick 12: ***TRADE***
It’s a repeat of 2021, as the Cowboys get on the clock just after seeing the 49ers take Tetairoa McMillan with the 11th overall pick. With the top receiver off the board, Dallas is suddenly working the phones. With Penn State tight end Tyler Warren still on the board, Indianapolis is eager to move up.
DAL gets: IND 1st (14th overall), IND 4th (117th overall), IND 6th (189th overall)
IND gets: DAL 1st (12th overall)
Best available: TE Tyler Warren, S Malaki Starks, CB Will Johnson, WR Luther Burden, RB Omarion Hampton, EDGE Mike Green
Round 1, Pick 14: ***TRADE***
Netting a fourth- and sixth-round pick to move back only two spots isn’t bad, but the Cowboys can do more. After Michigan’s Will Johnson comes off the board at 13, the Cowboys get another offer they can’t refuse, with the Chargers coming up for Texas A&M EDGE Shemar Stewart.
DAL gets: LAC 1st (22nd overall), LAC 3rd (86th overall), LAC 4th (125th overall)
LAC gets: DAL 1st (14th overall), DAL 5th (171st overall), DAL 5th (174th overall)
Best available: S Malaki Starks, EDGE Mike Green, WR Luther Burden, RB Omarion Hampton, DT Kenneth Grant
Round 1, Pick 22: Omarion Hampton, RB – North Carolina
Okay, finally the Cowboys make a draft pick, and it’s one they’ve been connected to already with the 12th pick. Many believe Omarion Hampton is the second best running back in this class, with someone even feeling he’s more physically gifted than Ashton Jeanty.
Hampton has a rare blend of size and speed, finishing fourth among all running backs in carries of 10+ yards and second in yards after contact. Hampton could step in as the Cowboys’ top rusher from day one, and landing him here after trading back twice would be a draft night dream come true.
Best available: S Malaki Starks, WR Luther Burden, DT Kenneth Grant, EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaka, TE Colston Loveland
Round 2, Pick 44: Shavon Revel, CB – East Carolina
The Cowboys infamously love taking risks with their second-round picks, and Shavon Revel can be the next one. An athletic specimen who stands above the rest at 6’3”, Revel entered the 2024 season as one of the top draft-eligible corners. He suffered a torn ACL just a couple weeks into the season, ending his college career.
If not for the injury, Revel would almost certainly be a first-round pick. His size, length, and athleticism will help him thrive in almost any scheme, but questions will abound regarding how much of that athleticism is still there. For the Cowboys, whose team doctor performed Revel’s surgery, they might have more confidence than most.
Best available: LB Demetrius Knight Jr., CB Trey Amos, EDGE Landon Jackson, EDGE Princely Umanmielen, RB Cam Skattebo, RB Dylan Sampson
Round 3, Pick 76: Tate Ratledge, OG – Georgia
The Cowboys want to get more physical in the trenches, especially in the run game, and they have an opening at right guard following Zack Martin’s retirement. You’d be hard pressed to find a better fit for that role than Tate Ratledge.
A three-year starter for the Bulldogs at right guard, Ratledge is a throwback type of mauler who has plus ability in pass protection, surrendering just two sacks in three seasons. The biggest knock on Ratledge is his athleticism, but his elite Relative Athletic Score suggests that concern is a bit overblown.
Best available: TE Mason Taylor, DT Vernon Broughton, LB Chris Paul Jr., WR Tre Harris, EDGE Elijah Roberts, RB RJ Harvey
Round 3, Pick 86: Tez Johnson, WR – Oregon
The Cowboys would surely have loved to get Tetairoa McMillan in the first round, but things just didn’t fall their way. Still, they add a talented pass-catcher into the fold for Dak Prescott, and someone who’s very familiar with new wide receivers coach Junior Adams.
Adams coached Tez Johnson for the past two years, during which he topped 2,000 receiving yards and caught 20 touchdowns. Johnson isn’t the biggest or strongest receiver, but his fluid route running and football savvy have earned him the descriptor of one of those guys who just gets open. Pairing that kind of skill set with the familiarity of Adams should only be a plus in Dallas.
Best available: DT Jordan Phillips, WR Tre Harris, S Kevin Winston Jr., RB RJ Harvey, RB DJ Giddens
Round 4, Pick 117: Barryn Sorrell, EDGE – Texas
The Cowboys have the best pass rusher in the NFL in Micah Parsons, and re-signing Osa Odighizuwa as the all-important 3-technique in Matt Eberflus’ scheme was big, but they still need extra juice. Dante Fowler is a known commodity, but finding a younger prospect to pair with him on the edge is ideal.
Barryn Sorrell offers plenty of pass rushing juice, having posted a solid 13.4% pass rush win rate to go along with his nine sacks and 49 pressures. At this point in the fourth round, that’s a bit of a steal when it comes to pass rushers. Sorrell was also an above-average run defender, though his value primarily comes on pass rushing downs.
Best available: QB Will Howard, TE Gunnar Helm, CB Cobee Bryant, EDGE Quandarrius Robinson, DT JJ Pegues
Round 4, Pick 125: Barrett Carter, LB – Clemson
The Cowboys need to improve their depth at linebacker given the uncertain status of DeMarvion Overshown for this upcoming season. They’ve already made some moves, signing Jack Sanborn and trading for Kenneth Murray, but expect Eberflus – a former linebacker himself – to look for his own guy in the draft.
From a physical standpoint, Barrett Carter checks all the boxes Eberflus looks for. He had a phenomenal 2022 season that ultimately raised the bar too high for himself, but Carter is reliable in both the run and pass game and has played a variety of roles on defense. The versatility will be key for Eberflus as he tries to install his scheme this season.
Best available: QB Will Howard, EDGE Quandarrius Robinson, CB Nohl Williams, RB Bhayshul Tuten
Round 5, Pick 149: Jackson Hawes, TE – Georgia Tech
Brian Schottenheimer wants physicality in the trenches, and the tight end position will be a big part of establishing that identity. Offensive coordinator Klayton Adams made extensive use of two and three tight end sets in Arizona, and it won’t be a surprise if a similar trend follows him to Dallas.
While Jake Ferguson is likely the top tight end, the Cowboys could use an old school blocking type like Jackson Hawes. He was a key cog in Georgia Tech’s run-heavy offense, and plays like a guard in a tight end’s body. He doesn’t offer much as a receiver, never surpassing 200 yards in a season, but Hawes can be a tone-setter as a TE3 for the Cowboys.
Best available: QB Dillon Gabriel, QB Quinn Ewers, RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt, S Billy Bowman, EDGE Tyler Baron
Round 6, Pick 189: Tyler Shough, QB – Louisville
Cooper Rush is no longer in Dallas, leaving the Cowboys wanting at the backup spot. Will Grier has plenty of familiarity in Dallas and with Dak Prescott, but the overwhelming expectation is that Dallas will find a new backup in the draft.
Tyler Shough will turn 26 just three weeks into his rookie year, and he played a total of seven seasons at three different schools in college. This past season at Louisville was really the first time he ever shined, but Shough showed off polish and poise uncommon for most rookies, making him an ideal QB2 target.
Best available: QB Kurtis Rourke, QB Brady Cook, TE Caden Prieskorn, DT Tim Smith, OT Jack Nelson, WR Antwane Wells Jr.
Round 6, Pick 204: Cam’Ron Jackson, DT – Florida
The Cowboys have made it this far without adding an interior run stuffer to their defensive line, which is sure to anger some. The truth is that Eberflus’ scheme doesn’t really need as many big bodies, and Mazi Smith showed more than enough down the stretch last year to enter 2025 as the top run defender inside.
Still, it’s nice to have extra beef, and Cam’Ron Jackson is certainly that. At 342 pounds, Jackson might actually have too much beef, but he posted an 80.9 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus and had a run stop rate that tied for 12th among defensive tackles in this class.
Best available: QB Max Brosmer, WR Dont’e Thornton Jr., RB Tahj Brooks, RB Ollie Gordon, RB LeQuint Allen
Round 6, Pick 211: Dean Clark, S – Fresno State
The Cowboys are hanging onto their safety tandem of Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson, and they also brought back both Juanyeh Thomas and Markquese Bell to offer ample depth, but Eberflus likes to have a bit more back there.
Dean Clark is your typical small-school, late-round grinder who makes a roster and feasts on special teams. He moved around a lot at Fresno State and made plays from everywhere, with one of the best forced incompletion rates among this safety class. He lacks top-end athleticism, but Clark offers ideal depth in the secondary.
Best available: RB Ollie Gordon, RB LeQuint Allen, C Jake Majors, S Alijah Clark, LB Teddye Buchanan
Round 7, Pick 239: Karene Reid, LB – Utah
Speaking of depth, the Cowboys can’t have enough of it at linebacker right now. This is usually the point of the draft where depth and special teams value pushes players to the forefront, and it’s exactly why Karene Reid is the pick here.
Reid possesses the ideal frame of an Eberflus linebacker, and he plays with the instincts of a seasoned veteran. At Utah, he was a force in the middle of a consistently elite defense, though Reid’s physical limitations give him a relatively low ceiling in the NFL. Still, his play style lends itself naturally to special teams.
Best available: QB Graham Mertz, RB Jo’quavioius Marks, WR LaJohntay Wester, DT Ty Robinson, LB Jailin Walker
Round 7, Pick 247: Xavier Truss, OT – Georgia
The Cowboys have learned as well as anyone in recent years the importance of depth along the offensive line. As they seek out physicality and power in the trenches under a new regime, Xavier Truss makes a lot of sense as a late selection here.
Standing at 6’7” and 320 pounds, Truss has plenty of force behind him and has played at every spot but center throughout his time at Georgia, though much of it came at right tackle. That versatility is valuable, though, and Truss’ mauler style of play makes him an ideal backup candidate.
Best available: LB Smael Mondon Jr., OG Joshua Gray, OG Clay Webb, RB Raheim Sanders, WR Zakhari Franklin
