Although it’s highly unlikely, the Dallas Cowboys could still trade up in the first round of the NFL draft. Moving and shaking used to be the modus operandi of Jerry Jones, but the shaking has been kept to a minimum in recent years. Falling back in the draft to acquire more picks has been the only first-round trades of recent memory, having to go all the way back to the 2012 bundle paid to grab CB Morris Claiborne for Dallas to be selectively aggressive.
But it can’t be ruled out, despite there being no fourth-round pick to bundle up. The prevailing thought is that Dallas has too many needs and too little premium picks, but if the club thinks little of the talent in this draft, perhaps going to grab what they believe to be a surefire star is worth giving up a premium pick to acquire. There simply aren’t that many blue-chip prospects in this draft, so going to grab one makes as much sense as moving back to get more prospects graded on the lower tiers.
Here, we’ll look at two scenarios where Dallas could move up, along with four where they could move backwards.
Scenario 1: Trade up to No. 6 (Las Vegas Raiders)
There are probably only four elite prospects in this years draft, and only three of them would make sense to package the picks to move this far up. Penn State DE Adbul Carter, Michigan DT Mason Graham and Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter would have to fall beyond the Top 5 picks for this to be a reality, plus the Las Vegas Raiders would have to be willing to drop back to No. 12.
The No. 12 pick is worth 1200 points on the Jimmy Johnson trade chart, and it would take Dallas’ second rounder, No. 44 (460 points) to move up this far in the draft. The No. 6 pick is worth 1600 points, so the Raiders’ fourth rounder (No. 108) and Dallas’ sixth (No. 204) would need to be bundled to make the point value more even.
Scenario 2: Trade up to No. 8 (Carolina Panthers)
It’s unlikely that the fourth elite prospect, RB Ashton Jeanty, could inspire the Cowboys to use multiple picks to acquire. It would also be a wild ride to see them package two top-100 picks to grab a receiver (Tetairoa McMillan) when they’re already missing their fourth rounder because of trading for WR Jonathan Mingo. Perhaps they’d do this to acquire the top offensive lineman, Will Campbell or Armand Membou, but a more realistic fit would seem to be TE Tyler Warren.
None of these feel like great uses of resources, but that’s always until the prospect hits the field.
The eighth pick is worth 1400 points, so packaging No. 12 and No. 76 (210 points) is a fairly easy deal to make.
Scenario 3: Trade back to No. 18 (Seattle Seahawks)
This is the favorite scenario, with the Cowboys theoretically feeling there is no difference between the prospects available at each end. The Seahawks have two third-round picks they could package here (No. 82 and No. 92) worth a collective 312 points to add on top of No. 18’s value of 900 points.
This gives Dallas five picks in the top 100.
Scenario 4: Trade back to No. 20 (Denver Broncos)
The Broncos are seen as one of the teams vehemently interested in trading up this draft. The No. 20 pick is worth 850 points, and adding Denver’s No. 51 pick (390 points) in exchange for Dallas’ No. 149 in the fifth round (31.8) makes things pretty close to even.
Scenario 5: Trade back to No. 23 (Green Bay Packers)
Cowboys send 1.12 to Packers for 1.23 (760 pts), 2.54 (360 pts), 2026 3rd-round pick (80 pts).
Scenario 6: Trade back to No. 28 (Detroit Lions)
The Lions, after faltering as the NFC’s No. 1 seed due to a mountain of injuries, may be a team willing to risk it all to come up this far. The bounty would be huge. To get the necessary 1200 points they’d have to package their first rounder in 2026 along with at least their third-round pick (No. 102 worth 92 pts) with the No. 28 pick at 660 points.
More than likely it would take their second rounder (No. 60 for 300 points).
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: 2025 Draft: Cowboys should consider these 6 first-round trades
Although it’s highly unlikely, the Dallas Cowboys could still trade up in the first round of the NFL draft. Moving and shaking used to be the modus operandi of Jerry Jones, but the shaking has been kept to a minimum in recent years. Falling back in the draft to acquire more picks has been the only first-round trades of recent memory, having to go all the way back to the 2012 bundle paid to grab CB Morris Claiborne for Dallas to be selectively aggressive.
But it can’t be ruled out, despite there being no fourth-round pick to bundle up. The prevailing thought is that Dallas has too many needs and too little premium picks, but if the club thinks little of the talent in this draft, perhaps going to grab what they believe to be a surefire star is worth giving up a premium pick to acquire. There simply aren’t that many blue-chip prospects in this draft, so going to grab one makes as much sense as moving back to get more prospects graded on the lower tiers.
Here, we’ll look at two scenarios where Dallas could move up, along with four where they could move backwards.
Scenario 1: Trade up to No. 6 (Las Vegas Raiders)
There are probably only four elite prospects in this years draft, and only three of them would make sense to package the picks to move this far up. Penn State DE Adbul Carter, Michigan DT Mason Graham and Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter would have to fall beyond the Top 5 picks for this to be a reality, plus the Las Vegas Raiders would have to be willing to drop back to No. 12.
The No. 12 pick is worth 1200 points on the Jimmy Johnson trade chart, and it would take Dallas’ second rounder, No. 44 (460 points) to move up this far in the draft. The No. 6 pick is worth 1600 points, so the Raiders’ fourth rounder (No. 108) and Dallas’ sixth (No. 204) would need to be bundled to make the point value more even.
Scenario 2: Trade up to No. 8 (Carolina Panthers)
It’s unlikely that the fourth elite prospect, RB Ashton Jeanty, could inspire the Cowboys to use multiple picks to acquire. It would also be a wild ride to see them package two top-100 picks to grab a receiver (Tetairoa McMillan) when they’re already missing their fourth rounder because of trading for WR Jonathan Mingo. Perhaps they’d do this to acquire the top offensive lineman, Will Campbell or Armand Membou, but a more realistic fit would seem to be TE Tyler Warren.
None of these feel like great uses of resources, but that’s always until the prospect hits the field.
The eighth pick is worth 1400 points, so packaging No. 12 and No. 76 (210 points) is a fairly easy deal to make.
Scenario 3: Trade back to No. 18 (Seattle Seahawks)
This is the favorite scenario, with the Cowboys theoretically feeling there is no difference between the prospects available at each end. The Seahawks have two third-round picks they could package here (No. 82 and No. 92) worth a collective 312 points to add on top of No. 18’s value of 900 points.
This gives Dallas five picks in the top 100.
Scenario 4: Trade back to No. 20 (Denver Broncos)
The Broncos are seen as one of the teams vehemently interested in trading up this draft. The No. 20 pick is worth 850 points, and adding Denver’s No. 51 pick (390 points) in exchange for Dallas’ No. 149 in the fifth round (31.8) makes things pretty close to even.
Scenario 5: Trade back to No. 23 (Green Bay Packers)
Cowboys send 1.12 to Packers for 1.23 (760 pts), 2.54 (360 pts), 2026 3rd-round pick (80 pts).
Scenario 6: Trade back to No. 28 (Detroit Lions)
The Lions, after faltering as the NFC’s No. 1 seed due to a mountain of injuries, may be a team willing to risk it all to come up this far. The bounty would be huge. To get the necessary 1200 points they’d have to package their first rounder in 2026 along with at least their third-round pick (No. 102 worth 92 pts) with the No. 28 pick at 660 points.
More than likely it would take their second rounder (No. 60 for 300 points).
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: 2025 Draft: Cowboys should consider these 6 first-round trades
