NFL
By: Greg Rector
Will McClay, the Dallas Cowboys’ Vice President of Football, needs a much better draft than the last two. Under former head coach Mike McCarthy, especially when Dan Quinn was the defensive coordinator, the coaches were far too involved in who the Dallas Cowboys drafted. It’s time for the Dallas Cowboys scouts to determine the players needed to assist the team in recovering after going 7-10, and the new coaches need to do their jobs and coach up who the scouts select.
I have been participating in an online mock draft with several folks I have come to know through X, and they all have selected their favorite teams. You know I love the Dallas Cowboys, and with ten picks in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, these are the players I would select for them. I made one trade, dealt two of the Dallas Cowboys’ fifth-round draft picks, and got back into the fourth round.
There is zero chance that a team that drafts and develops talent will move up in the draft. So stop fantasizing about Travis Hunter being taken by the Dallas Cowboys, as we have seen reports online. That’s simply fatigue from when the draft combine ends to the 2025 NFL Draft. So, Will McClay, here is my ideal NFL draft for the Dallas Cowboys.
PICK 12
Yes, I understand that getting a second wide receiver is vital, and with the 12th selection, the Dallas Cowboys select Emeka Egbuka from the Ohio State Buckeyes. Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jesse Holley has said, “He’s been surrounded by various Batman receivers and has been the ideal Robin.” With the Dallas Cowboys having their own Batman in Ceedee Lamb, adding a second wide receiver who runs routes masterfully and has dealt with plenty of media scrutiny, which comes into play being a Dallas Cowboy player, Egbuka is easily my choice over Matthew Golden or Tetroia McMillan, not saying they aren’t fine receivers.
PICK 44
The Dallas Cowboys went out and signed two running backs in free agency, but the depth of this class is so good that with the 44th selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected Treyveon Henderson from the Ohio State Buckeyes. Henderson accepted the Ohio State Buckeyes coaches, who brought in Quinshon Judkins as the second RB. He didn’t say no because he understood the Buckeyes’ plan. That plan worked out to see them win the National Championship.
With the first two picks, the offense’s significant two issues are addressed, and the Dallas Cowboys have two players who know what it takes to win in big games.
PICK 76
Here is where scouting matters. With the 76th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys select Charles Grant, OT from William and Mary. Grant might not have played against the big schools, but this young man is an excellent left tackle. Guess what that means, folks? There is better pass protection for Dak Prescott’s blind side and even better run blocking. It also means that last year’s first-round pick, Tyler Guyton, can return to being a right tackle as he was at Oklahoma. Last season, he was a mistake the Dallas Cowboys made because of a run at the position in the first round last season.
PICK 122
Here is the trade I made to get into the fourth round by trading picks 149 and 174 and trading those two picks to the Denver Broncos. With the 122ns pick, the Dallas Cowboys select Jamaree Caldwell Defensive Tackle from the University of Oregon. Again, most scouts focused on Derrick Harmon from the Ducks, yet I watched every player on the Ducks, and when I saw the way Caldwell made the Ducks so hard to run against, I wanted him to do something the Dallas Cowboys haven’t done very well for years, and that is to stop the running game. He stands at 6’2″ and weighs 332 lbs. He is a day-one player and can be used in rotation immediately.
PICK 170
With the 170th selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys select Dylan Fairchild of the Georgia Bulldogs as an offensive guard. It seems out of reach from where I have Fairchild in my draft rankings, but with the type of draft class we see this year, Fairchild falls to the Cowboys in the fifth round. He is a mean young man and will challenge for another spot on the offensive line, the right guard spot vacated by the now-retired Zach Martin.
PICK 171
With the following selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys select Ollie Gordon II, a running back from Oklahoma State. Gordon comes home to play football. Gordon II is from Fort Worth and joins Treyveon Henderson in the backfield. He will provide the power needed in the goalline drives. This running back group available in the 2025 NFL Draft is so deep, and it’s badly needed for the Dallas Cowboys, who have been near the bottom of the league for the last few seasons.
PICK 204
With the 204th selection, the Dallas Cowboys select Carson Vinson from Alabama A&M, an HBCU school. Vinson is easily capable of playing both guard and tackle in the NFL. So, with three selections, none of them first-round picks, I have significantly increased the offensive line’s talent for the Dallas Cowboys. This is what scouting does for teams.
PICK 211
With the 211th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys select Melo Dotson Corner from the University of Kansas. If you ever watch me on TeamNBSMedia Draft Central, you know I love the “other guy” defensive backs. Cobee Bryant gets paid plenty of attention by the Jayhawks, yet Dotson was the man who was tested far more often than Bryant was. The 6’1″ 195lb corner will be a nice addition to the corner room.
PICK 239
Barryn Sorrell Edge Texas is the second-last player the Dallas Cowboys select in the 2025 NFL Draft. He stands at 6’3″ and weighs 256 lbs. This is the one Longhorn defender who hasn’t gotten much love out there, but he is an effective pass rusher and plays well against the run as well.
PICK 247
I don’t believe in Quinn Ewers, and I was happy to see him get drafted earlier in the 2025 NFL Draft. Since Stephen Jones said the Cowboys would draft a quarterback, here is a much better option, in my opinion, and the Dallas Cowboys saw him play in the East-West Shrine Bowl Cam Miller QB from North Dakota State. Unlike Carson Wentz and Trey Lance, Miller stayed in school and played magnificently for the Bisons. So much so that they were one play away from beating a particular school; everyone knows the Colorado Buffaloes.
So that’s the 2025 NFL Draft, and I hope and pray for the Dallas Cowboys. I will see you all on TEAMNBSMEDIA DRAFT CENTRAL on YouTube and X live. Jeff Barnes, Bill Carroll, and myself as we cover every selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.
With this 2025 NFL Draft, I believe I can resolve several issues the Dallas Cowboys have had for many years. This group of players can see the Dallas Cowboys return to the NFL playoffs, much to the NFL’s chagrin.
