3 players the Dallas Cowboys could trade for Xavien Howard

The Dallas Cowboys entered the 2021 NFL Draft with the position of cornerback being their biggest team need. Unfortunately, the Cowboys weren’t able to land one of the top corners in the first round as South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn and Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II were drafted by other teams right under their noses.

As a consolation prize, the Cowboys did draft Kentucky cornerback Kelvin Joseph, who dropped to the second round despite possessing first-round level talent. Dallas also used a third-round pick on Oregon State cornerback Nahshon Wright.

But the recent news that All-Pro cornerback Xavien Howard has requested a trade from the Miami Dolphins gives the Cowboys an avenue to potentially land that top cornerback they covet. In order to do so, Dallas will likely have to outbid several teams for his services and be willing to pay not only the player’s salary demands, but also compensate the Dolphins.

Perhaps the first topic to cover is whether Howard is even worth it. A second-round selection out of Baylor back in 2016, the 28-year old cornerback is arguably the top player at his position. Howard has led the NFL in interceptions twice, racking up a career-high 10 picks in 2020. He’s also a two-time Pro Bowler and was just named first-team All-Pro for his play last season.

Howard inked a five-year, $75 million deal with the Dolphins in 2019, but now wants a raise. That in large part due to him being the second-highest-paid cornerback on his own team after Miami signed former Cowboys cornerback Byron Jones to a five-year, $82.5 million contract as a free agent in 2020.

Assuming the Cowboys are willing to make the necessary financial maneuvers to accommodate Howard’s salary demands, would they also be willing to trade away significant draft capital to make the move as well? Perhaps trading a player to the Dolphins could cushion that blow and allow the Cowboys to drop their draft compensation.

If so, here are three potential players the Cowboys might be willing to part with in order to make a trade for Xavien Howard a reality.