With draft day around the corner, the pressure is on Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys. They own two first-round picks (12 & 20) for the first time since 2008, and there is a ton of speculation that the Cowboys trade up. They acquired their second pick by trading away Hall-of-Fame talent Micah Parsons, and not getting good value out of the assets received from this trade would be a disaster.
The Cowboys’ draft strategy is not as straightforward as people may think. There are countless possibilities, many of which require a trade-up or down. Much of the Cowboys’ strategy will depend on which players fall. This could lead to a trade-up to acquire one of their coveted prospects or cause them to stay put if a player falls to them at 12. If a trade-up opportunity presents itself, pick 20 could be used.
There has been a lot of buzz recently, especially after the Dexter Lawrence trade to the New York Giants, that the Cowboys may use their second first-round pick (#20) to move up in the draft. The Lawrence trade has given the Giants two selections in the top 10, and Dallas won’t want their in-division rivals to take two players they covet before the 12th pick. Dallas is in a position where staying put at 12 could lead to players high on their board getting taken, especially on the defensive side. Three spots that make the most sense for a trade-up are the Arizona Cardinals at Pick 3, the Cleveland Browns at Pick 6, and the Kansas City Chiefs at Pick 9.
