Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images Here is one way to go about fixing the Cowboys. With Brian Schottenheimer now taking over as the new head coach, and his coaching staff now filled, we are entering a new era for the Dallas Cowboys. The amount of unknown surrounding this organization is at an all-time high right now, not really knowing what to expect from the coaching staff or their plans for the offseason, but the one thing we do know is they have a lot of work to do and little time to do it. Due to the all of the unknown, all we can do right now is speculate what the Cowboys may do in both free agency and the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. By now we all have a pretty good idea of their most pressing roster “needs” and the fact that they could have upwards of $100 million in salary-cap space at their disposal, despite Stephen Jones insistence money will be tight. Today, we go step-by-step through the offseason and share the moves we’d like to see the Cowboys make to put themselves back into contention once again. We start with the players they should re-sign and the ones they should let go, then move on to free agency and the NFL draft. 3 contracts to renew, 2 to let go Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images Players to Re-sign DT Osa Odighizuwa Other than locking up Micah Parsons long-term, re-signing Odighizuwa should be a top priority for the Cowboys. The 3-technique is one of the most important positions in Matt Eberflus’ defense, making No. 97’s return all the more important. PFF contract projection: 4-years, $21.25m ($42.5m guaranteed, $85m total) DE DeMarcus Lawrence D-Law was off to a really good start in 2024 before a foot injury ended his season prematurely. Although he’s on the wrong side of 30, he’s still an ideal fit in Matt Eberflus’ defense and would provide some much-needed depth/experience to the position. PFF contract projection: 2-years, $7.5m avg/yr ($8m guaranteed, $15m total) CB Jourdan Lewis DaRon Bland is the only CB the Cowboys can count right now. Re-signing Jourdan Lewis would add much-needed depth and experience to the position as well as lesson the need to use a premium pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Spotrac contract projection: 2-years, $4.5m ($2.25m avg/yr) Players to let go S Donovan Wilson Wilson was a liability in coverage last season and could be a salary-cap casualty because of it. Dallas can save $5.35 million releasing him out right or $7 million by designating him a post June 1 cut. LB Damone Clark Clark continues to slide further down on the Cowboys LB depth chart and played just 14.76% of the defensive snaps in 2024. Unless Matt Eberflus believes he still brings value, Dallas can save a little over $3 million by releasing him. Free agent moves to make Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images LB Dre Greenlaw Greenlaw missed the majority of the 2024 season, but is still considered one of the top LBs available on the open market. He’s one of the best coverage LBs in the entire league and fits what Matt Eberflus likes at the position at either MIKE or WILL. PFF contract projection: 1-year, $6m avg/yr ($5m guaranteed, $6 total) DT Poona Ford The Cowboys are extremely thin at DT and Ford would provide some much-needed depth and a potential starter. He was one of the top graded DTs last year according to PFF and is a disruptive player who would fit in nicely in Matt Eberflus’ defense. PFF contract projection: 1-year, $3.5m avg/yr ($1.5m guaranteed, $3.5m total) RB J.K. Dobbins Dobbins has a well documented injury history, but when healthy is capable of producing like one of the top RBs in the league. He is a Texas native and at the very least would provide some much-needed depth in Dallas at an affordable price. PFF contract projection: 2-years, $3.5m avg/yr ($4m guaranteed, $7m total) 2025 mock draft after offseason moves (Mock draft database simulator) Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images 1.12 – *TRADE* Buccaneers trade up for EDGE Mykel Williams, Cowboys receive 1.18, 2.53 1.18 – WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State Egbuka could be the ideal Robin to CeeDee Lamb’s Batman. He is a savvy route runner and at 6’1″, 205-pounds, he can play inside or out. He is extremely QB-friendly and has a blue-collar mentality doing the dirty work as a blocker. 2.44 – RB Omarion Hampton, North Carolina Hampton is considered by some to be the best RB after Aston Jeanty in the 2025 draft class. He’s been one of the more productive backs in the NCAA the last few years and at 6’1″, 220-pounds he has the size and skill set to be a significant upgrade as the starter in Dallas. 2.53 – OL Jonah Savaiinaea, Arizona Savaiinaea (6’4″, 339) played both right and left OT at Arizona and has the length (34″ arms) to remain there in the NFL, but kicking inside to OG may be best for his long-term future. His OT/G versatility could give Dallas another Tyler Smith on the right side of their OL. 3.76 – S Kevin Winston Jr., Penn State If not for a season-ending ACL injury Winston likely would’ve been a top 50 pick. At 6’2″, 208-pounds, he is one of the top safety prospects this year and could be an immediate upgrade over Donovan Wilson on the back end of Dallas’ secondary. *TRADE* Cowboys send 5.170, 5.172, 5.174 to Falcons for 4.117 4.117 – CB Nohl Williams, Cal Even after re-signing Jourdan Lewis, CB is a concern with Trevon Diggs working back from a season-ending knee injury and with DaRon Bland in the final year of his rookie contract. Williams (6’1″, 200) is a playmaker with 7 INTs and 16 passes defensed just last season. 5.150 – EDGE Oluwafemi Oladejo, UCLA Landing Oladejo here in the fifth-round would be an absolute steal. He spent his first three seasons

Photo by Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images All the up to date news around the Dallas Cowboys. Matt Eberflus on focus of 2025 Cowboys defense: ‘We will take the ball away’ – Grant Gordon, NFL.com The Dallas Cowboys new defensive coordinator looks to continue what Dan Quinn emphasized in 2021—taking the ball away. “Pretty simple: we will take the ball away,” Eberflus said, via the Cowboys’ website. “That’s what we will do. We will stop the run, and we want to make exciting plays for our football team.” It’s an unsurprising answer from Eberflus, who was Dallas’ linebackers coach from 2011-2017 prior to a four-year stay as the Indianapolis Colts’ defensive coordinator and the Bears’ head coach for two-plus seasons. Trademarks of Eberflus’ defenses have been stopping the run, causing turnovers and bending, but not breaking. Generating turnovers has been his most consistent calling card. From 2018 through last season, Eberflus’ Colts and Bears squads ranked in the top 10 in takeaways in all but one season – 2022 with Chicago when it was 14th. Last season, the Bears, who finished the campaign sans Eberflus after his firing, were 10th in takeaways (24 total). They weren’t too far ahead of the Cowboys (12th with 22). After what amounted to a disastrous 4-8 start rife with agonizing losses, chaotic finishes and unfulfilled potential, Eberflus was let go by the Bears. Landing on his feet with the Cowboys wasn’t a major shock considering his past experience with the club. Thus, he returns to a familiar spot in Dallas and a familiar role in being a DC. “I was here seven years before, so I know the [Jones] family well,” Eberflus said. “I know the community, I know the fanbase, and it’s exciting to be back. That’s what excites me the most: the fan base, the players that we get to work with and in working with the Jones family and Brian Schottenheimer.” Klayton Adams opens up on working with Schottenheimer, offensive identity, more – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com Klayton Adams wants his players to play with violence. “For myself being a background of an offensive line coach, the opportunity to be a coordinator, to sit in that chair was important to me and had been a goal, something that I wanted to do at some point,” Adams said. “Being able to do it with the Dallas Cowboys is a huge, even bigger opportunity.” Adams’ role on staff is not to handle play calling duties, and instead assist Schottenheimer in constructing his gameplan each week. They haven’t worked together before in the past, so the time they spent together now is all about figuring each other out and getting on the same page. “Trying to mesh what the vision of what he wants is because he’s going to call the plays, and so I think it would be dumb on my part to try to force a lot of things on that call sheet that he doesn’t want to call or he doesn’t feel comfortable calling.” Adams said. “We’re really excited. I’m very excited to work with him and just to continue to learn each other a little bit… we’re going to get out into some practices and talk through some things and I’m going to see some things differently, he’s going to see some things differently, and it’s going to be a growing process.” A large part of that process comes down to the players. With Rico Dowdle becoming a free agent this offseason and uncertainty about what the offensive line looks like next year, there’s still a lot of work to be done when it comes to figuring out the pieces Adams and Schottenheimer will have to work with. That said, there are already some quality pieces in place in the Cowboys’ offense. “I don’t know that we’ve completely gotten that far yet,” Adams said. “We’re working hard to evaluate what we have here, I think that there’s a lot of nice pieces to work with and we’ll continue to go down that road as we work through player acquisition.” Jeffrey Lurie sets the example that Jerry Jones should be following – RJ Ochoa, Blogging the Boys If Jerry Jones follows the blueprint of the Philadelphia Eagles, it could lead to immediate success. That’s gross but a valid point. Consider that Lurie bought the Eagles just five years after Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys. Comparing which owner is more successful seems like a waste of time, but consider that the latter now only has one more title than the former. Albert Breer had a great piece about Lurie and his ownership of the Eagles relative to the success that they have had over the last decade. One part stood out where Lurie discussed finding financial liberty to keep the team competitive on an annual basis. “My philosophy is …” Lurie said, pausing for a second to consider the question. “You’re obviously trying to run a sound business, but I think success is determined by your success on the field and your success in the community. And so anything you can do to maximize those two, the value of the team is going to be appreciated more by your performance and your reputation in the community than anything else. It’s not going to be the EBITDA in a certain year, or two or three or four. “There’s a reason we just sold limited partnerships for the highest price in sports history. It wasn’t based on being the most profitable team at all. It’s based on the performance over time and the reputation in the community and the forecasting of where we hope to be able to sustain over the next multiple years. It’s much more than the financial bottom line. Now I guess you could get criticized by some Wall Street analysts, but we don’t operate that way. We just don’t operate that way.” Indeed, Lurie sold 8% of the Eagles in December to two family investment groups, with the valuation

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images What changes do you think the Cowboys should make to their tight end room? The Cowboys have a lot of work to do this offseason, but one position that might cut them some slack is at tight end. They already have five young prospects signed up for 2025, including a former Pro Bowler and a second-round pick entering his third season. Of all the roster spots on offense and defense, TE may be the only one where Dallas can afford to do nothing and rely on existing assets. Under Contract Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, John StephensBrevyn Spann-Ford, Princeton Fant This time last year, Ferguson was coming off being a Pro Bowl alternate and generally considered one of the rising stars among NFL tight ends. But with a knee injury in the 2024 season opener, a concussion in Week 11, and the loss of his starting quarterback, Ferguson’s third season never really got going. Despite only missing three full games, he often looked a step slower physically and never found the same chemistry with Cooper Rush that he’d enjoyed with Dak Prescott. With one year left on his rookie deal, Ferguson is going to be hungry to get back to 2023 form and clearly establish his worth before free agency. Arguably the most talented TE that the Cowboys have had since Jason Witten, he’s earned the chance to put last season behind him and return as the undisputed starter. And with Dallas needing to do some work at upgrading the WR room, trusting Ferguson to bounce back may be a necessity. If there was a benefit to Ferguson’s absences and issues last year, it was more opportunities for Luke Schoonmaker to show what he’s got. A 2023 second-round pick, Schoonmaker was almost invisible as a rookie but finally got enough work to show that he’s a capable NFL player with the potential to at least be a solid number two. Like trusting in Ferguson to bounce back, this is another test of faith as you’re counting on Schoonmaker’s third-year development to yield a strong player in a key supporting role. John Stephens Jr. has become the new Rico Dowdle in Dallas. A former wide receiver who’d bring position flex in the NFL, Stephens has been tracking toward a roster spot the last two years but suffered major injuries that have kept him out of real games. If healthy, he could be a valuable player providing depth at two positions and a helpful redzone target. But like we used to say with Dowdle, Stephens’ ability to actually stay healthy is the thing holding him back now. Brevyn Spann-Ford and Princeton Fant are other undrafted prospects from the last two years that the Cowboys have some hopes for. Spann-Ford was TE2 during Ferguson’s absences and otherwise appeared in every game. They haven’t done enough that the team wouldn’t consider some other options in free agency or the draft, but they wouldn’t be the worst options for the bottom of your TE depth chart. Free Agency Given what’s already in place, this doesn’t seem like a year that the Cowboys will worry about free-agent tight ends. Leaning on Ferguson and Schoonmaker will allow Dallas to have a total cap hit of about $6-$7 million at the position. Considering the likes of Travis Kelce and George Kittle make $15-$17 million per year just on their own, that’s a huge boon for the team’s overall cap management which they need to take advantage of while they can. Even if Dallas was interested in an upgrade through free agency, this is a bad year to need one. The best potential options are far from the elite; Mike Gesicki, Juwan Johnson, and Tyler Conklin being some of the top names. Even in a down year, Ferguson was still about as productive as those guys. And you’d like to think that Schoonmaker would be at least their equal with continued development. At most, maybe the Cowboys consider veteran depth as competition for Schoonmaker and to provide insurance against Stephens’ health or the development of Spann-Ford and Fant. But that signing would likely come later in the offseason, perhaps even after the draft, as Dallas rounds out its training camp roster. 2025 NFL Draft Unless the Cowboys have already decided against re-signing Ferguson in 2026, which seems unlikely, don’t expect them to spend an early pick at tight end. You’d only do that if you don’t see either Ferguson or Schoonmaker as TE1 beyond this year and want someone else in the pipeline. While some have mocked Penn State’s Tyler Warren to Dallas at the 12th pick, that feels like the wrong move given other roster needs. Unless there’s tremendous value presented on Day 2, look for Dallas to wait until at least the fifth round before adding any additional tight ends. Like the potential veteran addition discussed in free agency, this rookie would be here to fill out the depth chart, potentially upgrade your developmental pool, and perhaps push Schoonmaker for playing time early. Blocking ability and special teams work become critical for those down-roster prospects. Final Thoughts Faith is the keyword in this TE discussion. Do you still believe in Jake Ferguson as an offensive weapon? Do you trust Luke Schoonmaker to prove himself worthy of being a second-round pick? Are you confident in the other prospects to grow into reliable depth options? If so, you may not touch this position at all until after the draft. Between undrafted free agents and veterans still looking for work, you can grab a few more guys for Oxnard and see what shakes out. That strategy depends on Ferguson to get back to what he’s already shown before and for Schoonmaker to make that ever-assumed, but never guaranteed, third-year leap.

Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images Jerry Jones could not be farther away from the way an NFL owner should act if they care about winning. It has often been said that the NFL is a copycat league. People look to the way the successful teams are working and try to emulate it in hopes of having their own success. That is common sense. In the coming months we will see a lot of teams try to make themselves in the image of the Philadelphia Eagles and that makes sense given how Philly just dismantled the Kansas City Chiefs for their second world championship since 2017. The reality is that, as much as we hate them, the Eagles are a model franchise in modern times in terms of how they go about the football part of their business. That last sentence is important when talking about and assessing the Dallas Cowboys. The “football” of everything tends to get lost in the everything else which makes the thing that fans care most about seem to suffer. A drought, whether Stephen Jones wants to call it that or not, only reaches three decades for a reason. If the Cowboys are taking any page out of Philly’s playbook this offseason then there are a number of things to choose from. But chief among them, no pun intended, should be the way that ownership goes about caring for the football part of the operation. Jerry Jones could learn a lot from Jeffrey Lurie Maybe you care about the Cowboys being the most valuable professional sports franchise in the world. Around 10 years ago it was a cool thing to say and a weird point of pride. Obviously that has gotten old as the franchise has continued to falter. Bragging about the financial value of the team is sort of bragging about team ownership and that is something that sports fans rarely do; however, Eagles fans have every reason to brag about their ownership because Jeffrey Lurie seems to understand what they want. Consider that Lurie bought the Eagles just five years after Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys. Comparing which owner is more successful seems like a waste of time, but consider that the latter now only has one more title than the former. Albert Breer had a great piece about Lurie and his ownership of the Eagles relative to the success that they have had over the last decade. One part stood out where Lurie discussed finding financial liberty to keep the team competitive on an annual basis. “My philosophy is …” Lurie said, pausing for a second to consider the question. “You’re obviously trying to run a sound business, but I think success is determined by your success on the field and your success in the community. And so anything you can do to maximize those two, the value of the team is going to be appreciated more by your performance and your reputation in the community than anything else. It’s not going to be the EBITDA in a certain year, or two or three or four. “There’s a reason we just sold limited partnerships for the highest price in sports history. It wasn’t based on being the most profitable team at all. It’s based on the performance over time and the reputation in the community and the forecasting of where we hope to be able to sustain over the next multiple years. It’s much more than the financial bottom line. Now I guess you could get criticized by some Wall Street analysts, but we don’t operate that way. We just don’t operate that way.” Indeed, Lurie sold 8% of the Eagles in December to two family investment groups, with the valuation of the franchise coming back at $8.3 billion. That meant Lurie got $664 million, or roughly three-and-a-half times what he paid for the entire team in 1994, for a small percentage that, as he sees it, will allow him to continue investing back into the team. That last paragraph is the most important and perhaps the most telling with regards to the future of NFL franchises. The league is so popular and lucrative nowadays that while the worth of them continues to skyrocket, the idea that any one person or level of financial backing could support it all has grown to seem impossible. It is easy to understand how Lurie sold a minority share of the Eagles to generate some liquid cash that could be used to be aggressive relative to the current day team. That makes sense. Consider that this seems to be a philosophy that even the New York Giants – one of the league’s true Tiffany brands – are looking to sell up to 10% of their team. It is worth noting that the league only began to allow private equity firms to purchase stakes in teams (up to 10% so the Giants piece makes sense) late last year. This is a relatively new sector of the wild west that is these high financial waters. But Jeffrey Lurie is an example of being at the forefront of that and using it to his advantage in terms of on-the-field successes for the Eagles. Can any one of us imagine a world where Jerry Jones and Co. sell a minority stake in the Cowboys in an effort to generate some cash so that they can be equally aggressive? It sounds to be in the best interest of the team, but it involves adding more people to the mix which runs counter with the way the Cowboys have been run in the Jones era. Ultimately the Cowboys can hire whoever they want to be on their coaching staff and try to draft the best players possible. That may someday lead to a perfect lining up of things that sees them finally end this drought. But until the ownership starts acting with the same tenacity as others in the NFL, they are always going to start off behind everyone else. Or

Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images Mock draft season is in full swing. Just a little over two months stand between the Dallas Cowboys and the 2025 NFL Draft. Dallas has plenty of work to accomplish in these two months if they want to give themselves some flexibility come draft time. With the NFL scouting combine set to kick off in Indy on February 27th, we take a pre-combine look at what the first three rounds of the draft could look like for the Cowboys come April. For today’s mock draft, we will be using the Pro Football Focus simulator, which you can try out here. TRADE Dallas Cowboys trade pick 1-12 to the Arizona Cardinals for picks 1-16 and 3-78 Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images When we get on the clock at pick 12, there are plenty of intriguing prospects still on the board. Offensive playmakers Ashton Jeanty, Emeka Egbuka, and Luther Burden III are still available, as are talented defenders Benjamin Morrison and Mykel Williams. The Arizona Cardinals come calling and let us know they are interested in trading up for the 12th pick. While sticking and picking a player here is intriguing, there are enough prospects of interest still available that we know we’ll still get a quality player if we move back four spots. Arizona accepts a deal, sending us their 16th and 78th pick to move up to number 12. (Cardinals selected Mykel Williams) Round 1, 16th Overall With the 16th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft the Dallas Cowboys select… Emeka Egbuka, Wide Reciever, Ohio State Photo by Steve Limentani/ISI Photos/Getty Images (Other players available: Ashton Benjamin Morrison, Kenneth Grant) When we get back on the clock at pick 16, both Ashton Jeanty and Emeka Egbuka are still available. It’s a tough pick between the two, but with how deep this year’s running back class is, Egbuka makes more sense as the selection. The Ohio State wide receiver is one of the more polished players in the entire draft class and will be able to impact Dallas’ offense immediately. Egbuka excels at creating quick separation to get open, something every receiver on the Cowboys’ offense besides CeeDee Lamb struggled with last season. The 22-year-old would complement Lamb in Dallas’ offense, making him a great selection at pick 16. Emeka Egbuka plays the slot and movement receiver role in Ryan Day’s Ohio State offense. He impacts the game with football IQ, savvy route-running, and run-after-catch ability. Egbuka defeats both man and zone coverages playing at his own pace and tempo. He has an NFL game and skill set that should translate fairly well. Egbuka wins quickly in and out of his breaks in man coverage. He has sharp plant steps at the breakpoint to generate ample separation. He can break inside or out with little wasted movement. Egbuka works the middle of the field effectively and efficiently as a reliable target for his QB. He runs the horizontal plane and route tree well—shallow crossers, deep overs, and dig routes. Egbuka understands leveraging and how to attack the DB’s leverage point. He sets defenders up with stutter steps, hesitations, and head fakes before snapping off his routes. He is a quick-game specialist and will thrive as a chain-moving threat. He gets to his spot with quickness and efficiency in a timing-based passing offense. Round 2, 44th Overall With the 44th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft the Dallas Cowboys select… Omarr Norman-Lott, Defensive Tackle, Tennessee Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images (Other players available: Jahdae Barron, Dylan Sampson, Tyler Booker) We are back on the clock at pick 44, searching for another immediate-impact player. Right off the bat, Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron, who is still available, catches our eye. The talented nickel corner could be a perfect Jourdan Lewis replacement and could be a true difference-maker on Dallas’ defense. While Barron is an intriguing selection, there’s another player who could fill an even more significant need on Dallas’ roster created by a potential free agent departure. That guy is Tennessee defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott. Cowboys’ starting 3-technique Osa Odighizuwa is set to hit free agency this March. After a career year, there’s a good chance Odighizuwa prices himself out of a return to Dallas. If he is to depart, Norman-Lott would be the perfect replacement. The Tennessee product was one of the best pass-rushing defense tackles in all of college football last season, posting a 30.8% True Pass Set Win % via Pro Football Focus. Notable 2025 iDL True Pass Set Win % (PFF) :Omar Norman-Lott 30.8Derrick Harmon 26.5Aeneas Peebles 25.5TJ Sanders 21.2Mason Graham 20.8Darius Alexander 20.4Rylie Mills 18.9Walter Nolen 18.8Alfred Collins 15.5Kenneth Grant 15.1Deone Walker 14.7Tyleik Williams 10.8 — Billy M (@BillyM_91) January 17, 2025 Norman-Lott has the size and quickness to become a dominant interior pass-rusher in the NFL. Having him on the inside would help take some pressure off Micah Parsons and would be a welcome addition to Dallas’ front seven. Dallas is known to take some big swings in the second round, and selecting Norman-Lott would be no different. If he hits, the big defensive tackle could be one of the steals of the draft. Round 3, 76th Overall With the 76th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft the Dallas Cowboys select… Quinshon Judkins, Running Back, Ohio State Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images (Other players available: Chris Paul Jr., Marcus Mbow, Devin Neal, Darius Alexander) When we get back on the clock at pick 76, three players at positions of need stick out on the board. Linebacker Chris Paul Jr., running back Quinshon Judkins, and offensive tackle Marcus Mbow are all players that could fill a need on Dallas’ current roster. The trade with Arizona gives us two of the following three selections, so there’s a chance we could get two of the three players if things fall our way. While all three prospects are intriguing, the one we could least afford to lose is

Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images Who is your favorite first-round prospect? The 2025 NFL Draft is still a couple months away, but the preparation for the big event is in full swing and has been for the Dallas Cowboys for over a month now. By now we all have a pretty good idea of exactly what their roster “needs” are, but what we don’t know is how free agency will play out or who they could have their eyes on with their first-round pick. Barring a trade, the Cowboys currently hold the 12th overall pick in the first-round of this year’s draft. Minus the 11 players who will be selected before they are on the clock, the Cowboys will still have numerous options who they could be targeting with pick No. 12, either standing pat or trading down. Today, we’re narrowing down those possibilities by looking at potential first-round prospects based on how they fit with the Cowboys. Some players simply make more sense than others and that could help narrow down the field as to who could end up in Dallas either with pick No. 12 or in a trade down scenario. OFFENSE Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images QB – None After signing Dak Prescott to a contract extension that made him the highest-paid player in the league, the Cowboys are definitely not in the market for a first-round QB. That’s a good thing, at least for this year, because the 2025 QB draft class isn’t a great one. RB – Ashton Jeanty, Boise State No shocker here. Ashton Jeanty is by far the best RB in the 2025 draft class and it’s not even close. He’s a favorite to be drafted with the Cowboys 12th overall pick this year and for good reason. It’s one of their biggest needs and he’s one of the few blue-chip players this year. WR – Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State Emeka Egbuka is probably the least flashy WR at the top of the draft class, but he’s also one of the most consistent and productive. He’s more of a trade down target for the Cowboys, but his ability to play inside or out would make him a great complement to CeeDee Lamb. TE – Tyler Warren, Penn State The Cowboys have more pressing needs than TE, however, Tyler Warren could be the top-ranked player on the board when they are on the clock. His do-it-all ability could take Dallas’ aerial attack to an entirely different level and also help take pressure off of CeeDee Lamb. iOL – Armand Membou, Missouri Armand Membou could be Tyler Smith 2.0 for the Cowboys, but on the right side of their offensive line. He could play either RG or RT depending on the circumstances of what happens at those positions. That RG/RT position flex could be invaluable for years to come. OT – Josh Simmons, Ohio State Prior to Josh Simmons’ season-ending knee injury he was flirting with OT1 status. If his medicals checkout he could claim that spot once again. He has the skill set to be a starting LT in Dallas, which would allow Tyler Guyton to move to his more natural RT position. DEFENSE Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images DT – Derrick Harmon, Oregon Even if they re-sign Osa Odighizuwa, Derrick Harmon could be in play with the 12th overall pick or if the Cowboys even traded down. He’s been one of the most disruptive DTs in the NCAA the past few years and has the versatility to play the 1- or 3-technique in Dallas. EDGE – Mike Green, Marshall Micah Parsons 2.0? Mike Green compares favorably to No. 11 in many ways and could be a consideration at pick No. 12. Although he doesn’t have the elite speed, Green is also a twitched up pass rusher with the bend/flexibility to capture the corner and finish at the QB. LB – Jihaad Campbell, Alabama As either a MIKE or WILL, Jihaad Campbell fits the parameters Mike Eberflus looks for in his linebackers. His size (6’3″, 245), sideline-to-sideline speed, and explosiveness in both the run and pass game make him an ideal fit. He could be a top trade-down candidate. CB – Jahdae Barron, Texas Unless Will Johnson is still on the board at No. 12, Jahdae Barron is arguably the best fit at CB for the Cowboys in the first round. He’s a Swiss Army knife DB who can play just about anywhere in the secondary and someone they could target after trading down. S – Malaki Starks, Georgia It’s unlikely Dallas uses pick No. 12 on a safety or even if they trade down, but if they did Malaki Starks would be a great fit. He’d immediately be an upgrade over Donovan Wilson or Malik Hooker and would add some much-needed playmaking skills on the backend.