DALLAS — The 2024 NFL draft is knocking on the door and the Dallas Cowboys have put a lot of eggs in their roster improvement basket on the outcome. With seven total picks, the team is armed with a full arsenal of selections, but they have two deficiencies as the draft approaches.
After a year where they won their division and made the playoffs, they earned a first-round pick in the mid-20s, not exactly a great spot for landing a top prospect. It’s a minor issue since their current selection at 24 overall should be a starter, but his impact might not be the same as someone drafted in the top 15.
The bigger problem is the team lost five starters and they only have three premium picks – selections in the first three rounds – to offset the losses. They traded a fourth-round pick last offseason to the San Francisco 49ers for quarterback Trey Lance and do not own a choice in that round. For a team that has multiple needs, missing a pick anywhere puts them in a tough position.
However, the Cowboys can help themselves by trading back and acquiring extra picks to help boost their draft capital. The team has never been shy about pulling the trigger to trade on draft night and this could be another case of Trader Jerry (Jones) working the phones. Dallas almost moved back last year, and they’ll certainly entertain the possibility for trading in this draft.
If the Cowboys want to deal, they do have the luxury of having some of the more aggressive teams in the league behind them and those teams could be willing to give up later picks to move up to 24th overall. To keep the fifth-year rookie deal contract option on their first selection, the Cowboys likely won’t move out of the first round, but it’s possible if Jones gets the right deal.
Here are the likeliest teams and scenarios where the Cowboys could get a deal done and move back from their first-round draft slot:
Kansas City Chiefs: Cowboys get 32nd (first round) and 95th (third round) picks overall
It wouldn’t be surprising for the Chiefs to call as the two teams nearly had a deal done last year, but the Cowboys decided not to make the move and selected Mazi Smith with their top pick at No. 26 in the first round.
The #Chiefs called the Cowboys and offered them a third rounder to trade up to the 26th spot in the NFL draft. Obviously, the Cowboys decided to stay put and selected DT Mazi Smith.
— Chiefs Hive (@chiefshive) August 25, 2023
The Chiefs have always been an aggressive type, moving up for a player they covet, and the Cowboys would be getting back a third-round selection to give them another opportunity to fill a hole on their roster.
One downside is the Chiefs appear to be looking for offensive line help, which is also a spot the Cowboys are trying to upgrade. Moving back eight spots is a gamble, but Dallas has a need for more quantity in the draft class and Kansas City makes a solid partner.
Baltimore Ravens: Cowboys get 30th (first round) and 93rd (third round) picks overall
The Ravens are one of the most complete teams in the league with a history of draft success, but they could be looking for one of their missing pieces to put them over the top at No. 24. That could be a wide receiver to supplement Lamar Jackson’s weapons or someone to bolster their offensive line, both of which are also needs for the Cowboys, so it would be a risk to move down six spots.
However, this would be a more enticing trade than with the Chiefs, as it helps to gain two more spots in the first and third rounds. A less dramatic drop feels more palatable for the Cowboys to swallow.
San Francisco 49ers: Cowboys get 31st (first round) and 94th (third round) picks overall
It’s always a bit tougher to do deals with teams you’re competing with and expected to battle in the playoffs every season, but like the Ravens, the 49ers only need a few pieces to round out their team. Perhaps they see a key player available with pick No. 24, allowing them to make the move to trade with a conference rival and give up a third-round selection to sweeten the deal.
The two teams made a similar deal in 2013 when the Cowboys moved back and picked their future All-Pro center Travis Frederick and got a third-round selection in the exchange, which turned out to be useful wide receiver Terence Williams.
Dallas won’t get quite as high of a third-round pick as before, but gaining another third rounder would help the team’s cause. The mid-draft pick from San Francisco would also refund the selection that the Cowboys gave up for Lance, but a round better.
Carolina Panthers: Cowboys get 33rd (second round) and 65th (third round) picks overall
This is an intriguing alternative that offers the Cowboys more options. Although they’d lose the fifth-year option granted to first-round draftees, they’d also get the first picks in the second and third rounds. That would allow the team a whole day to deliberate on who to pick with the first selection on Day 2 of the draft, as well as continue to field offers to trade the 33rd pick overall and possibly acquire even more draft assets.
Although there’s more flexibility with this trade, it gives an organization that tends to overthink things an entire day to do just that before the second day of the draft kicks off. It would also give the Cowboys a much better pick in the third round, a close to 30 pick difference in round 3 is a huge gap that could benefit the team in terms of available talent.
These are four quality and realistic options for the Cowboys, who annually have chances to trade back, but haven’t done so recently. The team turned down opportunities to trade back during the last two years but, with multiple holes on the roster, Dallas does seem more likely to accept similar offers this time around. They’ll need to find a team willing to trade up, which doesn’t feel like it should be a problem.
The only question is, are the Cowboys ready to risk taking a step back for more shots at a deep 2024 draft? That’s something Jerry Jones and company will have to answer over the coming days with the draft set to begin on April 25.
Do you think the Cowboys should trade down in the first round of the NFL draft? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
