It is impossible to project the chaos that is the NFL Draft. You never know when a CeeDee Lamb or Micah Parsons will fall right into your lap. That is precisely why Dallas Cowboys fans want the team to draft the best player available with the No.
12 overall pick. If you were to ask Dak Prescott what he wants, though, he might want the team to play it safe and just take a wide receiver. The closer we've gotten to Thursday night, though, the more the tea leaves are saying that Dallas wants to trade back.
While moving down might end the Tetairoa McMillan fantasy, it won't ruin the team's hopes of landing a new starting pass-catcher. That is exactly the scenario that played out in our final mock draft. Final Dallas Cowboys 2025 NFL Mock Draft Trade: Using PFF's mock draft simulator, the Cowboys acquire picks No.
20 and No. 51 from the Broncos in exchange for the 12th pick and 149th pick. Round 1, Pick 20: Matthew Golden, WR, Texas Golden is clearly high on Dallas' draft board.
The war room might not feel comfortable moving all the way back to the 20th pick if he's there at No. 12, but WR is not a courted position in this draft. It is not crazy that Golden could slide all the way to the back half of the first round.
Regardless, landing Golden, whom Dallas would happily take at No. 12, while picking up an extra second-round pick eight picks later would be a steal. Golden doesn't play as fast as his 4.29 40-yard dash, but Brian Schottenheimer said on Tuesday that the Cowboys are looking for speed.
The former Longhorn can play in the slot or out wide and has a tremendous get-off at the line of scrimmage with natural traits to beat press coverage. Round 2, Pick No. 44: Shavon Revel, CB, East Carolina Whether the Cowboys sign Stephon Gilmore, who visited the star on Tuesday, likely hinges on how high they draft a cornerback.
The top half of the second round feels like the perfect range to target one. Revel (6-3, 193) would be a potential top-10 pick if he was healthy. A torn ACL suffered in September prevented him from testing or working out before the draft, but he was running up to 21 mph on the treadmill in March and could be fully cleared for training camp.
Ravel has a rare blend of size, speed and physicality. His explosiveness allows him to latch onto receiver's hips and he uses his length to disrupt routes and passes. He is a little handsy in coverage and needs more experience, but he has the potential to be a high-end starter.
Round 3, Pick No. 51: Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State This is where the trade-down becomes invaluable. With Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton and TreVeyon Henderson off the board, Dallas takes the next-best running back in the class.
Judkins' jaw-dropping Combine quelled any concerns about his explosiveness. Power and violence are the former Buckeye's calling cards. He plays to contact and personifies a wrecking ball when running downhill.
While not as dynamic as other RBs in the class, Judkins has the quickness, footwork and vision to be a quality lead back in the league. Round 3, Pick No. 76: Shemar Turner, DI, Texas A&M Again, the value of the trade-down comes into play.
Many consider this pick the ideal spot for Dallas to target a running back. Since we took Judkins at No. 51, we address the interior defensive line.
Turner lined up all over the defensive line for the Aggies last season. His hands are as active and violent as any defensive lineman in the class, allowing him to dispose of blockers against the run and find his way into the backfield. He is sneaky quick for a 300-pounder, though he'll need to continue putting on weight.
His play motor is a coach's dream. Round 5, Pick No. 174: Connor Colby, G, Iowa It wouldn't be draft week without Cowboys fans freaking out because a late position was added to the mix days before the event.
We are referring to offensive line picking up steam for Dallas at No. 12 overall. That never made sense given their wealth of depth options along the interior, so they wait until the fifth round to take Colby.
The former Hawkeye has ideal size at 6-6 and 309 pounds. An aggressive blocker in the run game, Colby loves to finish blocks, a la fan favorite Brock Hoffman. His pad level is inconsistent in pass protection, but he brings 50 games of starting experience to the league.
Round 6, Pick No. 204: Cody Simon, Ohio State LB A two-year starter in Columbus, Simon capped his career alongside Judkins with a national championship. He was a catalyst in the Buckeyes' title, taking home defensive MVP honors in the Rose Bowl and national title game.
Simon has limitations in coverage, but he is quick to diagnose run schemes and is decisive and sudden when getting downhill. Round 6, Pick No. 211: Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Virginia Tech Tuten could easily hear his name called in the third or fourth round, but he was available in this simulator and we couldn't resist.
He has legitimate 4.3 speed and is sneakily good at playing through contact, averaging 4.4 yards after contact per carry last season, per PFF. His speed and home-run ability would be the perfect complement to Judkins' ferocious running style. Round 7, Pick No.
217: Kitan Crawford, S, Nevada Safety isn't a huge need, but there could be a changing of the guard soon as Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker are getting up there in age. While Juanyeh Thomas and Markquese Bell could be in the mix beyond next season, both players will be free agents. Enter Crawford, who transferred to Nevada from Texas looking for a full-time role.
He is a dynamic athlete who could be an immediate contributor on special teams with the upside to develop into a role player on defense if he harnesses his composure in coverage. Round 7, Pick No. 239: Junior Tafuna, DT, Utah If there is a position other than running back that Dallas should invest late in the draft, it's defensive tackle.
It is arguably the deepest position in the class, so there is nothing wrong with double dipping in round seven after we took Shemar Turner in the third. Tafuna plays with an infectious motor and has the strength, length and base to become an early down rotational player. He doesn't offer much rushing the passer, but his low center of gravity and seismic initial push allows him to collapse the pocket and gets his hands on ball-carriers.
Round 7, Pick No. 247: Jack Nelson, OT, Wisconsin The Cowboys seem content (as of this writing) running it back with Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele at left and right tackle, respectively. It would not surprise, however, if the Cowboys spent a Day 2 or fifth-round pick on a tackle, but they have more pressing needs.
A four-year starter at Wisconsin, Nelson is an intriguing ball of clay for new offensive line coach Conor Riley to mold into a potential swing tackle.
