The Dallas Cowboys would be a worse football team if they traded George Pickens. That's not really up for debate, but what if they were able to land a treasure chest of draft picks? Would Cowboys fans be more open to the idea?
Well, a major wide receiver trade just went down, and it suggests that Dallas could fetch a king's ransom in a Pickens trade.
The Denver Broncos acquired Miami Dolphins wideout Jaylen Waddle, and they wildly overpaid to make it happen, sending a 2026 first-round pick, a 2026 third-round pick, and a 2026 fourth-round pick to Miami for Waddle and the Dolphins' 2026 fourth-rounder.
While Waddle is a perfect fit next to Courtland Sutton and the Broncos' window just opened, that is an astronomical price to pay for a fringe WR1, and it begs the question of what Dallas could get for Pickens?
Broncos are trading for Miami WR Jaylen Waddle, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 17, 2026
Denver receives: Waddle and Dolphins’ 4th-round pick (11th in round) in this year’s draft.
Miami receives: Broncos’ 1st round pick (30th overall) along with their late 3rd and 4th round picks (30th in each round) in…
The Dallas Cowboys should shop George Pickens after Broncos' blockbuster Jaylen Waddle trade
This is not meant to be a dig at Waddle. He's a former No. 6 overall pick who's averaged 81 catches for 1,098 yards and six touchdowns across six seasons.
That production is nothing to sneeze at, but nobody expected him to fetch a first-round pick. Sure, it’s No. 30 overall, but a first is a first, and the Dolphins even squeezed a third-rounder out of Denver while swapping fourths.
Again, that is an enormous haul, and Waddle's output has dipped over the last three years after an electric start to his career. From 2023 to 2025, the former Alabama star has averaged 890 receiving yards.
With Tyreek Hill missing all but four games last season, Waddle somehow failed to cross the 1,000-yard threshold, catching 64 of 100 targets for 910 yards and six scores.
Pickens did not let CeeDee Lamb's high-ankle sprain slow him down. In fact, he was one of the most productive receivers in the league, ranking sixth in catches (93), third in yards (1,429), third in passer rating when targeted (120.1), and tied for seventh in yards per route run (2.35), per PFF.
Pickens is a more explosive, dynamic player and offers far more as a downfield threat. Waddle fits more of the CeeDee Lamb mold than a true X receiver, so the comparison isn’t perfect—but how many receivers can you definitively say are better than Pickens? Now ask the same about Waddle. It’s not even a conversation.
The million-dollar question is how much Pickens’ value has risen since last offseason, when he was available for just a third-rounder. He’s also not under contract, meaning any acquiring team would have to pay him north of $30 million per year on top of surrendering draft picks.
But the Waddle trade is Dallas' leverage. They can argue that a worse -- and younger -- player was worth a 1st, a 3rd, and an early Day 3 pick swap.
Waddle doesn’t carry the same maturity concerns that still follow Pickens, but Pickens has been more productive and is still ascending at 25, while Waddle, entering his age-28 season, has likely already reached his ceiling.
It’s a fascinating conversation -- and one the Cowboys’ top decision-makers should already be having internally.