With just days until the 2025 NFL Draft, speculation continues as to the order in which the next generation of NFL stars will hear their names called. In particular, the 2025 quarterback class has divided opinions among analysts throughout the entire pre-draft process.
Speaking during the Dallas Cowboys’ pre-draft press conference, Team Owner Jerry Jones addressed the possibility of the team drafting a quarterback in the first round.
Jerry Jones Discusses Possibility of Cowboys Drafting a QB on Day 1 of NFL Draft
The Cowboys suffered a down year in 2024, slumping to a 7-10 record after franchise quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending injury in Week 9.
But despite reports that Prescott will be healthy for the start of the 2025 season, Jones was asked if the team would consider drafting a potential replacement in the first round.
“Well, we’ve got a major commitment with Dak (Prescott),” Jones answered. “And so, you weigh all of that. But I was gonna add to this whole conversation, it’s very often that someone will step up and say, ‘We’ve got this guy right here; we’ve got him and we just signed him under contract.’ But guess what, guys get hurt.
“So you bet your whole house that you’ve got him, and then, all of a sudden, you don’t have him. So that’s when your mind starts saying, ‘Well, if this guy did get hurt, what would we do this year?’ There you go.”
Jones later added: “We are not in the business around here, at this time, looking for our future quarterback.”
But then he proceeded to add that “you have to always be looking at the future.”
“In other words, they have prepped and prepared for [that] scenario but they have a lot of others they feel better about at 12 in various scenarios,” NFL insider Jane Slater summarized.
Jones’ answer may have been another case of oversharing — one year after he admitted his admiration for running back Jonathon Brooks while the player was still on the board.
Jones gave far more information than would have been expected from a decision-maker so close to the draft. However, Jones obviously isn’t like most other NFL decision-makers.
Does Dallas Need a Quarterback?
A team’s need for a solid backup quarterback is never fully appreciated until the starter gets injured. In Dallas’ case, that happened in Week 9 of the 2024 season. The team lost Prescott for the remainder of the season and struggled in his absence, missing the playoffs.
Since drafting Prescott in 2016, though, the team’s only two losing seasons have been when Prescott suited up for fewer than nine games. Of the remaining seven seasons, the Cowboys have made the playoffs on five occasions.
In theory, then, Dallas is no more in need of a backup quarterback than any other team in the NFL, provided Prescott is indeed ready to go come September.
It’s also worth noting that the team recently acquired Joe Milton III from the New England Patriots after he flashed immense potential in Week 18 of the 2024 season. Whether that’s insurance enough for the Cowboys will become clearer in this week’s NFL Draft.