The Dallas Cowboys have had a rough 2025 so far. They secured the 12th overall pick after finishing 7-10 last season and were “selectively aggressive” in free agency. All-world outside linebacker Micah Parsons hasn’t been extended, and EVP Stephen Jones recently spoke about the team’s strategy for the 2025 NFL Draft.
Could the Cowboys Trade Up in the 2025 NFL Draft? Stephen Jones Says No
Dallas named Brian Schottenheimer head coach after allowing Mike McCarthy’s contract to expire. Schottenheimer was the team’s offensive coordinator the last two seasons, but McCarthy called the plays. The Cowboys were No. 23 in PFSN’s Offense+ metric last season, floundering after Dak Prescott was injured.
The quarterback suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in Week 9, and the offense was impotent without him. Cooper Rush did admirably in his first extended action as a starter, but the unit showed its true colors against the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders to end the season.
Overall, the Cowboys ranked 28th in passing success rate and 29th in EPA per dropback. The results weren’t too different isolating the stretch when Dak Prescott was the starting QB. Dallas ranked 27th in passing success rate and 22nd in EPA per dropback before the injury.
The defense was also an issue in 2024, finishing No. 25 in PFSN’s Defense+ metric. Dallas had at least one weak link at cornerback most of the season, with Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland playing just one game together all year (Week 14).
Parsons totaled 12 sacks in 13 games, but the Cowboys fell from eighth in EPA per dropback in 2023 to 16th. Coupled with the second-worst run defense by EPA per rush, Dallas descended into a bottom-10 defense.
So what will the Cowboys do on night one of the 2025 NFL Draft? They’ve been linked to running back Ashton Jeanty, but trading into the top 10 for a running back would be expensive. Jones spoke about the draft on a recent radio appearance, and The Athletic’s Cowboys reporter, Jon Machota, tweeted Jones’s thoughts.
Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones on @1053thefan on next week's NFL Draft: "I don't necessarily see us moving up, based on how the board is coming together."
Dallas has the 12th overall pick.
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) April 15, 2025
Machota tweeted, “Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones on @1053thefan on next week’s NFL Draft: ‘I don’t necessarily see us moving up, based on how the board is coming together.’ Dallas has the 12th overall pick.”
PFSN’s latest mock draft has Dallas going defense at No. 12, taking South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori. David Bearman wrote about the pick, “Emmanwori had one of the best workouts at the NFL Combine that we have ever seen by a safety. He has the hyper-elite size and athleticism to play big nickel, and his skills also lend well at strong safety.
“He projects as a versatile playmaker who can excel in the deeper areas of the field but also make plays in the box.” Bearman noted that there’s not much to get excited about in Dallas’s secondary after Diggs and Bland, so adding a big-name rookie would fill a need.
If the Cowboys aren’t willing to move up for a premier prospect, they’ll be somewhat handcuffed on draft night. Emmanwori is a solid player, but would he move the needle for Cowboys fans after an abysmal 2024?