Is it crazy to say the fate of the Dallas Cowboys' 2025 season hinges on how they do in the NFL Draft? Health and player performance are obviously important variables, and the jury is out on first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
However, when you consider the current state of the roster the draft could very well determine the team's fate this season.
The Cowboys enter the draft with pressing needs at wide receiver, running back, cornerback and nose tackle. They probably want to fill those holes early in the drafting process, but they are not the only teams with needs at those positions.
We do our best to address those needs in this three-round mock draft.
Dallas Cowboys 3-round 2025 NFL Mock Draft
Trade: The Cowboys trade the No. 12 pick to the Bengals for the No. 17 pick and pick No. 81 in the third round.
Round 1, Pick No. 17: Luther Burden, WR, Missouri
Burden's stock has taken a serious hit following a subpar final season at Missouri. The dip in production was more of a scheme issue than a Burden issue, however. He was relegated to a gadget player and didn't receive many downfield targets.
While Burden is excellent at creating yards after the catch, Missouri's offense has tricked many into thinking he has a limited route tree can only make plays near the line of scrimmage. That is anything but the case. He is a more natural WR than folks give him credit for.
The former Tiger might be the best fit next to CeeDee Lamb of any receiver in this class. He can turn simple catches into explosive plays, as evidenced by his 30 missed tackles forced last season, which tied for the most of any WR in the country.
Round 2, Pick No. 44: Trey Amos, CB, Ole Miss
The Cowboys HAVE to come out of the first three rounds with a cornerback and Amos at No. 44 would be incredible value.
We were torn between Amos and East Carolina's Shavon Revel here. Both players check the all-important size and length boxes that Dallas likes in cornerbacks.
Amos' wingspan ranks in the 79th-percentile for the position, per PFF. He is also the more healthy of the two prospects. That wingspan helped Amos post a forced incomplete rate above 20.0% in each of the last three seasons.
The former Rebel is also scheme-versatile, as evidenced by his 75.4 man coverage grade and 78.9 zone coverage grade last season. He is an excellent fit in Matt Eberflus' defense and would give Dallas an immediate CB2 with the potential to develop into a CB1.
Round 3, Pick No. 76: Alfred Collins, DT, Texas
Collins should be a consideration at pick No. 44. If he slides all the way to 76, the Cowboys would throw a party as he is one of the best run-stuffers in the class.
A 30 visit with Dallas, Collins' arm length is in the 91st-percentile. At 6-5 and 320 pounds, Collins boasts ideal size for an interior defender, but it's his length and upper body strength that really help him stack blocks and man his gap. He doesn't offer much as a pass-rusher, but he batted down five passes last season, which shows his alertness at the line of scrimmage and refusal to give up on plays.
Collins has the upside to be the best interior defender in this class. He could step in and start at the one-technique next to Osa Odigizuwa. You'd be hard-pressed to name a better fit in this class for what Dallas needs on its defensive line.
Round 3, Pick No. 81: RJ Harvey, RB, UCF
The extra third-round pick proved to be huge as it allowed Dallas to draft its potential RB1 next season. While the big-name RB prospects were all of the board by this point, the team still had its pick of Harvey, Damien Martinez, Devin Neal and D.J. Giddens.
Harvey won out here due to his big-play ability and long speed. He has tremendous burst (4.41 40-yard dash at the Combine) and feel for space. He has an unteachable ability to reel in defenders and make them miss.
While Harvey is considered as more of a burner than a mauler, he ranked top 15 in the FBS last season with 897 yards after contact and 69 missed tackles forced.
In a perfect world, the Cowboys circle back on a RB on day three and select a physical back like Rutgers' Kyle Monangai, who plays to contact and wants to punish defenders.
A haul of Burden, Amos, Collins and Harvey would not only plug the Cowboys' biggest holes, but it would give them four potential starters at those positions. That is just what the roster needs to make the elusive leap into a contender.