Dallas Cowboys dream draft: 50 years later, another "Dirty Dozen"
A tradition that began 20 years ago continues this year.
We've spent the past few months filling up our 2025 Big Green NFL Draft Scouting Notebook. The goal is to find the best and brightest draft prospects who can help put an end to this 29-year Super Bowl drought for the Dallas Cowboys.
In 2005, the Cowboys had two first-round draft picks. The Big Green Notebook was enthused over the potential selection of OLB Demarcus Ware of Troy with the No. 11 overall pick. However, word inside the Cowboys draft room had Bill Parcells wanting Jerry Jones to select LSU DE Marcus Spears.
Fortunately, Jones selected Ware, who is now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Spears was still available when the Cowboys picked at No. 20, and he was a perfect fit in Parcells new 3-4 defense.
That 2005 draft turned out to be one of the best in Cowboys history. Besides Ware and Spears, Dallas got 2007 Pro Bowl RB Marion Barber in the fourth round and 4-time Pro Bowl DT Jay Ratliff in Round 7. Second-rounder Kevin Burnett started 4 years at LB and fourth-rounder Chris Canty started 9 years at DE for the Cowboys, Giants and Ravens.
This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the 1975 "Dirty Dozen Draft". No less than 12 draft picks made the Cowboys roster that Super Bowl season, including five eventual Pro Bowl players: Hall of Fame DT Randy White, LB Hollywood Henderson, LB Bob Breunig, OT Pat Donovan and OG Herb Scott.
It will be tough to duplicate either "The Dirty Dozen" or the 2005 draft. Those two classes each featured two first-round picks. This year the Cowboys own the 12th pick in the first round and only three of the top 148 picks, having traded away their fourth-round pick for WR Jonathan Mingo last fall.
Overall, the Cowboys have 10 draft picks, but seven of them are in the fifth round or later. In order to satisfy the many needs on this roster, Dallas should consider trading down in the early rounds to acquire an extra top-100 pick.
So, we bring you the Big Green Notebook Dallas Dream Draft, which features two trade-downs, five top-100 picks and a total of 12 draft selections.
Here it is, the 2025 "Dirty Dozen Draft":
Round 1, pick 12 - Trade
Dallas trades its first-round pick (No. 12) to Los Angeles Chargers for first-round (No. 22) and second-round (No. 55) picks.
It's a steep drop from 12 to 22, but the payoff is worth it by collecting a second second-round draft pick. (It's highly unlikely the Chargers pay this steep price, but work with us here. This is the Dallas Dream Draft, after all!)
Round 1, pick 22 - Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
Egbuka says he prides himself on being one of the most reliable people in the draft. He is also super dynamic with the ball in his hands.
At 6-1, 202 pounds, Egbuka draws comparisons to his former Buckeyes teammate Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle's 2023 first-round pick. He had 81 receptions for 1,011 yards and 10 TDs in a national championship season, but what sets Egbuka apart is his high character and culture-setting influence in the locker room. As he puts it, "We don't play for the approval of man. We play for the approval of God and to glorify Him in everything we do."
Round 2, pick 44 - Trade
Dallas sends its second-round pick (No. 44) and a 2026 4th round pick to Denver for second-round (No. 51) and third-round (No. 85) picks.
By picking up the extra third-round pick, the Cowboys can now fill five big needs in the first 85 picks. (It's highly unlikely the Broncos pay this steep price, but work with us here. Remember, this is the Dallas Dream Draft!)
Round 2, pick 51 - TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
Perhaps the most electric and pro-ready running back in this draft not named Ashton Jeanty, Henderson could be drafted in the first round. On the other hand, the RB class is so deep with talented players, teams may wait and fill other needs early.
So, there's a possibility Henderson will be available in the mid-second round. Word is the Cowboys love this 5-10, 202-pounder with 4.43 speed who was a team captain for the national champion Buckeyes.
The No. 1 RB recruit in 2021, Henderson accounted for 4,613 yards and 48 TDs from scrimmage in his college career. If Henderson is not available, his teammate Quinshon Judkins or Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson could be taken at this spot.
Round 2, pick 55 - Azareya'h Thomas, CB, Florida State
With the departure of slot corner Jourdan Lewis to Jacksonville in free agency and with Trevon Diggs' uncertain status coming off January knee surgery, the Cowboys could use a couple of cornerbacks in this draft.
They get one of the top press man corners in this 6-1 ½, 197-pounder, who is the younger brother of Cowboys safety Juanyeh Thomas.
Only 20 years old, Azareya'h earned FSU's prestigious Bobby Bowden Leadership Award and he fits the mold of high-character culture-setters the Cowboys are looking for. He said, "I'm a servant. I don't do things for recognition. I do it for transformation."
Round 3, pick 76 - Danny Stutsman, LB, Oklahoma
When new Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus became the Chicago Bears head coach in 2021, the first thing he did was sign LBs Tremaine Edmunds and T. J. Edwards to man the middle of the Bears defense.
Also, when Eberflus was LBs coach in Dallas, he inherited second-year LB Sean Lee (second round), and then drafted a linebacker every year for the next 6 years: Bruce Carter (second round), Kyle Wilber (fourth round), DeVonte Holloman (sixth round), Anthony Hitchens (fourth round), Damien Wilson (fourth round), and Jaylon Smith (second round).
Eberflus traded for former Oklahoma first-round LB Kenneth Murray last month, and now he gets another Sooner in the third round. Stutsman (6-3, 233) ran a 4.52 40-yard dash and registered 377 tackles and 36 tackles for loss as a three-year starter at OU.
Round 3, pick 86 - Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas
Quarterback! It's not a luxury pick!
The Cowboys need a backup QB and somehow, some way, one of the top QBs in this class is projected to be a third-round pick? I don't get it.
But if Quinn Ewers is still available in the third round, the Cowboys should pounce on it. One of the younger QBs in this draft (he turned 22 last month), the former No. 1 high school recruit gave up his senior season at Southlake Carroll for a $1.4 million NIL payday at Ohio State.
He then transferred to Texas and, in three seasons as a starter, led the Longhorns to back-to-back College Football Playoff semifinals. He was one play away from beating Michael Penix and Washington in the 2023 CFB Playoff Semifinal, and in the 2024 CFB Playoff Semifinal, he was one bad play call away from knocking off Ohio State, which featured no less than 8 defensive starters that will be drafted this weekend.
Ewers (6-2, 214) passed for 31 TDs this season despite missing time and playing with a torn oblique muscle. Durability is a question for Ewers, but if he can stay healthy, he has a chance to have a better career than any QB in this draft class. He's that good.
Round 5, pick 149 - Riley Leonard, QB, Notre Dame
Shocker! We double up on quarterbacks! It's what the Cowboys used to do back in the day when they used to go to Super Bowls every other year. Don Meredith/Craig Morton in the 60's, then Roger Staubach/Morton and Staubach/Danny White in the 70's.
I would be shocked if Riley Leonard is available in the 5th round but if he is, as many have projected, take him!
He's the Big Green Notebook's sleeper QB in this draft. He has all the intangibles you look for, and at 6-3, 214, he may be the most athletic QB in this draft. Go watch him run around and through the Clemson, Georgia, and Ohio State defenses. Check out his 360 slam dunks in high school in Fairhope, Alabama, where he lives just down the road from Philip Rivers. As an example of his leadership abilities, Leonard took his teammates for workouts at the Rivers' house last summer.
In leading Notre Dame to the National Championship Game, Leonard passed for 2,861 yards and 21 TDs. He also rushed for 906 yards and 17 TDs. Those are very similar numbers to what Jalen Hurts produced when he led Alabama to the 2016 national title game (2,780 yards passing, 23 TDs and 954 yards rushing, 13 TDs).
Leonard didn't have to win games with his arm in college, which is something he will obviously have to do in the NFL. But he is as promising a prospect as you could find in the middle rounds of the draft.
Round 5, pick 174 - Jah Joyner, DE, Minnesota
The Cowboys have a big need at edge rusher.
The Big Green Notebook likes Mykel Williams of Georgia in the first round, along with about a dozen others who could be taken in rounds 2 or 3. In this draft, we fill other needs earlier and hope this 6-4, 262 pounder is still there in the fifth round.
Jah Joyner is aptly named; He has jaw-dropping quickness off the edge. He ran a 4.60 40-yard dash and has 34-inch arms. His first-step quickness and bend around the edge destroyed many offensive tackles in the Big Ten.
Round 6, pick 204 - Jaylin Smith, CB, USC
The Cowboys are looking for slot corners to replace Jourdan Lewis. They may find one in the sixth round with Jaylin Smith (5-10 ½, 187), who appears to have some Orlando Scandrick-like feistiness to his game.
Round 6, pick 211 - Caleb Rogers, OL, Texas Tech
At 6-5, 312 pounds, this Mansfield Lake Ridge grad blew up the combine with a 34-inch vertical and 7.43-second cone drill.
Nicknamed Captain Rogers, he was a four-year starter at tackle but he's lacking the arm length (32 ½ inches) usually required to play that position in the NFL. So, that likely means his future is at guard. With the loss of future Hall-of-Famer Zack Martin, the Cowboys are conducting open tryouts at right guard right now.
Round 7, pick 217 - Craig Woodson, S, California
Another local product (South Grand Prairie), Woodson (6-0, 200) is a mature 24-year old who has athletic traits and was a three-year starter at Cal. He is also described as an "A-plus" person with a high football IQ. Sounds a lot like another Woodson who played safety for the Cowboys.
Round 7, pick 239 - Eric Gregory, DT, Arkansas
Gregory (6-3, 319) was a four-year starter in the SEC and is from Memphis, but was a highly touted recruit out of Florida's IMG Academy. He is a strong, penetrating nose tackle who had 9.5 sacks, which is what new defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton is looking for. As a 24-year old rookie, Gregory could fit right into a rotation with Mazi Smith.
Round 7, pick 248 - Luke Lachey, TE, Iowa
Tight end is not a position that's being talked about because the Cowboys return Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, Brevyn Spann-Ford and John Stephens, who is coming off his second ACL surgery in two years.
However, Ferguson is going into a contract year, and teams like to have at least 4 or 5 tight ends between the active roster, injured reserve and practice squads throughout the season.
The Cowboys love Big Ten tight ends so here's a 6-6, 251-pounder who was a two-time team captain at a tight end factory that has produced perennial Pro Bowlers like George Kittle, Sam LaPorta, T. J. Hockenson, Noah Fant and Dallas Clark.
Lachey also has the bloodlines; His father, Jim Lachey, was a first-round draft pick who was a three-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle in 11 NFL seasons.
