NFL Analysis
10/29/24
8 min read
Dallas Cowboys 2025 7-Round NFL Mock Draft: Defensive Line Upgrades Are Priority
The Dallas Cowboys are in trouble.
After another loss to the San Francisco 49ers, the Cowboys are suddenly reeling at 3-4, putting them in third place in the NFC East. The rest of the NFC is moving past them as their defense struggles to do anything without Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, while the offense struggles to find any kind of identity that doesn't involve Dak Prescott force-feeding CeeDee Lamb.
Mike McCarthy is likely gone after this season, and with the way things are trending, the Cowboys desperately need to hit some home runs in the 2025 NFL Draft to be a Super Bowl contender again next season.
If that's what the Cowboys are searching for, then a draft class like the one in this seven-round mock draft could get the job done.
Cowboys 7-Round Mock Draft
Round 1, 13th Overall
Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M
Even with a fully healthy Parsons and second-round pick in Marshawn Kneeland next season, the Cowboys need to find more EDGE players who can help rush the passer and stop the run.
Nic Scourton has the chance to be a top-10 pick with a dominant season for the Texas A&M Aggies. At 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds, he has a diverse pass-rushing portfolio and good film against top-tier tackles in the SEC.
Texas A&M ED Nic Scourton vs LSU
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) October 27, 2024
Continues to check boxes at 282 lbs and will be just 20 years old next April.
7 pressures, six hurries & a sack in a game scouts had circled for the Purdue transfer. pic.twitter.com/2ludzEZQNj
Along with that pass-rushing prowess, Scourton's size and strength make him a legitimate run defender, which could make him even more valuable alongside Parsons and Kneeland in 2025.
Round 2, 44th Overall
Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State
Ashton Jeanty could have been a legitimate option for the Cowboys in the first round, but there's a strong possibility that a team like the New York Giants will take a swing at him before Dallas is on the clock.
Instead, the Cowboys can take another exciting running back prospect in the second round in Ollie Gordon II. While he's not having the same kind of season as he had in 2023, he's still produced 2,300 rushing yards and 31 total touchdowns in the last 1.5 seasons.
Gordon brings terrific short-area quickness in a 211-pound frame with 98 forced missed tackles since 2023. He's averaged at least 3.0 yards after contact per attempt in all three of his college seasons, driving his legs through contact consistently.
The Cowboys sorely lack an impact running back, leaning on aging veterans instead this season. Gordon provides the skill set to make him a potential workhorse at the NFL level, which could give Dallas some much-needed balance on offense.
Gordon's Full Scouting Report, Grade
Round 3, 77th Overall
#OleMiss iDL Walter Nolen III vs. Wake
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) September 16, 2024
Most impressive prospect that I saw while out on the scouting trail last weekend. This is the prospect many envisioned. Let’s see if it can continue. pic.twitter.com/fUBYzXBJ9T
Walter Nolen, DL, Ole Miss
More bodies up front are going to be paramount to the Cowboys' defense success in 2025. Heading into Week 9, they rank 30th in run defense by DVOA, lacking the bodies and talent to stop the run.
Walter Nolen looked like too much of a tweener at Texas A&M, but he has become an impact defensive lineman after transferring to Ole Miss this offseason. The 305-pound prospect has flashed complete dominance at the point of attack with low pad level and good play strength to reset the line of scrimmage.
Nolen is capable of playing in all kinds of alignments to provide value as a run defender and pass rusher. A strong pre-draft process could have him flying up draft boards, but as of right now, he'd be a great value pick in the third round for the Cowboys.
Round 4, 113th Overall
Jack Nelson, OL, Wisconsin
The Cowboys need to find ways to keep upgrading their offensive line. Tyler Guyton is still trying to get his feet underneath him as a rookie left tackle, but the team likely needs to turn its attention to upgrading Terence Steele at right tackle.
Jack Nelson has spent his college career as the starting left tackle at Wisconsin, but his skill set could allow him to flip to right tackle or even kick inside to guard. He's only allowed one sack in pass protection this season and can move bodies in the run game with good play strength.
Nelson may not be an immediate starter if he has to move away from playing left tackle, but his physical tools could make him a solid long-term investment in the middle rounds.
Round 5, 151st Overall
▶️ 7 rec.
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 28, 2024
▶️ 128 yds
▶️ 1 TD@elijah_sarratt did his part to help @IndianaFootball move to 5-0.#B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/R2KOFpXr7C
Elijah Sarratt, WR, Indiana
CeeDee Lamb is an electric superstar, and Jalen Tolbert is emerging as a solid No. 2 option. However, the Cowboys lack a true big-bodied X receiver to give the passing game more versatility.
Sarratt is quietly one of the best X-type receivers in college football this year. He's averaging a strong 2.89 yards per route run with 33 catches for 590 yards and three scores. He's capable of making contested catches, creating separation at the route stem, and even finishing plays after the catch by running through defenders for yards after contact.
Although Sarratt lacks top-end play speed compared to top WR prospects, he's such a solid and dependable receiver on the outside that he could quickly become a safety blanket for Prescott in Dallas.
Round 5, 169th Overall
Damien Martinez, RB, Miami (FL)
Even after taking Gordon, the Cowboys should strongly consider double-dipping at the position to give the backfield a change-of-pace kind of player.
A 232-pound running back, Martinez averages more than 4.0 yards after contact per rushing attempt. The majority of his rushing attempts come on gap-scheme designs, gaining momentum and attacking downhill to generate YAC and keep moving the chains.
A backfield duo of Gordon and Martinez is a heck of a lot more appealing than one featuring the current versions of Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook.
Round 5, 170th Overall
Smael Mondon Jr., LB, Georgia
The Cowboys have a handful of intriguing young linebackers on the roster. But with how poorly they're playing against the run, it might be worthwhile to take a late-round flier on another to compete for a starting job.
Mondon has only played four games for the Bulldogs this year, but he's done a little bit of everything in those games. He's shown some ability in coverage, along with flashes as a pass rusher and run stopper.
He's not a household name, but a Bulldogs linebacker should be wired the right way to compete to make a 53-man NFL roster.
Round 5, 172nd Overall
Kept it himself and a hop into the end zone. Dillon Gabriel for another @oregonfootball score. pic.twitter.com/jmJZ88Qpky
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) October 26, 2024
Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon
Is Trey Lance the long-term succession plan at quarterback for the Cowboys? If not, then a late-round pick on a quarterback might be a worthwhile move, especially since Dallas has so many fifth-round compensatory picks.
Dillon Gabriel is a 23-year-old QB prospect with plenty of starting experience at UCF, Oklahoma, and now Oregon, where he's leading a playoff-caliber Ducks team. He's a talented lefty with good arm talent and accuracy, along with enough mobility to be a threat as a scrambler.
Think of Gabriel as a poor man's Russell Wilson, and that kind of potential could make it worth the Cowboys taking a look at him.
Round 6, 188th Overall
Thor Griffith, DL, Louisville
After taking Nolen earlier to move around the defensive line, the Cowboys can use their first of two sixth-round picks to find a run-stuffing nose tackle in Thor Griffith.
A member of Bruce Feldman's "Freaks List," the 320-pound prospect bench pressed 225 pounds an absurd 45 times in his final year at Harvard while running the 40-yard dash in under five seconds.
Griffith can plug up rushing lanes with size and strength but also has some pass-rushing juice that can make it possible for him to stay on the field in obvious passing situations. It's an interesting skill set for a player who isn't a household name but someone the Cowboys could use on their defensive front.
Round 6, 209th Overall
Andrew Mukuba, SAF, Texas
After prioritizing the defensive front, the Cowboys could take a swing on a defensive back in the later rounds.
A former Clemson DB, Mukuba transferred to Texas to play for a national title contender. He's allowed a passer rating of just 35.2 this season, allowing zero touchdowns and two interceptions when targeted this season.
Malik Hooker doesn't look like the answer at safety for the Cowboys, and while Mukuba might not be a long-term answer, he could develop into a serviceable starter.
