Proposed Cowboys Trade Would Surprise the NFL

NFL Draft

Getty The Cowboys could look to trade up in the draft.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently teased a potential draft-day trade, a move that would add excitement to what has been a quiet offseason in Big D. The question is whether this was Jones’ way of creating a bit of buzz around the Cowboys or if the front office is serious about pulling off a trade.

Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport suggests the Cowboys get aggressive with a hypothetical trade proposal that has Dallas making a major deal with the Jets to move up to No. 4. The Cowboys would send the Jets the No. 24 pick, a 2022 third rounder and their 2023 first-round selection in exchange for No. 4 along with No. 163.

“This is what it would take to make that move,” Davenport wrote on April 18, 2022. “Seattle, Carolina and Atlanta all want quarterbacks. The division-rival Giants would likely ask for even more than the Jets. So would the Texans, who pick at No. 3.

“It’s a pricey, ‘win-now’ move. But if Dallas did shoot up the board, it could have its pick of this year’s wide receivers. Add an elite tackle prospect. Land a top-three edge-rusher. Make a splash. And let’s face it—no owner in the NFL loves splashing more than Jones.”

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Jones: ‘I Would Trade Up This Draft’

Jones prompted widespread speculation that the Cowboys are in the market to trade up in the draft after admitting the team would explore this scenario if a player they “coveted was sitting at the bottom.” The obvious follow-up question is who the Cowboys covet enough to give up draft capital to ensure the prospect wears a Dallas uniform.

“I would trade up this draft,” Jones told reporters on April 13. “And just going in, as much as you can say about it until you see what’s there, who’s on the other line. But yeah, I would trade up since we’re down as low as we are in those first two or three rounds, if we had a chance to and somebody that we had really coveted was sitting at the bottom. [Travis] Frederick was sitting down there at the bottom and we were able to trade up and get him.”


Who Would the Cowboys Target If They Trade Up in the Draft?

The proposal outlined by Bleacher Report is traditionally reserved for a team moving up to select a quarterback. Dallas already has their franchise quarterback in Dak Prescott, so who would the Cowboys look to select if they had the No. 4 pick?

Dallas could have their pick of wide receivers including Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Drake London and Jameson Wilson. There is also the potential for freakishly athletic offensive tackle Evan Neal or pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux to both be on the board at No. 4. Lockdown corners Sauce Gardner and Derek Stingley Jr are two additional options.

Ultimately, if the Cowboys do move up in the first round, it will likely be just a few selections rather than 20 picks. Teams like the Packers, Saints and Eagles all could be in the market for a receiver just like the Cowboys. This reality could prompt the Cowboys to try to move up into the teens to have a better chance at securing a playmaker.

The upcoming draft has a deep receiver group, and the Cowboys could opt to go a different direction at No. 24 while snagging a wideout in the later rounds. Trading up would be an aggressive move by the Cowboys in what has been an underwhelming offseason so far in Dallas.