Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Thanks to Tyron Smith for everything. We have another big piece of news to signify the end of an era for the Dallas Cowboys. After Zack Martin announced his retirement from the NFL earlier this offseason, former Cowboy Tyron Smith will do the same. BREAKING: Eight-time Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith is retiring after 14 seasons in the NFL. Smith will sign a one day contract on Wednesday to end his career as a member of the #Cowboys, with a press conference to follow at 2 P.M. CT. More: https://t.co/dEciUYlODr pic.twitter.com/9REUGxdfPm — Tommy Yarrish (@tommy_yarrish) April 15, 2025 The Dallas Cowboys announced a press conference tomorrow at 3 PM EST. The expectation is that long-time Cowboy Tyron Smith, like Martin, will announce his retirement from the NFL. He is expected to sign a one-day deal so he can retire as a Dallas Cowboy. Smith is a decorated player who likely will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. He has been named to eight Pro Bowls in his career and garnered five All-Pro selections, and was a member of the 2010’s All-Decade Team. Smith was a member of the Cowboys’ second coming of the Great Wall of Dallas and was an integral member teams featuring Tony Romo in 2014, and Ezekiel Elliott’s and Dak Prescott’s ascension to premier rookies in 2016. Tomorrow, another All-Time great in the history of Dallas Cowboys’ offensive lineman calls it a career.

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images The Cowboys absolutely have to hit on their second-round pick this year. In our Monday discussion prompt here at BTB we discussed how it is very unlikely that the Dallas Cowboys will do something in the first round that will upset us. The second round, on the other hand, is an entirely different story. Consider the last 10 players who the Cowboys have taken in the second round: 2024: Marshawn Kneeland 2023: Luke Schoonmaker 2022: Sam Williams 2021: Kelvin Joseph 2020: Trevon Diggs 2019: Trysten Hill 2018: Connor Williams 2017: Chidobe Awuzie 2016: Jaylon Smith 2015: Randy Gregory This list is questionable at the very best. We still have high hopes for Marshawn Kneeland and Sam Williams has shown flashes but is coming off of a torn ACL, and obviously Trevon Diggs is also coming back from a knee issue. Ultimately the point here is that you have to really reach to constitute the second round as a success for the Cowboys in recent history. When we discuss what the Cowboys have done in the first round in the same span then there are plenty of positive things to say. But hitting in the second round is clearly more of a challenge and therefore one that the Cowboys have to take seriously this year. To this point, the Cowboys even hold the 12th overall pick in this year’s draft. No one is saying that overseeing a draft is an easy thing, but again making sure you get a playmaker when you have a pick that high is clearly less difficult than doing so at 44 overall which is where the team’s second-rounder lies. This season (and every honestly) it would be more impressive for the Cowboys to show up and show out in the second round. They are due to say the least. Let us know if you agree in the comments below.

Think you can figure out which Cowboys player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game! Hey Cowboys fans! We’re back for another day of the Blogging The Boys in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form. If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article. Previous games Monday, April 14, 2025Sunday, April 13, 2025Saturday, April 12, 2025 Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games NFL in-5MLB in-5MMA in-5 Blogging The Boys in-5 instructions The goal of the game is to guess the correct Cowboys player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it. After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form. Enjoy!

Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images Could Trevon Diggs miss the start of 2025? While the Dallas Cowboys have kept a relatively optimistic tone publicly regarding Trevon Diggs’ injury, sources close to the situation suggest the reality might be more complicated. Diggs, who suffered a torn ACL two seasons ago, is currently rehabbing for a cartilage surgery the cut short his 2024 season. There are signs that his recovery is not progressing as quickly as hoped. Some within the organization fear that the injury could linger well into the 2025 season, raising concerns not just about his availability for training camp but also about his readiness for the early portion of the schedule. Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones said last week that there’s a “good chance” Diggs (knee) “may not be available” come Week 1, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. His explosive style of play, which relies heavily on agility and burst, makes a complete and confident return especially challenging after such a serious knee injury. This issue raises huge concerns for the cornerback position in Dallas, but also the monumental price tag Diggs carries after he was given a $97 million contract extension. Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs to undergo surgery (knee), could be out up to eight months. (via @RapSheet) pic.twitter.com/HLZ2SigYtg — NFL (@NFL) December 16, 2024 We had the chance to get a a clearer picture of the situation when we spoke with longtime Cowboys insider Mickey Spagnola who works deep inside The Star at Frisco. According to Spagnola, the expectation at this point is that Diggs could start training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. If that holds true, it means Diggs would miss critical time ramping up in camp, time that’s essential for re-establishing chemistry with the defense and getting live reps. More importantly, a stint on PUP during training camp could carry over into the regular season, potentially forcing him to miss games as the Cowboys open their 2025 campaign. While nothing is official yet, Spagnola’s take underscores that the situation may be trending in a more cautious, and possibly more prolonged, direction than the team has hoped. pic.twitter.com/Kg6zkiwYeh — Mike Poland (@kenfigkowboy) April 13, 2025 If the team is feeling the same thing, you have to ask the question whether this changes the direction they will go during the draft, and is pick 12 going to be a cornerback? This season’s draft class at the cornerback position is less than ideal when it comes to depth and there’s a high demand for the position this year. With that being the case, along with issues of depth for Dallas, this could force the team to address the position early, putting calls for running back and wide receiver in doubt. Here was the #Cowboys CB room before the Kaiir Elam trade: Daron BlandTrevon Diggs (major knee injury)Caelen Carson (major shoulder injury)Josh Butler (torn ACL)Kemon Hall (ended season on IR)Andrew Booth (bad) — Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) March 12, 2025 Spagnola did add some positive news on the injury front. He told us that Dak Prescott is looking healthy and strong, and also that Sam Williams has worked out all season and is looking strong, ready to take on the challenge of the 2025 season. He noted that both these players were the furthest along in terms of condition and health. We got an injury update when we spoke to Mickey Spagnola on @the_worlds_team Sam Williams and Dak Prescott were noted as the furthest long and most game ready. That’s good news for both players and exciting to start seeing them return as the team gets ready for early practices.… pic.twitter.com/T9296I3sK1 — Mike Poland (@kenfigkowboy) April 13, 2025

Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images ‘The Beast’ could help shine light on the Cowboys potential draft targets. Christmas came early for many of us when Dane Brugler of The Athletic released his 2025 NFL Draft guide, “The Beast”. This source of information is arguably the most thorough and in-depth draft guide available and is an essential tool for the biggest event of the offseason, which is now just a little over a week away (April 24-26). How could it apply to the Dallas Cowboys? While Dallas’ draft rankings may vary from “The Beast” to some degree, it’s safe to assume they’ll both be pretty similar. Here are some takeaways from the guide as it relates to Dallas. First-round grades According to Dane Brugler, only 13 players have a first-round grade for him in the 2025 draft class. That seems to be the consensus conclusion for many scouts and other personal people around the league, emphasizing the lack of top-level talent available this year. Brugler also assigned an additional 22 players with a 1st/2nd-round grade, bringing the total to 35 who could be first-round draft picks. With the 12th overall pick in the first round, it’s reasonable to believe the Cowboys will draft one of those first-round graded players. Cowboys targets at No. 12 Barring a surprise trade, staying put at No. 12 is looking more and more likely. That’s not necessarily a bad thing for the Cowboys. Several of Brugler’s first-round graded players should still be on the board. CB/WR Travis Hunter, Colorado EDGE Abdul Carter, Penn State RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State DT Mason Graham, Michigan EDGE Jalon Walker, Georgia OT Will Campbell, LSU OT Armand Membou, Missouri TE Tyler Warren, Penn State EDGE Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M EDGE Mike Green, Marshall TE Colston Loveland, Michigan WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona QB Cam Ward, Miami Of these 13, it’s safe to assume Cam Ward isn’t of interest to them and Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter will also more than likely be gone by the time Dallas is on the clock. And, given the nature/value of the QB position, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Sheduer Sanders and possibly Jaxson Dart as Top 10 picks, pushing some of this talent further in Dallas’ lap. Top 100 The Cowboys currently hold three picks in the Top 100 (12, 44, 76). About the only position we can probably rule out in the first three rounds is quarterback. Dak Prescott is the unquestioned QB1 with the Will Grier and Joe Milton, who they recently traded for, competing to be his backup. Every other position is probably in play to some degree. Let’s take a look at potential targets by position according to “The Beast”. Running back Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders were added to the roster in free agency, but neither is really considered RB1 material at this point in their careers. While this is a deep RB draft class, drafting one in the first three rounds seems highly likely for the Cowboys. Dane Brugler has a total of nine RBs in his Top 100, headlined by Ashton Jeanty (3), who may or may not still be there for Dallas at No. 12. After that, keep an eye on Omarion Hampton (29), Kaleb Johnson (44), TreVeyon Henderson (46), Quinson Judkins (60), Dylan Samson (74), Jordan James (77), RJ Harvey (93), and Trevor Etienne (95) for the Cowboys. Wide receiver Finding a WR2 to pair with CeeDee Lamb and to give Dak Prescott another reliable target in the passing game looks to be a priority. They traded a 2025 fourth-round pick last year for WR Jonathan Mingo and added Paris Campbell via free agency, but neither look to be a clear upgrade over Brandin Cooks so far in Dallas. “The Beast” has a total of 12 WRs in the Top 100 who could be of interest to Dallas. Tetairoa McMillan (12), Matthew Golden (15), Luther Burden (27), and Emeka Egbuka (28) could be first-round targets. Jaylin Noel (42), Jayden Higgins (45) make sense in the second round and Jalen Royals (63), Tre Harris (65), Jack Bech (72), Isaiah Bond (88), Elic Ayomanor (90), and Kyle Williams (91) in the third round. Tight end Although the Cowboys look to be in good shape at TE right now, we can’t completely rule out them drafting one in the Top 100. Jake Ferguson is coming off a down season and entering the final year of his rookie contract and Luke Schoonmaker has yet to live up to his second-round draft status. If Dallas does draft a TE, Tyler Warren (8) and Colston Loveland (11) makes a little bit of sense at No. 12 if they are the top-ranked players on the board. After that Mason Taylor (33), Elijah Arroyo (41), Terrance Ferguson (75), Harold Fannin (82), and Gunnar Helm (97) rounds out the TEs Dane Brugler has ranked in the Top 100. Offensive line Due to Zack Martin’s retirement and the uneven play of Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele last year, both of which are projected to start in 2025, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Cowboys decided to try to upgrade the offensive line by using one of their three picks in the Top 100. Brugler has a total of 17 offensive lineman in his Top 100 rankings. He has nine tackles, six guards, and two centers ranked in that range. However, several of those players have the versatility to play different positions that he has them listed at. Whether it’s an OT or iOL, there should be several options for Dallas to select from if they so choose. EDGE Defensive end may be an underrated roster “need” for the Cowboys. Micah Parsons’ future still hangs in limbo until Dallas signs him to a contract extension, Marshawn Kneeland is still a bit of an unknown, and Sam Williams is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Drafting a DE early is very much in play. “The Beast” has a surprising amount of EDGE rushers

Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images The Cowboys need to add a wide receiver talent in this draft, but how they go about it is important. The Dallas Cowboys must come out of the 2025 NFL draft with a good wide receiver. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to convince you that the team spun its wheels when trying to find a quality complementary receiver for CeeDee Lamb. In recent years, the team has used the draft, free agency, and even trades to find the missing piece, but each time, they have come up short. If you looked back over the last several years, you might be surprised to see just how much the Cowboys have struggled with this. In each of the last eight seasons, the team has had a completely different player finish as the WR2. Not one duplicate! YEAR WR2 YARDS ALPHA 2024 Jalen Tolbert 610 CeeDee Lamb 2023 Brandin Cooks 657 CeeDee Lamb 2022 Noah Brown 555 CeeDee Lamb 2021 Amari Cooper 865 CeeDee Lamb 2020 CeeDee Lamb 935 Amari Cooper 2019 Michael Gallup 1,107 Amari Cooper 2018 Cole Beasley 672 Amari Cooper 2017 Terrance Williams 568 Dez Bryant What is interesting about the above list is that it highlights how ineffective the team has been at assembling their WR group during this span. Even the three years of quality WR2 play depict multiple circumstances when the team was clearly caught off guard. Released Dez Bryant in 2018, left undermanned, traded for Amari Cooper CeeDee Lamb fell into their lap in 2020, and suddenly they have two alpha’s Released Cooper in 2022, left undermanned once again The Cowboys have a star receiver in Lamb. He’s locked up for the next four years and should continue to produce at a high level. But as the last few seasons have shown us, Lamb is not enough. The team must have a secondary receiver who can pose some level of threat for the defense. The team has Jalen Tolbert on the roster, who is entering the last year of his rookie deal. He is coming off a much-improved season, but his time in Dallas is likely coming to an end soon. The front office also acquired Jonathan Mingo at the trade deadline last year, but like Tolbert, he’s been essentially invisible in his first two years in the league. There is nothing about either of these guys that would lead anyone to believe that they can be a quality WR2. So, for the Cowboys to find answers, they must look to the draft. That appears to be their focus. If you look at their pre-draft visitors thus far, four of their top ten ranked players are wide receivers. Not only does it appear they are looking at receivers, but they are doing so early as the players on this list are all first-round candidates. If the team is serious about upgrading wide receiver, there’s a good chance we see them select a pass-catcher on Day 1. But then the question is, which one? Pick 12 – TMac or the Golden boy? Tetrairoa McMillan The Arizona star has been lighting up the stat sheet over the past couple of seasons. He’s a playmaker who has a lengthy frame, wide catch radius, and outstanding ball skills. And when he gets the ball in his hands, he has a knack for getting away. But he’s also a basic route runner who lacks a physical presence or break-away speed. He’ll dazzle with some impressive catches, but is he a game-changing player, or does he even need to be? Matthew Golden Moving on to another type of receiver, Texas’ Matthew Golden is another playmaker, but he goes about it a little differently. His route running is much more refined as he plays with both a purpose and the athleticism to create separation. His body tracking and hands rival Tet, and similarly, he’s a threat after the catch. Golden doesn’t have great size, but he’s a burner who will threaten opposing defenses. Trade back – lower the risk with an extra pick Emeka Egbuka In each of the last three drafts, Ohio State has produced four, count them, four wide receivers selected in the first round – Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Marvin Harrison. This year, the Buckeye factory of pass-catchers will produce Emeka Egbuka, who had the privilege of playing with all four of those guys his freshmen season. As you might expect, he checks off all the boxes from size, speed, ball-tracking, to overall football intelligence. He’s just really good at a lot of things. Luther Burden There might not be a more exciting player to watch on tape than Missouri’s Luther Burden. Athletically, he comes with all the bells and whistles. He has a good combination of size and speed and is the most make-you-miss-after-the-catch receiver in this draft class. He shows great quickness to elude and nice focus to come away with the ball in traffic. His underwhelming production last year and questionable mental makeup has some raising eyebrows, but talent alone, he’ll be as splashy as they come. I am not a draft scientist, but there are two things in my notes about this year’s first round WRs: 1. All WRs are outside my top 10 players.2. WR1 and WR4 aren’t that far apart. If I’m the Cowboys, and I’m committed to WR on Day 1, I’m looking to trade back. pic.twitter.com/K5bOXSGYFG — Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) April 13, 2025

Tim Heitman-Imagn Images The first round, in all likelihood, seems like it will go well for the Cowboys. This is our last week without the NFL draft which means that it is either going to be quite dull or insanely entertaining. Let’s hope for the latter. NFL teams are putting the final touches on their plans for next week’s events and it stands to reason that the Dallas Cowboys feel pretty comfortable with theirs. They better, at least. Something that feels like it has become obvious over the last couple of months as we have gotten closer and closer to the draft is that it is hard to envision a scenario in which we are not relatively pleased with the result of the first round for the Cowboys. Obviously it is possible in a literal sense, but if we assume things go at least relatively chalk then I imagine an overwhelming majority of the fanbase will wake up next Friday morning refreshed, pleased and ready to go again. Maybe my read on the situation is wrong. Perhaps you believe there are a lot of lurking landmines for the Cowboys in the first round specifically. Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Think you can figure out which Cowboys player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game! Hey Cowboys fans! We’re back for another day of the Blogging The Boys in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form. If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article. Previous games Sunday, April 13, 2025Saturday, April 12, 2025Friday, April 11, 2025 Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games NFL in-5MLB in-5MMA in-5 Blogging The Boys in-5 instructions The goal of the game is to guess the correct Cowboys player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it. After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form. Enjoy!

Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images If the Cowboys don’t land a wide receiver in the first round, they might find their answer one of these two midwest pass catchers. The Dallas Cowboys need to come out of the 2025 NFL Draft with a new wide receiver to pair alongside CeeDee Lamb. Failure to do so will mean another season of aggravation as we’ll spend way too much time complaining about the disappointment of Jalen Tolbert or how silly the front office was for giving up a draft pick to trade for Jonathan Mingo. Nobody wants that. While all eyes are on the coveted 12th overall pick as the draft resource that lands the Cowboys a new wideout, there are no guarantees it will happen. There may be a “blinking light” talent not named Tetairoa McMillan or Matthew Golden that the team absolutely must have in the first round. If that happens, that puts a lot of pressure on round two to come away with a good receiver, as things get riskier the longer they wait. Iowa State’s Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel are two players expected to be taken in the second round. While they are different types of receivers, there are similarities as they’re competitiveness and high-character nature make them a plus for any team. And only 11 yards separated these two last year, so both are appealing options and could be in the mix for the Cowboys if they target a receiver in round two. Jayden Higgins Measureables: Age = 22 years, Height = 6’4”, Weight = 214 pounds, Speed = 4.47 Higgins is one of college football’s best-kept secrets. His journey started at the FCS level, playing for Eastern Kentucky his first two years. His talent was evident, and he moved up to the FBS level, joining Iowa State for his final two years. He got better each year, finishing his final season with 87 catches for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns for the Cyclones. With prototypical size and speed, Higgins is one of those box-checkers who isn’t exceptional at any one thing but good at so many things. As a former basketball star, he possesses nice athleticism. While his route-work is unrefined, he does display nice footwork and does a good job in and out of his release. Higgins’ pass-catching is a strength as he’s an excellent ball tracker with soft hands. If you throw it his way, he usually comes down with it. He’s not a big YAC guy, but he does have a little wiggle to him to extend plays. He’s a savvy receiver who does a good job of finding creases and quickly turns around to look for the ball. He plays with a purpose and is a guy who wants to make all the plays. Jayden Higgins is a safe pick with untapped upside. He’s smooth, he’s savvy, and he’s an excellent ball tracker. He might be one of the quietest Day 2 values of this WR draft class.pic.twitter.com/MeKe25mZLG — Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) April 12, 2025 Where he fits with the Cowboys: Higgins is one of the safest receiver picks in the draft. While his ceiling might be questioned, he has all the physical tools and mental makeup to be an effective contributor to any offense. Similar to Lamb, Higgins is a versatile player who can line up anywhere, giving the Cowboys a lot of options. Dak Prescott loves guys who go where they’re supposed to go and who can haul down contested passes, and Higgins can do both of those things. Consensus Board Rank: 49 Dane Brugler Big Board Rank: 45 Jaylin Noel Measureables: Age = 22 years, Height = 5’10”, Weight = 194 pounds, Speed = 4.39 Noel’s journey at Iowa State started sooner than Higgins as he’s been there all four years of college. He was even there during Brock Purdy’s final season in college, although his production, some might say, was irrelevant as he only had 269 yards and never found the end zone. Higgin’s improved each of his next three seasons, culminating an impressive final year where he finished with 80 catches, 1,184 yards, and eight touchdowns. While Higgins projects as a well-rounded jack-of-all-trades receiver, Noel is mostly viewed as a slot specialist. He’s undersized at just 5’10”, but he doesn’t play like it as his strength and body control allow him to be a legit fighter for the ball. Like Higgins, Noel is a cerebral player, will attack defenders, and uses his quickness and sharp route-running to create separation. But the big reward with Noel is his explosiveness. His 4.39 speed makes him dangerous in the open field, and he will annihilate defenders if he gets a chance. Jaylin Noel is an explosive slot guy who will run away from defenders, but he has some sneaky good physicality to his play. Don’t let his size fool you. pic.twitter.com/hpgLsyVJm4 — Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) April 12, 2025 Where he fits with the Cowboys: While Noel does offer some ability to play on the outside, his strength is in the slot, and this is where he’ll be used the most. There’s enough flexibility to do a little mix-and-match to keep defenses guessing, but he’s more likely to fill into a complementary role whose explosiveness will provide big rewards from time to time. Consensus Board Rank: 64 Dane Brugler Big Board Rank: 42