What do you think would have to happen for the Cowboys to find a trade-back partner in the first round?
The Dallas Cowboys have a very important decision to make when they are on the clock in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. It’s unclear in which direction they go as there are a few different things they could do that would help their team. One of those things is trading back.
Trading back would be helpful in giving them more draft capital to address more areas on the roster rather than putting all the pressure on those first three picks. But for the Cowboys to do that, they’ll need a trade partner. And every year, the landscape of the draft creates entirely new scenarios that dictate what type of trade opportunities exist. What could we expect in this draft?
That is what the crack staff of the Cowboys drafting department will try to figure out as they play through as many scenarios as they can to get a feel for what could go down on draft day. We don’t have the manpower or draft prowess to pull off such a task, but it won’t stop us from at least exploring a few hypotheticals. What could happen this year that could open up a trade-back scenario for the Cowboys? Before we get to that, let’s first identify what won’t trigger it.
Trading up for a quarterback
Normally, the thing that shakes up the first round for trades is the need for a quarterback. This season, there are five teams in the market for a new quarterback. Here are those teams and where they pick in the first round:
- Tennessee Titans #1
- New York Giants #3
- New Orleans Saints #9
- Pittsburgh Steelers #21
- Los Angeles Rams #26
There are two top-tier quarterbacks in this draft. They are Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shadeur Sanders. They both are expected to go in the top 10. That means the Titans and Giants are in the best position to get a new quarterback, with the Saints next in line should one of them go another direction.
Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart is the only other quarterback expected to go in the first round, but he is projected later, with his most possible landing spot being Pittsburgh. If the Rams want to jump the Steelers to steal Dart, they would only need to move inside the top 20 picks, but not as far as 12. Factoring in all these things, the quarterback sweepstakes is not likely to have any impact on the Cowboys.
So, if that won’t create a trade-back opportunity, what will? Here are four other scenarios that might create some opportunities for movement.
Last chance to get an elite offensive tackle
There are three offensive tackles expected to go in the top 10. They are LSU’s Will Campbell (Patriots at #4), Missouri’s Armand Membou (Jets at #7), and Texas’ Kelvin Banks (Bears at #10). But after those three, there’s a gap in talent, with the next best option being Ohio State’s Josh Simmons, who is projected to go to Houston at pick 25.
If one of them (most likely Banks) makes it out of the top 10, the next best landing spot will be the Miami Dolphins at pick 13. There are a couple of teams who might be interested in jumping Miami to get a premier LT, and they are the Arizona Cardinals (pick 16) and Seattle Seahawks (pick 18). For the Cardinals, moving up four spots would cost them 200 points according to the NFL Trade Value Chart, equivalent of the 78th overall pick in the draft, which conveniently lies with Arizona.
This is just an example, and because OT is one of the biggest needs of the Dolphins, it creates a small window of opportunity for a trade-down scenario for the Cowboys.
Last chance to get an elite cornerback
The same kind of situation is present at cornerback. The three top guys, Colorado’s Travis Hunter, Michigan’s Will Johnson, and Texas’ Jahdae Barron, are projected to go early, but after that, there’s a gap. If the right guy falls, there could be a team that is interested in making a deal.
Fans might remember that this is the exact scenario that played out last year when Alabama’s Terrion Arnold slid to 24. The Lions wanted him, and the Cowboys were able to squeeze out an extra third-round pick. It’s hard to know if the interest in a corner will be there, but this talent gap creates the possibility.
Someone has to have their receiver
Wait? Aren’t the Cowboys a team that is in the market for a receiver? The answer is yes. And if the receiver the Cowboys want is still there at 12, they’ll make the pick. While we all think there is a natural order between Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan, Texas’ Matthew Golden, Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka, and Missouri’s Luther Burden, how teams view those players is subjective. We witnessed this first-hand when Henry Ruggs and Jerry Jeudy were taken before CeeDee Lamb in 2020.
If the Cowboys don’t believe a particular receiver is worth the 12th overall pick, but another team does, it could provide an opportunity to swing a deal. Seattle (pick 18), Denver (pick 20) and both Los Angeles teams (picks 22 and 26) have needs at wide receiver.
Someone loves Jihaad Campbell
The draft is about supply and demand, and there is only one linebacker ranked inside the top 50. That player is Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell. While off-ball linebacker isn’t a premium position that initiates big trades, teams will do it if they feel it’s their last chance to get a good player at a position of need. The Jacksonville Jaguars did exactly that when they traded up to select Utah LB Devin Lloyd in 2022. That year, Lloyd and Georgia’s Quay Walker were the top guys and Walker had already been selected by the Packers. Rather than settle for the next tier, the Jags made their move.
With Campbell being the only star linebacker in this draft class, the supply is low. He’s been projected to a handful of different teams, such as Indianapolis (pick 14), Atlanta (pick 15), Cincinnati (pick 17), and Tampa Bay (pick 19). If a team wants to get ahead of the others, it could look for a chance to trade down.