Notable headlines surrounding America’s team.
Latest draft rumor all but crushes Cowboys’ Ashton Jeanty dream- Jerry Trotta, The Landry Hat
Don’t get your hopes up if you’re wanting the Heisman contender at 12.
Cowboys’ Ashton Jeanty dream is fading as 2025 NFL Draft approaches
ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller is hearing that the Bears could take Jeanty at No. 10 if he slides past the Raiders at No.6.
“The Bears love Ashton Jeanty, according to scouts around the league who’ve observed the team’s activity this offseason,” Miller writes. “So the Boise State running back could be the pick at No. 10 … if he’s still around.”
That shouldn’t come as a surprise.
New Bears head coach Ben Johnson leaned heavily on the run game during successful tenure as Lions offensive coordinator. The Bears already have D’Andre Swift, but if you remember, Detroit drafted Jahmyr Gibbs No. 12 overall after signing David Montgomery in free agency.
While Chicago needs another pass rusher, they have two second-round picks. They could either let the board fall to them or use one of them to trade back into the first round. Many insiders are hearing that multiple teams may look to trade out of the first round.
The bottom line is it’s easy to envision the Bears taking Jeanty. The offense will need 2024 No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams to make a second-year leap, but the Boise State phenom is a match made in heaven with Johnson’s scheme. He figures to produce regardless of how Williams performs.
Could Cowboys target fast-rising DB in 2025 NFL Draft?- Tyler Reed, Sports Illustrated
Keep an eye on Maxwell Hairston.
Former Kentucky Wildcats cornerback Maxwell Hairston has been turning heads at every step of the NFL Draft process.
According to Next Gen Stats, Hairston reached a top speed of 24.25 mph during his second forty-yard dash time at the NFL Combine. That speed was good enough to be the fifth fastest speed by a player in the past three years, and the second fastest by a cornerback.
Hairston’s senior year in Lexington was marred by injury. However, during the 2023 season, Hairston led the SEC in interceptions with five.
With so many speedy wide receivers in the NFL, it is vital for teams to be able to match that speed in the defensive secondary. Adding Hairston would do just that.
Unfortunately, Hairston could go off the board in the first round. However, if he were to fall to the second round, the Cowboys should be very interested in selecting him.
Defensive Tackle Debate: Mazi Smith or a Rookie Draft Pick?- Mark Heaney, Inside The Star
There is still hope for Mazi Smith.
If you’re arguing in favor of another year of Mazi Smith, you have a fairly easy argument to make: he has shown progression, and it’s only his third season.
That isn’t an excuse either; we’re talking about a kid who is still just 23 years old with 20 NFL starts under his belt. Before that, Smith was a two-year starter at Michigan, so he’s only had a starting role three times since high school.
Because of this, Smith came into the league as a “raw” prospect. Everybody knew it then, which is why some criticized the pick, but now we’re shocked that he’s taken some time to be NFL-ready.
It has been a bumpy road. There is no denying that, but progress isn’t always linear, and he did take strides in 2024.
The simple fact that he was a starter for 17 games last year is proof. While he did play in each game of his rookie season, he could not have competed as a starter; it would have gotten ugly really fast.
Smith has taken the jump from backup to starter, and now it’s time to see if he can elevate past that.
Can you kick a former 1st-round pick to the curb without seeing if that next jump is possible?
Grading Cowboys first-round options: Trading up with 2025 resources- K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire
Jerry and Will McClay could be aggressive in getting their guy.
Trade Up with another 2025 pick(s)
The Cowboys are sitting at the No. 12 pick to start things off in a draft that’s widely considered weak. Theoretically, they should have a couple of options who are graded as first rounders, even though many see only 12-15 worthy prospects this year. The problem is the ones remaining when Dallas is on the clock may not be at positions that would be able to immediately contribute. There’s nothing wrong with taking the best player available (BPA), but we’ve talked over and over for the last decade that Dallas prefers a BPAPN approach: Best Player Available at a Position of Need.
That may warrant trading up to secure a specific target. In our estimation, there are only four prospects who would warrant spending that much draft capital to acquire: CB/WR Travis Hunter, DE Abdul Carter, DT Mason Graham, and RB Ashton Jeanty. Those four appear to be clear franchise-changing picks.
Dallas currently has the No. 12 pick (1200 points). Adding in their third rounder (No. 76) would add 210 points and could move them up to eighth (Carolina). Adding in their second rounder (No. 44) worth 460 points could get them to No. 6 (Las Vegas) with some change coming back or No.5 (Jacksonville). Adding in both gets them up to No. 4 (New England) with change.
Our Rating: A-
5 free agents the Cowboys could add before the draft – LP Cruz, Blogging The Boys
Maybe the selective aggression isn’t over yet.
Asante Samuel Jr.
Cowboys fans would remember Samuel as a pre-draft favorite leading up to the draft in 2021. The Cowboys had the opportunity to draft Samuel with the 44th pick that year but instead opted for Kelvin Joseph, who the team traded to the Miami Dolphins after two seasons. As for Samuels, he fared slightly better with the Los Angeles Chargers. Samuels has six career interceptions over his first four seasons in the NFL, including his first interception against the Dallas Cowboys.
Since the departure of Jourdan Lewis in free agency, the Cowboys need to get a slot cornerback. Samuel fits the role perfectly. His quickness and instincts to play the ball on underneath routes are ideal for the Cowboys. There are concerns about his injury history, which is why his market has been cool. Yet, last year was the only season he missed extensive time. If both parties are willing to commit to a one-year contract, it will benefit Samuel to rebuild his market for next season and give the Cowboys an adequate slot cornerback with the flexibility to draft one later in the draft.