Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the team could look into moving down in the 2025 NFL Draft based on the players expected to be available.
Jones appeared on 105.3 FM The FAN on Tuesday to discuss the upcoming draft, noting that the team will have plenty of options with the 12th overall selection in the first round.
The Cowboys’ general manager said he could “see a situation where we’d move down” in the draft, with that prediction coming “way the board’s coming together.”
“But you also look at that pick, and we’ve had some good things happen to us just outside of the top 10 with DeMarcus Ware, Micah Parsons and Zack Martin — Hall of Fame-type players — that fall to you, and you just pick them. That very well could be the case in this draft,” he said, per Cowboys.com.
Trading down could help Dallas acquire more draft capital. The Cowboys currently hold a total of 10 picks in the seven rounds.
Dallas is expected to evaluate offensive players with its first selection in the draft, with wide receiver and running back standing out as the most likely picks for the franchise.
Potential options with the 12th pick, or slightly lower, include Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III, and Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden.
While each of these players would be amazing fits based on the current construction of the Cowboys’ roster, multiple of these options could go before Dallas is on the clock.
Additionally, various players from this list could likely be available later in the first round, meaning Dallas could move down to pick up another draft pick while still selecting the desired prospect.
In a potentially surprising move, The Dallas Express‘ most recent mock draft has the Cowboys selecting Michigan cornerback Will Johnson with the 12th overall selection.
Cornerback is one of the team’s biggest needs on the defensive side of the ball, with Trevon Diggs expected to miss time to start the season and the future of the position having multiple question marks.
This mock draft contained no trades, and multiple players previously mentioned as potential options were unavailable. This could lead to Dallas electing to trade down and acquire more draft capital.
Dallas still has over one week to decide on the 12th pick, as the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, April 24th, at 7 p.m.