FRISCO, Texas (AP) — The previous time Jerry Jones had two first-round picks, the Dallas Cowboys made the most trades during the NFL draft than in any of his 37 years as owner and general manager.
The 83-year-old billionaire sounds as eager as ever to wheel and deal.
“I’ve looked at that mirror a lot, about how to go up and down and trade and do those kinds of things,” Jones said. “And absolutely, we’ll entertain improving or an in-draft read on what
gives us a better chance to get another player, and still have our pick and the red meat of top players.
“This is an obvious statement, but nothing, no amount of skill, no amount of knowledge, can beat having a lot of draft capital, having a lot of picks,” Jones said. “That’ll win most of the time.”
The Cowboys have the 12th and 20th overall picks on the opening night of the draft April 23, the latter selection a product of the trade that sent pass rushing star Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers a week before the 2025 season opener.
Dallas filled a large gap between picks that went all the way into the fourth round by sending defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to San Francisco for a third-rounder.
The needs are extensive for a defense that was among the league's worst last season when the Cowboys went 7-9-1 and missed the playoffs for a second year in a row. Dallas hasn't missed the postseason three consecutive times in more than a decade.
The Cowboys were in the same situation in 2020, though, and drafted receiver CeeDee Lamb once Jones and company got over the shock that their future star was still there at No. 17.
“Excited. The unpredictability of it, you don’t know how it’s going to go,” coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “You really have no idea. There’s always a surprise or two.”
Pick a spot on defense: edge rusher, linebacker, cornerback, safety. The only thing Dallas doesn't need is a defensive tackle after using the 2027 first-rounder from the Parsons deal to acquire Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets last season. The Cowboys already had Kenny Clark, who came in the Parsons trade.
Wide receiver and running back don't make such sense on the first two days of the draft, assuming Lamb sidekick George Pickens plays under the franchise tag or gets a long-term deal before July 15. The Cowboys re-signed running back Javonte Williams and still believe Jaydon Blue has something to offer after an underwhelming rookie season.
It was 18 years ago when the Cowboys drafted running back Felix Jones (22nd overall) and cornerback Mike Jenkins (25th) in the first round. They also made eight trades during the 2008 draft. The most from any other year is five. It's been six years since Jones agreed to multiple deals during the draft.
Schottenheimer had been an NFL assistant for a quarter of a century when Jones hired him a year ago to replace Mike McCarthy after three years on McCarthy's staff. The 52-year-old said he feels more comfortable with the draft process the second time around in charge of a program. “Way better,” he said. “I know most of the names. A big part of it is that I missed some time last year and I’m not going to do that (this year), especially with the firepower that we have in the first round.”
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