3-round Dallas Cowboys mock draft features a first-round trade

Mock draft season is in full swing.

Just a little over two months stand between the Dallas Cowboys and the 2025 NFL Draft. Dallas has plenty of work to accomplish in these two months if they want to give themselves some flexibility come draft time.

With the NFL scouting combine set to kick off in Indy on February 27th, we take a pre-combine look at what the first three rounds of the draft could look like for the Cowboys come April.

For today’s mock draft, we will be using the Pro Football Focus simulator, which you can try out here.

TRADE

Dallas Cowboys trade pick 1-12 to the Arizona Cardinals for picks 1-16 and 3-78

Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images

When we get on the clock at pick 12, there are plenty of intriguing prospects still on the board. Offensive playmakers Ashton Jeanty, Emeka Egbuka, and Luther Burden III are still available, as are talented defenders Benjamin Morrison and Mykel Williams. The Arizona Cardinals come calling and let us know they are interested in trading up for the 12th pick.

While sticking and picking a player here is intriguing, there are enough prospects of interest still available that we know we’ll still get a quality player if we move back four spots. Arizona accepts a deal, sending us their 16th and 78th pick to move up to number 12. (Cardinals selected Mykel Williams)

Round 1, 16th Overall

With the 16th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft the Dallas Cowboys select…

Emeka Egbuka, Wide Reciever, Ohio State

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(Other players available: Ashton Benjamin Morrison, Kenneth Grant)

When we get back on the clock at pick 16, both Ashton Jeanty and Emeka Egbuka are still available. It’s a tough pick between the two, but with how deep this year’s running back class is, Egbuka makes more sense as the selection.

The Ohio State wide receiver is one of the more polished players in the entire draft class and will be able to impact Dallas’ offense immediately. Egbuka excels at creating quick separation to get open, something every receiver on the Cowboys’ offense besides CeeDee Lamb struggled with last season.

The 22-year-old would complement Lamb in Dallas’ offense, making him a great selection at pick 16.

Emeka Egbuka plays the slot and movement receiver role in Ryan Day’s Ohio State offense. He impacts the game with football IQ, savvy route-running, and run-after-catch ability. Egbuka defeats both man and zone coverages playing at his own pace and tempo. He has an NFL game and skill set that should translate fairly well.

Egbuka wins quickly in and out of his breaks in man coverage. He has sharp plant steps at the breakpoint to generate ample separation. He can break inside or out with little wasted movement. Egbuka works the middle of the field effectively and efficiently as a reliable target for his QB. He runs the horizontal plane and route tree well—shallow crossers, deep overs, and dig routes. Egbuka understands leveraging and how to attack the DB’s leverage point. He sets defenders up with stutter steps, hesitations, and head fakes before snapping off his routes. He is a quick-game specialist and will thrive as a chain-moving threat. He gets to his spot with quickness and efficiency in a timing-based passing offense.

Round 2, 44th Overall

With the 44th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft the Dallas Cowboys select…

Omarr Norman-Lott, Defensive Tackle, Tennessee

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(Other players available: Jahdae Barron, Dylan Sampson, Tyler Booker)

We are back on the clock at pick 44, searching for another immediate-impact player. Right off the bat, Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron, who is still available, catches our eye. The talented nickel corner could be a perfect Jourdan Lewis replacement and could be a true difference-maker on Dallas’ defense.

While Barron is an intriguing selection, there’s another player who could fill an even more significant need on Dallas’ roster created by a potential free agent departure. That guy is Tennessee defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott.

Cowboys’ starting 3-technique Osa Odighizuwa is set to hit free agency this March. After a career year, there’s a good chance Odighizuwa prices himself out of a return to Dallas. If he is to depart, Norman-Lott would be the perfect replacement. The Tennessee product was one of the best pass-rushing defense tackles in all of college football last season, posting a 30.8% True Pass Set Win % via Pro Football Focus.

Norman-Lott has the size and quickness to become a dominant interior pass-rusher in the NFL. Having him on the inside would help take some pressure off Micah Parsons and would be a welcome addition to Dallas’ front seven.

Dallas is known to take some big swings in the second round, and selecting Norman-Lott would be no different. If he hits, the big defensive tackle could be one of the steals of the draft.

Round 3, 76th Overall

With the 76th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft the Dallas Cowboys select…

Quinshon Judkins, Running Back, Ohio State

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(Other players available: Chris Paul Jr., Marcus Mbow, Devin Neal, Darius Alexander)

When we get back on the clock at pick 76, three players at positions of need stick out on the board. Linebacker Chris Paul Jr., running back Quinshon Judkins, and offensive tackle Marcus Mbow are all players that could fill a need on Dallas’ current roster.

The trade with Arizona gives us two of the following three selections, so there’s a chance we could get two of the three players if things fall our way. While all three prospects are intriguing, the one we could least afford to lose is the running back, making Quinshon Judkins the selection.

The Ohio State product is a physical runner who would bring strength and intensity to Dallas’ running back room. Here’s what Lance Zierlein had to say about the running back.

Judkins is a productive runner possessing good size and great contact aggression. His running style is both urgent and a bit chaotic. He runs with good burst inside but is more collision-based than wiggle-oriented when maneuvering through the lane. He’s efficient on runs outside the tackle box, but he has a tough time outracing pursuit to create explosive runs. He is wired and built for a heavier carry count and short-yardage success, but the disparity in yards per carry between Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, despite running behind the same line, is telling. Judkins might need to be paired with a slasher, but he has the ingredients needed to become a three-down RB1.

Whether or not the Cowboys bring back Rico Dowdle, Judkins would be an excellent addition to Dallas’ offense and would be able to make a significant impact from day one.

Round 3, 78th Overall

With the 78th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft the Dallas Cowboys select…

Marcus Mbow, Offensive Tackle, Purdue

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(Other players available: Azareye’h Thomas, Jalen Royals, Deone Walker, Tate Ratledge)

The Patriots selected linebacker Chris Paul Jr. with the 77th pick, making this selection easy for us. Mbow is an outstanding athlete who figures to play guard at the NFL level after playing tackle at Purdue. He would be a perfect replacement for Zack Martin and could immediately slide in as Dallas’ starter at right guard.

Here’s what Lance Zierlein had to say about the Purdue product.

What Mbow lacks in desired size and mass, he makes up for with athleticism, hustle and elite instincts. He is likely to head back home to guard after two years manning right tackle for Purdue. He’s a free-flowing athlete with the ability to create chunk-run opportunities with blocks on the second level or in space, but he’s also willing to swap paint with aggressive first contact. His tendency to let his hands drift outside and a lack of mass could be early stumbling blocks in both blocking phases. Mbow’s smarts and athleticism should help upgrade an offensive line-needy team that utilizes a move-blocking scheme.

The move-blocking scheme Zierlein mentions fits perfectly with Dallas’ new offensive coordinator, Klayton Adams’s run scheme. Mbow’s athleticism and ability to make blocks in space would make him a great fit under Dallas’ new OC.

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