How Cowboys can come away with their best case draft class

DALLAS — The offseason doesn’t get much bigger than this week for the Dallas Cowboys, whose roster-building achievements are largely judged by how they do at the draft. They’re an organization that builds through the draft and keeps their best talent in-house; the first part of that strategy happens over three days beginning on April 24.

A good bounty of young talent can help set the Cowboys up for sustained success, a bad group of picks will keep the direction of the franchise heading south. The team has 10 selections to get right in hopes of turning a 7-10 season in 2024 into an afterthought, and helping the Cowboys return to the playoffs. 

The good news is that Dallas has been one of the better drafting teams in the league, and they routinely find the right players to help win games. However, last year’s haul wasn’t as promising in year one, so the Cowboys will need to be better this time around if they want a swift turnaround. 

With that in mind, here’s the optimal strategy for the Cowboys to utilize at the draft with the goal of improving the team: 

With four big needs and only three picks in the first three rounds – where teams normally find starting caliber players – Dallas needs to find a way to add an additional pick on Day 2. 

Presumably, that comes from trading out of the 12th overall selection without moving too far down to miss out on a premium talent. Anything past the 22nd overall pick is probably too much to ask, but the Cowboys could likely secure a second or third-round selection by trading back.

The tea leaves have the Cowboys selecting a wide receiver to play second fiddle to CeeDee Lamb, and they can probably still find that prospect after moving back. The opinions on who should be drafted as the first WR off the board vary, so the team could trade back and still be able to select either Tetairoa McMillan or Matthew Golden. 

However, it’s more likely that Emeke Egbuka or Luther Burden are their options, which would still be solid choices. Egbuka has a high floor and might be the most pro-ready WR in the draft, while Burden has the highest ceiling due to his athletic traits.

Trading back and getting any one of the top four WRs, while adding a Day 2 pick, is the ideal situation.

There aren’t many bigger weaknesses on the Cowboys after a secondary wideout target for Dak Prescott than at cornerback or defensive tackle. Both are major holes on the roster because of the team’s lack of talent and depth at both spots, so both need to be addressed early in the draft. 

After taking care of WR in the first round, the Cowboys should be thinking about drafting one of the top CB options with their second pick. Mississippi’s Trey Amos needs to be the selection if he’s still available with the 44th pick overall, but it feels like his stock has been rising recently and may not be an option.

If not Amos, the defense could take Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison, Kentucky’s Maxwell Hairston, or Florida State’s Azareye’h Thomas to boost the CB room. All are great prospects if Amos is off the board and each would represent a massive upgrade to a thin position.

The Cowboys have pick No. 76 in the third round, but presuming they trade back in the first, the team should have another pick in the second or third round. After drafting for two of their biggest needs with their first two selections, the team needs to find their answers at RB, or barring that, grabbing the best DT left.

The 2025 draft class is ridiculously deep at running back, so there should be a great option available to Dallas on Day 2, but the best-case scenario is one of the Ohio St. runners landing in the laps of the Cowboys. 

TreVeyon Henderson is the ideal candidate. However, his stock appears to be rising as well, so that doesn’t seem likely. Quinshon Judkins is no slouch either and would be a great selection in the third round. 

Central Florida’s R.J. Harvey is another high-quality option that would be an exciting choice, followed by Dylan Sampson and Damien Martinez. 

The other Day 2 pick should be used on a defensive tackle who can compete with Mazi Smith and Osa Odighizuwa for playing time in the trenches. In the second or third round, the Cowboys should be looking into Tyliek Williams from Ohio St. or Texas’ Alfred Collins. Few players fit Dallas better than Collins, and he’d be perfect somewhere on Day 2 in the draft.

There aren’t many DTs who can play the run like Collins, who could immediately help a defensive line that struggles against it.

With the Cowboys addressing their major needs on the first two days of the draft, they can use Saturday to hammer away at players who can add depth at pass rusher and linebacker. Finding the best athletes who have the potential to grow into starters at both positions would be ideal.

The defense doesn’t have much depth at defensive end after this season, so finding someone who can play on a rotational basis as a rookie, while growing into something more is necessary. The situation isn’t as dire at LB, but the team needs quality depth at the position.

Dallas also should find another RB who could be part of a committee or someone who offers change-of-pace qualities. There will be starting caliber RBs deep into this draft and the Cowboys should take advantage, setting up the RB room for the next handful of seasons.

There are no hard rules when it comes to the draft and the Cowboys should be ready to pick any player at any position if he’s the best hands down prospect available, which is how they landed Lamb in the 2020 draft. But the Cowboys do need to be ready to match their needs with the best players. 

This is their best strategy for optimal success, and the one they’ve deployed in recent years with good success. If the Cowboys play their cards right, make the right trade and come away with these four players to start the draft, they’ll be in a better position to turn things around quickly:

• Round 1: Emeka Egbuka/Luther Burden (McMillan/Golden if they’re lucky)
• Round 2: Trey Amos
• Round 2/3: TreVeyon Henderson
• Round 2/3: Alfred Collins

Any combination of that, or close to it, should have Cowboys fans doing backflips before Day 3 begins. Finding an athletic edge rusher and another RB later in the draft would complete the best-case scenario. Happy hunting, Cowboys.

What would your ideal draft for the Cowboys look like? Share your thoughts with Ben on X (formerly Twitter) @BenGrimaldi.