The Dallas Cowboys are equipped with the No. 12 overall pick in Thursday's NFL Draft after a disappointing seven-win season. A lot went wrong for Dallas in 2024 — chiefly Dak Prescott's season-ending injury — but we cannot chalk up their failures to bad luck.
Much has changed in the organization ahead of the new season. Mike McCarthy is out as head coach, which was long overdue, but Jerry Jones failed to line up an inspiring replacement. He went for Brian Schottenheimer, McCarthy's former O.C. and the architect of last season's stymied offense.
Dallas basically struck out across the board last offseason. Signing Ezekiel Elliott instead of Saquon Barkley or Derrick Henry was the most predictable whiff of all time. Their first-round pick, offensive lineman Tyler Guyton, bombed. Dallas' pass protection has seldom been worse in the Prescott era, with Guyton's lack of development a key reason why. And yeah, Jones didn't spend on the margins. Like, at all. He spent all his time, money and PR resources on extending Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.
The Cowboys are expected to target playmaking help in the 2025 draft, with wide receiver an obvious position of need. Lamb remains the best of the best, but Prescott needs somebody else to throw to. Anything other than another middling O-line gamble, really, would placate the fanbase.
Don't pencil in a wide receiver just yet, though. Dallas' plans are liable to change over the next 24 hours after a stunning revelation.
Cowboys could trade for George Pickens instead of targeting WR in NFL Draft
"Multiple teams" have discussed trades centered on Pittsburgh Steelers wideout George Pickens, per Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz. The Steelers are not actively shopping him, but clearly teams are asking.
Sources: Multiple teams have brought up #Steelers WR George Pickens in trade discussions, and he’s a name to watch this week. Pittsburgh isn’t actively shopping him, but the conversations have taken place.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 23, 2025
Pickens is entering the final year of his contract. https://t.co/XRvgZpWMcj pic.twitter.com/ehqs78og3u
This sets up an intriguing avenue for Jones and the Cowboys front office. For weeks, the thought has been that Pittsburgh will try to build around the duo of Pickens and DK Metcalf at wide receiver. But, Pickens is a complicated figure in the Steelers locker room and he's entering the final year of his rookie contract. Perhaps Metcalf's arrival actually opens the door for a trade.
If so, of course the Cowboys should take an interest. Pickens' tendency to ruffle feathers is a concern, but he'd be surrounded by veterans in Dallas, paired with CeeDee Lamb to form arguably the best wideout combo in the NFL. One has to think he'd enjoy catching passes from Prescott instead of the assembly line of mediocrity in Pittsburgh. Kenny Pickett, Russell Wilson — those guys have a tendency to irk and undermine quarterbacks.
Say what you will about Brian Schottenheimer, but he's a far more exciting and ambitious play-caller than Arthur Smith. We don't know much about new Dallas OC Klayton Adams as a coordinator — he called the shots for the 5-7 Colorado Buffaloes in 2018 and spent last season as the Arizona Cardinals' O-line coach — but hey, Pittsburgh set a low bar. Pickens can expect a much better environment in Dallas, even if he's operating as second fiddle for the first time in his career.
Despite suboptimal circumstances with the Steelers, Pickens went for 900 yards and three touchdowns across 14 games last season, averaging 15.3 yards per catch. He led the NFL in that department (18.1) the season prior. Dallas would, all of a sudden, boast two of the most explosive, live-wire playmakers in football. It's an exciting proposition.
Adding Pickens for a couple day-two and day-three picks is enough of a positive to overshadow what feels like an inevitably underwhelming use of their first-round selection. Let's see if Jones actually does it, though. He'd need to, like, pay Pickens eventually.