Throughout this glorious time of the NFL offseason that is #DraftSZN, fans are offered countless mock drafts. At The Athletic, we have offered multiple mock drafts with analysis in recent months, and there will be more before the Dallas Cowboys go on the clock at No. 12 on April 24.
The draft is an inexact science. Mock drafts are a valuable exercise, not because of the exact players being selected but because of the broad framework they reveal. We asked for your mock draft submissions and draft-related questions last week and received some great entries. Let’s expand that conversation here with some of the best ones.
First, here are the Cowboys’ picks for the 2025 NFL Draft:
Round 1: 12
Round 2: 44
Round 3: 76
Round 5: 149
Round 5: 174
Round 6: 204
Round 6: 211
Round 7: 217
Round 7: 239
Round 7: 247
Mike V.’s mock
Dallas trades down to 20, Denver moves up for RB/TE/edge.
To DAL: Rd 1. 20, Rd. 2 51 (Value 1240)
To DEN: Rd. 1 12, *Rd. 5 171 (Value 1223)
No. 20: Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon
No. 44: Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa St.
No. 51: Xavier Watts, S, Notre Dame
No. 76: Oluwafemi Oladejo, edge, UCLA
No. 149: Darien Porter, CB, Iowa St.
No. 174: Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Virginia Tech
* Editor’s note: Cowboys no longer have this pick — they sent it to New England in the Joe Milton trade.
This is a great five-round mock to begin with because it allows us to expand a few concepts to keep an eye on heading into the draft. An obvious disclaimer to consider throughout this mailbag: I’m not privy to which players were on the board when a trade was made or a player was selected. In this case, I’m not sure what the options were at No. 12 but I am a proponent of trading back a few spots if it means adding an additional Day 2 selection, as Mike did here.
I like the pick of Harmon in that range at No. 20. I won’t pretend to be an expert on all draft prospects — that’s Dane Brugler (“The Beast” drops very soon) — but given his position and the Cowboys’ needs at defensive tackle, I have watched plenty of tape on Harmon and tossed around some dialogue with people smarter than myself. I’m a fan of what I see, and the people I’ve talked to mostly agree. As somebody who has watched every snap Mazi Smith has played in the NFL, I see a lot of the opposite with Harmon. If you pair him with Osa Odighizuwa, I think you have something brewing along the interior of the defensive line. Harmon has a great motor and he led college football in pressures by a defensive tackle. He navigates double teams quite well and I’m curious to see how he holds up in the NFL, particularly against the run. The Cowboys haven’t had the best run at selecting defensive tackles early in the draft but Harmon would be a worthy talent to take that chance.
I also like Higgins at No. 44. Carolina Panthers legend Steve Smith Sr. said that Higgins would be his top receiver in this draft. Although Smith knows a thing or two more about the position than me, I’m not sure I’d go that far — but Higgins in the second round would be great value. He would instantly become the favorite to be Dallas’ No. 2 receiver in Week 1.
My only concern with this draft haul is running back. I like the Tuten pick — he’s a top-30 visit for the Cowboys — but I’d feel a bit nervous coming out of Day 2 without a running back in place. Tuten is a speedster but I’m not sold on him being an instant true No. 1 back. I think the Cowboys need to come out of this draft with that. Granted, the offensive line’s competence will dictate a lot of how much success any running back the Cowboys select will have. On the plus side, Tuten has legitimate three-down back potential.
Chad L.’s mock
Traded the 12th pick with Broncos for 20 and 51.
No. 20: Luther Burden, WR, Missouri
No. 44: Mason Taylor, TE, LSU
No. 51: TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio St.
No. 76: Carson Schwesinger, LB, UCLA
No. 149: Tommi Hill, CB, Nebraska
*No. 171: Jared Ivy, edge, Ole Miss
No. 174: Jah Joyner, edge, Minnesota
No. 204: Tahj Brooks, RB, Texas Tech
No. 211: Tim Smith, DT, Alabama
No. 239: Shilo Sanders, S, Colorado
No. 247: Jalen Travis, OT, Iowa St.
* Editor’s note: Cowboys no longer have this pick — they sent it to New England in the Milton trade.
Again, I like the trade back for the extra Day 2 pick. Burden is a solid selection at No. 20 and would become a viable No. 2 for the Cowboys. Burden’s tape can be a little tricky because I believe you have to project a little bit about his NFL usage, because it will be more diverse than how he was utilized at Missouri. Regardless, he has the tools and has shown the ability to be a legitimate NFL talent. Playing opposite CeeDee Lamb won’t hurt, either.
I’m not sure who else was available at No. 44 but there are a handful of prospects at positions other than tight end that I would pursue. The tight end depth chart is pretty set for 2025. Unless Dallas has already decided against extending Jake Ferguson — there’s no indication that’s the case — then I would be against picking Taylor in Round 2 when the starter could be the current guy for the foreseeable future. Dallas also took Luke Schoonmaker in the second round in 2023 and picked up Brevyn Spann-Ford as a priority free agent.
The three picks after Taylor would satisfy a lot of people. Henderson’s running ability should translate immediately to the NFL. His contributions in the pass game — as a blocker and a receiver — may be some of the best this draft has to offer at the position. Clearly, the Cowboys like the idea of Henderson as an option — he’s one of their top-30 visits — along with Henderson’s Buckeye brother, Quinshon Judkins.
The Cowboys addressed linebacker in free agency but Schwesinger would be a good get at No. 76. The Cowboys have struggled in recent years against the run and Schwesinger should help patch up that deficiency. In the long term, I can get behind a linebacker group featuring DeMarvion Overshown, Marist Liufau and Schwesinger. Finally, Hill helps Dallas’ cornerback depth, which is desperately needed after Jourdan Lewis’ free-agency departure and the mystery surrounding Trevon Diggs’ availability to start the season. Speaking of Diggs, Hill is also a wide receiver converted to cornerback. While other parts of his game require refinement, ball instincts should be a strength.
Getting another running back on Day 3 is a wise move, and getting Deion Sanders into the Cowboys’ stratosphere at No. 239 will certainly make Jerry Jones smile.
Michael G.’s mock
Dallas trades 12 to Bucs for 19 and 53.
Players availability based on PFF draft board and simulator.
No. 19: WR, Tetairoa McMillan/Emeka Egbuka/Luther Burden/Matthew Golden
No. 44: CB, Shavon Revel/Trey Amos/Maxwell Hairston
No. 53: RB, TreVeyon Henderson/Dylan Sampson/Quinshon Judkins
No. 76: iDL, Alfred Collins/Omarr Norman-Lott/Joshua Farmer
No. 149: CB, Quincy Riley/WR, Kyle Williams/ CB, Nohl Williams/S, Billy Bowman Jr.
No. 174: LB, Danny Stutsman/QB, Quinn Ewers/QB, Kyle McCord
I appreciate the open-ended format of this submission, and the trade back from No. 12 is solid value. I don’t believe McMillan will be available at No. 19 but if he is, that has to be the selection. Of the second wide receiver grouping, I give Burden the edge over Egbuka and Golden. McMillan, Burden and Egbuka are top-30 visits for Dallas. Any of those four guys would slot in as the Cowboys’ No. 2, which also speaks a bit to the Cowboys’ existing options. Cornerback is a need that I feel is flying under the radar, perhaps because of the spotlight on an offensive playmaker and because of the trio the Cowboys have had the past three years in Diggs, Lewis and DaRon Bland. Getting a cornerback in Round 2 makes plenty of sense. The Cowboys have a top-30 visit with Revel.
You can give me any of those running backs at No. 53 and I’m feeling pretty good about the backfield. The defensive tackle pick at No. 76 is understandable given the team need but I don’t feel great about the Cowboys’ chances at getting a solid player at that position outside of the top few guys. That said, I would take Collins (top-30 visit) from Michael G’s options.
Shavon Revel intercepted two passes last season and returned one for a touchdown. (Tanner Pearson / Imagn Images)
What are you hearing behind the scenes? Trade back is in play? — Russell B.
From conversations I’ve had, the feeling I get is that the Cowboys view their first-round selection as one that holds versatility. This draft is low on true first-round grades so if somebody the Cowboys deem a true first-rounder starts to fall from the top, it wouldn’t shock me if they moved up a little to get their guy. I feel trading up is the most unlikely option in the first round. No. 12 will be a sweet spot, where there should be at least one player who fills one of the team’s needs.
Trading back is absolutely in play. I would say it would be the second-preferred option, behind grabbing a guy they love who has the “blinking light” next to his name. Given the current roster, trading back and adding a Day 2 pick is a desired scenario.
I’ve been reading and listening a lot, and to me it seems that nobody I’m really interested in will be available or the right value at 12 (either too high or too low). What prospects that we can reasonably expect to get should we be happy with at 12? — Lee B.
We won’t get into that in this space, but stay tuned for a piece centering around this question later this week!
(Photo of Luther Burden: Ed Zurga / Getty Images)