The Dallas Cowboys love being the center of attention. And Jerry Jones has been an expert at creating attention out of thin air since purchasing the team. Now, in the waning moments leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft, it’s been reported by Mike Fisher that the Cowboys are “desperate” to move up in the NFL Draft.
[the_ad_group id=”60938″]
Potential Cowboys trade up?
On the surface, it makes sense to make a move up for a player with a first-round grade. The Cowboys have stated they only have between 14-16 said grades for the 2022 class. Thus, they’d need to move up close to that point to secure the possibility of one of those players.
After what’s been an underwhelming offseason for most fans, maybe Dallas believes making a splash would rejuvenate the fan base. But they would be underestimating fans’ intelligence if they acted on that belief.
The Cowboys have far too many needs on the roster to give up premium draft capital in a trade up. They’re currently short a starting left guard, defensive end, linebacker, and wide receiver. While they have nine picks, they would be far more valuable if used to move up in subsequent rounds to take players slipping in the draft.
Players fall every year, and while there is no guarantee a Day 1 contributor at a position of need would be there at 24, there is an excellent chance they’d get a good player at that spot.
They need contributors at three of those four positions coming out of the draft. Dallas doesn’t spend money on free agency, so whoever they’d bring in after would be a cost-effective route.
The positions the Cowboys need are all the deepest in the class, sans guard. The linebacker group is arguably the deepest in years. The EDGE class is on another planet in terms of quality prospects being available later on.
It only takes a few Cowboys-centric mock drafts to figure this out. While wide receiver isn’t a fantastic option at 56, the depth pulls back in at 88. The linebacker and EDGE cupboard could still be nearly full at 56, and more than a few guards should be around.
There is a legitimate chance that they could find three contributors at positions of need in this draft. So, why move up for one non-quarterback?
If the Cowboys trade up, who would it be for?
While a league source told Pro Football Network that the Cowboys don’t appear “desperate,” they would consider moving up for a few names in particular.
Charles Cross was a top-30 visit for the Cowboys, but he isn’t expected to be around past the top 10. Drake London is another name to watch, and he could be a target for Philadelphia, so the Cowboys could look to block that from happening. Trevor Penning has been mocked to Dallas a lot lately (and by some people with relationships in the organization).
So, two of the potential targets wouldn’t even fit an immediate need for the Cowboys, which doesn’t make sense — unless they’re only partially invested in 2022 and are focusing on 2023 and beyond.
