The Dallas Cowboys are no strangers to calculated risk. As the 2025 NFL Draft looms, that calculated approach could come in the form of a strategic trade down from their current position in the first round. Executive Vice President Stephen Jones has remained clear-eyed about the team’s priorities heading into a critical offseason, and according to league sources, the Cowboys are strongly considering a trade-down scenario that would allow them to stockpile picks in what Jones has described as “one of the deepest drafts we’ve seen in years.”
It’s a philosophy that walks the tightrope between pragmatism and ambition. After a 12-win season that ended with another playoff disappointment, the Cowboys enter the draft with a talented, yet aging, core and glaring needs across the offensive line, running back depth chart, and even at linebacker. With limited cap space and questions surrounding the future of cornerstone contracts, the Cowboys’ brass appears more interested in volume and versatility than making a splashy, headline-grabbing move.
Jones, who has served as the bridge between the vision of his father, team owner Jerry Jones, and the scouting acumen of personnel chief Will McClay, emphasized the importance of striking value when he spoke to reporters earlier this month. “There are difference-makers in this class,” he said. “But you don’t have to be picking in the top ten to find them. If you’re smart and patient, you can come out of this draft with three, four guys who change your team for the next five to ten years.”
That belief is echoed throughout The Star in Frisco. Behind closed doors, sources indicate the Cowboys have identified between 18 and 22 prospects with immediate starting potential—players they would be thrilled to bring into the fold if the board breaks the right way. But with Dallas currently slated to pick at No. 24, there’s a growing consensus that a slide back into the early second round could allow them to add another Day 2 pick, increase their draft capital to potentially move up in later rounds, or simply give themselves more darts to throw at a class that offers legitimate value deep into Day 3.
“This year, it’s not about that one big name,” one team source said. “It’s about five or six guys who can plug in right away, contribute, and grow into something special.”
That’s a marked shift from recent years, where Dallas stood pat and leaned into the star power of prospects like Micah Parsons, CeeDee Lamb, and Tyler Smith. While those picks have paid dividends—especially in the case of Parsons, who has become the face of the franchise—there’s also an understanding that the Cowboys’ roster isn’t quite in the same position it was two or three seasons ago. Injuries, free-agent departures, and the weight of big-money contracts have created roster holes that can’t be filled by one blue-chip talent.
And so, the front office turns its gaze toward the middle of the board.
From a pure roster-building standpoint, the logic is sound. Dallas has pressing needs at left tackle, where Tyron Smith’s departure has left a void that must be addressed. They need help at center, where the competition currently features unproven options. They need running back depth after losing Tony Pollard to the Tennessee Titans. And they desperately need an injection of youth at linebacker and defensive tackle to support a defense that too often wore down late in games.
“We’ve got to build it back from the ground up, in some ways,” Jones admitted. “You’re always trying to balance win-now mode with what the future looks like. But we believe if we do this right, we can still do both.”
Doing it right might mean trading with a quarterback-needy team eager to leapfrog competition for a signal-caller on the back end of the first round. The Cowboys have reportedly received interest from multiple teams in the 28–35 range, who are open to sending second- and third-round picks in exchange for No. 24. While no deal is imminent, Jones and McClay are carefully watching how the quarterback dominoes fall, particularly with the potential for four to five quarterbacks being taken in the top 20.
The more signal-callers that come off the board early, the more likely talented linemen, defensive backs, and pass rushers will slide—furthering the Cowboys’ case for a trade-down. One scenario that’s gained traction involves a team like the Washington Commanders, who currently hold two second-round picks, packaging one of them to move back into Round 1. The Cowboys, already deep into internal evaluations on linemen like Duke’s Graham Barton, Arizona’s Jordan Morgan, and Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson, would be more than content landing one of those players early in the second round and adding another premium pick in the process.
Dallas is also known for its strict adherence to its draft board. Since McClay began leading the Cowboys’ draft process, they’ve consistently selected players with high athletic traits and clean medicals, often waiting on prospects to fall to them rather than reach for need. A trade-down would allow them to stay true to that philosophy while collecting assets that could help them address depth and special teams needs in later rounds.