Who will the Dallas Cowboys pick in the NFL Draft? 11 players to keep an eye on
The last time the Cowboys had the 12th pick in the NFL Draft, things turned out pretty well.
In 2021, they actually started the night with the 10th pick. But they made a trade with their division rivals, the Eagles, and moved down to No. 12 and took Micah Parsons.
Fast forward four years, and the Cowboys will start this draft night with the 12th pick. It's anybody's guess what they will do with it. Not even the guy who will be making the pick, Jerry Jones, knows what he will do with it.
What will Jerry Jones do?
He could take a wide receiver, running back, offensive lineman, edge rusher, defensive tackle, linebacker or cornerback.
Or he could trade the pick. That's eight different possibilities.
That's because this team has needs at every position group on the team, except kicker, punter, and long snapper. It's also because what the Cowboys do at the 12th pick depends on what the 11 teams picking before them do.
How deep is the 2025 NFL draft?
At the top of the draft, there are four players who most analysts would describe as elite prospects. After that, the draft is deep with a bunch of quality potential starters who may or may not turn out to be star players.
In other words, one team could have a player ranked seventh on its draft board. And another team could have that same player ranked 17th, or even 27th.
Tennessee will take Miami QB Cam Ward with the first pick. Heisman Trophy-winning Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter is the best player in this draft and will likely go second to Cleveland.
Penn State OLB Abdul Carter and Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty of Frisco Lone Star High School should follow closely behind.
Could Dallas land the hometown kid?
Inside The Star in Frisco, the belief is that Jeanty will be long gone by the time the Cowboys pick at No. 12. Otherwise, he would be a popular choice for Dallas.
If Jeanty were to slide past the Raiders at No. 6, there will be speculation that the Cowboys might trade up for him. However, since this team has so many needs and so few top-150 picks, they simply don't have the draft capital to trade up very far.
The more likely trade scenario would be to hope a team makes an offer where they can slide back a few spots in the first round and pick up an extra top-100 pick. So, let's narrow it down to the most likely first-round scenarios and put some names with positions. Who might the Cowboys pick at No. 12 or later in the 1st round?
Most likely first-round options for the Dallas Cowboys
Wide Receiver
There are three first-round possibilities to replace the departed Brandin Cooks:
- Tetairoa McMillan — Arizona — 6-4, 219-pounder with 4.53 speed averaged 16 yards per catch and scored 26 touchdowns as a three-year starter. A former high school football, basketball and volleyball star in California, McMillan has drawn comparisons to Tampa Bay's Mike Evans with his ability to win 50-50 jump balls.
- Matthew Golden — Texas — 5-11, 191 pounder had the fastest time at the scouting combine with a 4.29 40-yard dash. A transfer from Houston, Golden averaged 17 yards per catch and scored 9 TDs as the Longhorns advanced to the CFP Semifinals.
- Emeka Egbuka — Ohio State — The veteran leader of the national champion Buckeyes, this 6-1, 202-pounder was a three-year starter, totaling over 3,000 scrimmage yards and 26 TDs. Sources say he was the most impressive of all the pre-draft interviews the Cowboys conducted.
Defensive Line
Free Agent Departures (5): Demarcus Lawrence, Chauncey Golston, Carl Lawson, Linval Joseph, Carlos Watkins
Free Agent Arrivals(3): Solomon Thomas, Dante Fowler, Payton Turner
This is a very deep draft for defensive line prospects. Three first-round possibilities:
- Mykel Williams — Georgia — Only 20 years old, this 6-5, 267 pound defensive end with 34-inch arms was the National Defensive Player of the Year coming out of high school and played like it in the biggest games for the Bulldogs last season, despite being hampered much of the season by a high ankle sprain. He's a top run defender with tremendous upside as a pass rusher. Coaches love his toughness and high football character.
- Walter Nolen — Ole Miss — 6-3 ¾, 296-pound defensive tackle is an athletic, penetrating, disruptive force playing the 3-technique, accumulating 14 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in his lone season in Oxford. The No. 1 recruit in the 2022 class out of IMG Academy, he was considered a disappointment in his first two seasons at Texas A&M but showed more of his elite athleticism and potential at Ole Miss.
- Shemar Stewart — Texas A&M — No player tested better at the combine than this 6-5, 267-pound defensive end. He ran a 4.59 40-yard dash with a 40-inch vertical and 10-11 broad jump. His production at A&M didn't match his athleticism, as he registered only 4.5 sacks in three seasons. Cowboys Defensive Line Coach Aaron Whitecotton accompanied Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer on visits to the A&M and Ole Miss pro days to get an up-close look at both Stewart and Nolen.
Cornerback
The Cowboys need to replace the departed slot corner Jourdan Lewis, and Trevon Diggs' status is uncertain after knee surgery in January. Here are two first-round prospects:
- Will Johnson — Michigan — 6-2, 194-pound outside corner picked off nine passes in 18 starts for the Wolverines, allowing no TD receptions during Michigan's 2023 national championship season. Johnson missed six games last season with a turf toe injury and didn't test for scouts this spring due to a hamstring injury, leading some to question his speed. However, the tape, the production, and the intangibles are at the top of this class.
- Jahdae Barron — Texas — Versatile, mature 5-11, 194-pound Jim Thorpe Award winner from Austin ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds at the combine and has seen his stock soar this spring. A three-year starter, Barron picked off five passes last season and has experience playing in the slot, outside and at safety. Very bright, good communicator, should be able to contribute immediately and become a team leader.
Offensive Line
Future Hall of Famer Zack Martin retired, so there is an obvious need at right guard. Last year, the Cowboys used their first-round pick on left tackle Tyler Guyton and a third-rounder on center Cooper Beebe. Left guard Tyler Smith was the first-round pick in 2022. So, could they spend a first-round pick on an offensive lineman for the third time in four years? Well, they did it from 2011-14 with Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick and Zack Martin. Assuming LSU's Will Campbell and Missouri's Armend Membou go in the top 10 picks, the next tier includes these first-round possibilities:
- Tyler Booker — Alabama — 21-year-old 6-5, 321-pounder with 34 ½ inch arms was a team captain and started 25 games at left guard and one game at left tackle the last two years. He's a big, strong alpha male leader and says the late Cowboys Hall of Famer Larry Allen is his idol.
- Kelvin Banks — Texas — 21-year-old 6-5, 315-pound Houston native never missed a start, allowing only four sacks in 42 starts at left tackle the last three years. He won the Outland Trophy as the top lineman in the nation and could be a walk-in starter at right guard for Dallas.
- Grey Zabel — North Dakota State — 23-year-old 6-6, 312-pound 2-time FCS national champion started 38 games, 17 at right tackle, 16 at left tackle, and four at left guard. He displayed great athleticism at the combine (36 ½ vertical), but with 32-inch arms, he projects as an interior lineman in the NFL. Some analysts rank him as the top center prospect in this draft due to his football IQ.
Some are reading into what Jerry Jones said at Tuesday's Cowboys pre-draft press conference.
"We've had some success loading it up with top picks in the offensive line," Jones said. "I think it was our offensive line that was the bigger impact on the running back situation [last year]."
If it sounds like Jones is leaning toward taking an offensive lineman in the first round, just keep in mind this old NFL Draft adage: "How do you know an NFL GM is lying?"
His lips are moving.
