Blogging The Boys
How high do you think the Cowboys could or should trade up in the first round?
There is still a little over two months until the 2025 NFL Draft gets underway in April, but it’s never too early to be prepared for what the Dallas Cowboys could possibly do with the 12th overall pick in the first-round. Whether they choose to trade up, down, or stand pat has yet to be determined. Whatever they choose to do, understanding the value of pick No. 12 is a good thing to know ahead of time.
Today, we’re going to explore the possibility of trading up from the No. 12 pick in the first-round to land a difference-maker or trading down to acquire extra draft capital. To do this, we will use DraftTek’s 2025 NFL Trade Value Chart to determine the value of the draft picks, including the Cowboys. They hold picks 12, 44, 76, 150, 170, 172, 174, 190, 211, and 228 when projected compensatory picks are included.
Trading up in the draft is always a fun topic of discussion around Cowboys Nation, whether it's realistic or not. It's always fun to dream about landing one of the true difference-makers, however, it's also important to know the cost of making such a trade.
With that in mind, let's take a look to see what the Cowboys can do with the No. 12 and the rest of their draft capital if they want to move up in the first-round.
12**th pick (1200 points) + 44**th pick (460 points) = 5**th pick (1700 points)
The Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders currently hold the fifth and sixth overall picks in the first round of the draft and there is a 100-point difference between the two. If the Cowboys want to trade up using their first- and second-round picks, they can essentially move up into the Top 5.
Trading with the Jaguars for the fifth overall pick favors the Cowboys by a total of 40 points and trading for the Raiders sixth overall pick favors Las Vegas by a total of 60 points. That's a pretty significant point differential, which is basically the equivalent to a mid-to-late fourth-round draft pick.
Who do you think the Cowboys would be targeting if they traded into the Top 5?
12**th pick (1200 points) + 76**th pick (210 points) = 8**th pick (1400 points)
The Carolina Panthers currently hold the eighth overall pick in the first round of the draft. If Panthers were wanting to move down to acquire an extra third-round draft pick, or if the Cowboys were looking to move up four spots for whatever reason, this trade could make sense for both organizations.
This is pretty close to being an equal trade for both teams, with only a 10-point differential favoring the Panthers. That 10-point differential equates to a...
