Who are the Dallas Cowboys projected to pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft?
The NFL regular season is winding down, and mock draft experts have started predicting where the top college football players will be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.
If the season ended on Wednesday, the Cowboys would have the No. 14 pick in the first round, their highest pick since selecting Micah Parsons No. 12 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Who do they believe the Cowboys will take with their first-round draft pick?
Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports
Selection: Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty
No way Jerry Jones will be able to resist selecting Jeanty here, even though Rico Dowdle has been a formidable threat on the ground these last few games.
Sam Russell, Bleacher Nation
Selection: Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty
Will the Cowboys be able to pass on Ashton Jeanty? He’s the best running back in the draft (by far) and a top-10 prospect in the draft. The Cowboys are 26th in rushing and might not be able to let Jeanty head to another team. Dallas has needs on both lines and could easily scoop up an EDGE rusher if a player like Williams or Pearce Jr. falls this far.
Brett Hoffman, Pro Football Network
Selection: Penn State TE Tyler Warren
Tyler Warren is the top tight end prospect in this draft and the winner of the Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top TE. At 6’6″ and 260 pounds, Warren has the prototypical size for an NFL tight end. He has the combination of elite agility after the catch paired with excellent hands and body control. This year, he matched an FBS record for receptions by a tight end in a game. His transition into an NFL passing game will be smooth with his expertise in beating zone defenses with instinctive route running.
Field Yates, ESPN
Selection: Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty
Do the Cowboys have several key issues, including at more premium positions? They unequivocally do. But Jeanty is a remarkable prospect, and this Dallas offense is largely bereft of playmakers besides CeeDee Lamb. Plus, the Cowboys are 28th in rushing (91.2 yards per game), and Rico Dowdle -- who has emerged as the team’s clear-cut No. 1 back -- is a free agent this offseason.
Keith Sanchez, The Draft Network
Selection: Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter
Just a few years ago, the Dallas Cowboys drafted a linebacker from Penn State with major pass-rushing upside, Micah Parsons. A few years later, he turned into one of the best edge rushers in the NFL. With this pick, they draft another linebacker from Penn State, Abdul Carter. While they have similar skill sets, Carter showcases himself to be a more natural stack linebacker, which helps fill a need for the Cowboys, especially after the injury to DeMarvion Overshown. Carter can play linebacker on first and second down and then walk down on third down and pair up with Parsons to sack the quarterback.
Christian D’Andrea, For The Win
Selection: Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty
The Cowboys need a lot of help, but it’s hard to look at Dallas’s needs, Jerry Jones’s desire to stock a top-heavy roster with stars and Jeanty’s super-human running ability and not make this connection. Dallas’s 3.7 yards per carry ranks 31st in the NFL. Jeanty, on the other hand, is averaging 7.4 yards per touch at Boise State.
With running backs trending upward as offenses correct course vs. two-high safety defenses, Jeanty could be well worth a top 10-adjacent pick. He’s an absolute machine with a nose for the end zone, having scored 47 total touchdowns his last 23 games. That won’t fix the Cowboys, but it will make them more fun to watch.
Ian Valentino, The 33rd Team
Selection: Georgia EDGE/LB Jalon Walker
Dallas previously found success with a versatile defender in Micah Parsons, so it makes sense that they’d bank on athleticism and instincts once again.
Jalon Walker is a terrific linebacker with the strength and speed to be a third-down pass-rusher. With recent draft picks at linebacker flaming out, spending a premium pick who can play all over is justified.
Rob Rang, FOX Sports
Selection: Missouri WR Luther Burden III
While veteran Brandin Cooks has proven a quality complementary threat to CeeDee Lamb when healthy, his inability to remain on the field has reduced the Cowboys’ offense to a snail-like pace. At a power-packed 5-foot-11, 210 pounds, Burden is precisely that to opposing defenses.
