Another year, another disappointing offseason for the Dallas Cowboys. With the Cowboys not making a ton of noise in free agency, they need to crush the 2025 NFL Draft.
A 7-10 season isn’t going to sit well with the fans and the Cowboys currently still have quite a few needs. With the Cowboys holding the 12th overall pick, there are a number of ways they could lean.
If the Cowboys are going to compete for a Super Bowl in 2025, Jerry Jones and the front office absolutely need to nail their first-round pick.
Five Round 1 Targets For Dallas Cowboys in The NFL Draft
Below, we’ll be going over the top five first-round targets for the Cowboys. This list will only consist of players that have a realistic chance of making it to No. 12.
1. Ashton Jeanty (RB, Boise State)
With the Cowboys neglecting the running back position last year, Ashton Jeanty would give them the perfect opportunity to finally fill that need. With Rico Dowdle on the Carolina Panthers now, the Cowboys aren’t going to want Javonte Williams as their RB1.
The main issue with this pick is that Jeanty is going to have to make it past a few suitors. It seems like the Las Vegas Raiders and Chicago Bears are two teams interested in Jeanty as well.
2. Will Campbell (OT, LSU)
It’s not super likely that Will Campbell will fall this far, but if he does, it’s a smash pick for the Cowboys. There are some questions about whether Campbell can play tackle, but the Cowboys need help everywhere on the offensive line.
Campbell could push Tyler Guyton at left tackle, slide over to right tackle to replace Terence Steele, or become a guard. Getting a versatile player like Campbell would help the Cowboys line, who ranked 17th on PFF’s 2025 offensive line rankings.
3. Will Johnson (CB, Michigan)
With Trevon Diggs having a rough past few years and undergoing surgery, cornerback is becoming a big need. Outside of Diggs, they have DaRon Bland, who is a solid depth piece but the depth chart could use an upgrade.
Will Johnson is still my CB1 in the 2025 NFL Draft and he should be available for the Cowboys at pick 12. Johnson only played in six games during the 2024 season, but he had seven interceptions between 2022 and 2023. In that 2022 season, Johnson had a remarkable PFF grade of 88.2 as well.
4. Jahdae Barron (CB, Texas)
Going back to another cornerback, Jahdae Barron would be a very good pick as well. It seems like Barron is becoming the CB1 for many and it’s very hard to argue against that.
The argument for Barron is that he’s incredibly versatile. In 2024, Barron had a 90.7 PFF grade playing over 100 snaps in the slot, box, and outside.
5. Luther Burden (WR, Missouri)
If Tetairoa McMillan somehow made it to pick 12, the Cowboys should take him over Jeanty. That being said, there’s a pretty big drop-off between McMillan and Burden, making this option number five.
Outside of CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys need a true WR2. Jalen Tolbert is not the long-term answer and would be much better off as a WR3.
The drop-off in production for Burden is a bit scary, but he’s an explosive athlete and an underrated route runner. Just take a look at his Reception Perception profile.