With the thick of free agency in the rearview mirror, it’s time to focus on the 2025 NFL Draft. For the Dallas Cowboys, who admittedly don’t view free agency as a place to fill voids, it’s the most important time of the year as their team-building heavily relies on picking the right college football players.
That’s why in this particular Mock Draft, I’m approaching things with the goal of filling the biggest voids on the team. Let’s dive in but not before a spoiler alert-slash-request.
Dear Cowboys VP of player personnel Will McClay, just get a wide receiver early. Pretty please.
Round 1, Pick 12: WR Matthew Golden, Texas
I’ll be the first to insist the Cowboys have backed themselves into a corner at the wide receiver position. The team absolutely must do something about it early in the NFL Draft or they’ll probably have to start KaVontae Turpin and Jalen Tolbert in Week 1, which is not great.
Golden’s speed could make him an immediate impact maker in Dallas that could open things up for CeeDee Lamb and would be a likely upgrade at WR2.
His speed is legit and he starred at Houston in two different roles before breaking out at Texas. He’s definitely a good player with a pro-ready skill set, but I wonder what the upside is. He’s fast but not incredible after the catch, so I think he’s more of a good WR2 who gets a respectable second contract than a star. – Ian Valentino on Golden’s recent hype
Round 2, Pick 44: RB TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
Some say running backs don’t matter but what definitely does matter is having a terrible room of running backs and right now, that’s what the Cowboys have. Free agency signings Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders haven’t averaged four yards a carry in the last couple of years and Deuce Vaughn is a massive question mark that hasn’t proved much.
Simply put, this is another position I’m not sure Dallas can wait much on. Henderson can be the explosive rusher that’s been missing on the Cowboys roster for years now.
Per A to Z Sports’ NFL Draft expert Ian Valentino, Henderson might be the best-suited running back to pass protect and catch passes in this year’s class:
“In recent years, Henderson has transformed, showcasing improved availability and explosiveness. Thriving in Chip Kelly’s diverse running scheme, he bursts into action the moment he finds space to hit top speed.
He is arguably the best receiving and blocking back on this list, positioning him to seize numerous opportunities in the NFL to demonstrate his potential impact.” – Ian Valentino
Round 3, Pick 76: DL Jordan Phillips, Maryland
When looking at the Cowboys’ depth chart today, it’s clear nose tackle remains an overwhelming need. Former first-round pick Mazi Smith hasn’t played well enough and going into Year 3, competition would be healthy at the position.
By picking Phillips in the third round, the Cowboys would be putting Smith on blast by getting a quicker nose tackle for Matt Eberflus’ one-gap style of defense. He’s a powerful player and was a Shrine Bowl standout earlier in the offseason. Suddenly, nose tackle would become a top training camp battle to watch in August.