The Dallas Cowboys had a disappointing 2024 season, winding up with the 12th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after finishing 7-10. Franchise quarterback Dak Prescott went down in Week 9 with a partially torn hamstring, and the team couldn’t recover until it was too late.
Watching the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles play in the NFC Championship Game, and Philadelphia going on to win Super Bowl 59, made things worse for Dallas.
Jerry Jones loves to take big swings in the offseason, with one analyst predicting they will draft one of the fastest receivers early in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Cowboys Predicted To Select Texas Receiver in First Round of 2025 NFL Draft
It’s been clear for a while that Dallas is going to prioritize offense in the first round. Outside of quarterback Dak Prescott and receiver CeeDee Lamb, the team doesn’t have a ton of exciting superstars on that side of the ball.
That’s why the Cowboys have been predicted to take a dynamic receiver or running back in this year’s draft. Jump-starting the offense has been the most popular bet for them with the No. 12 pick, and NFL.com’s Chad Reuter predicts they will select Texas receiver Matthew Golden.
“Golden was the engine of Texas’ offense in the second half of last season, thanks to his speed and late-play separation ability. He would be a nice complement to CeDee Lamb,” Reuter wrote.
The Cowboys are possibly considering Golden with their No. 12 overall pick. He recently visited The Star practice facility in Frisco, Texas, where Cowboys owner Jerry Jones personally welcomed him.
That level of attention from the Cowboys points to Golden being potentially added to a wide receiver room, and his performance at the University of Texas justifies the interest. In his only season in Austin, Golden recorded 58 catches for 987 yards and nine touchdowns — all career highs. During his two seasons at Houston, he totaled 76 receptions for 988 yards and 13 touchdowns, and also returned two kickoffs for scores.
Golden is one of the fastest receivers in this draft class. He was the fastest among WRs at the Scouting Combine, clocking 4.28s in the 40-yard dash.
PFSN’s Mock Draft Projection For Cowboys
Given that it’s clear that the Cowboys are either after a receiver or running back, PFSN’s latest two-round mock draft by Cameron Sheath expects them to go with the latter. Sheath expects Dallas to get a little aggressive and trade up to No. 8 to select Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty.
“After Jeanty falls past both the Raiders and the Jets, the Dallas Cowboys make a move to get their guy,” Sheath wrote. “I feel the Cowboys would need to move ahead of the Chicago Bears if they wanted Jeanty in this scenario. And, for reasons that will become clear, the New Orleans Saints weren’t budging.”
“Dallas neglected its running back room in 2024 and paid the price. Only two teams managed fewer rushing yards per attempt than the Cowboys did last season (4.0), while none scored fewer rushing touchdowns (six).”
“The team’s starting running back, Rico Dowdle, is now with the Carolina Panthers after being allowed to leave in free agency. And the team’s efforts to replace him have so far failed to inspire, making this a very plausible landing spot for Jeanty. With Dak Prescott healthy and an elite running-back prospect lining up beside him, the Cowboys could get back to their winning ways in 2025.”