The Dallas Cowboys were eliminated from playoff contention before they kicked off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football.
Because of that, a stunning number of fans were rooting for Dallas to lose. Wanting Mike McCarthy gone after the season had a lot to do with that, but draft position was arguably fans' biggest motivator.
While we understand wanting the highest draft pick possible, this is not a great draft. There's not expected to be a high number of prospects whom receive first-round grades.
If the Cowboys lost their final three games, they might finish with the No. 10 pick They'll more likely than not end up with a pick in the 12-15 range. The dream of getting Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter or two-way superstar Travis Hunter ended weeks ago. This team was never finishing with one of the worst records in the NFL. There's too many bad teams.
Ultimately, Dallas hardly harmed their draft stock by winning. In fact, they are now within range to select the perfect player for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.
Cowboys perfectly positioned after Week 16 win to draft Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka
No block, no rock.
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) October 1, 2024
Emeka Egbuka's blocking was all over the MSU tape. That won't go unnoticed by NFL scouts. pic.twitter.com/3lE2Yfmb7g
The Cowboys currently hold the No. 15 overall pick in the 2025 draft. They are one of five teams with a 7-8 record, so the order will probably shuffle some more over the final two weeks. Regardless, pick No. 15 is where many mock drafts have Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka coming off the board.
Receiver isn't the most pressing need on the roster, but Dallas is a stud WR2 away from having an elite offense.
If you take a look around the league, numerous star wideouts have a star-caliber sidekick. Justin Jefferson has Jordan Addison. Ja'Marr Chase has Tee Higgins. A.J. Brown has DeVonta Smith. Tyreek Hill has Jaylen Waddle. Mike Evans has Chris Godwin. Puka Nacua has Cooper Kupp.
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Lamb is posting ungodly numbers without a proven WR2. Drafting Egbuka would bring out a better version of No. 88.
Egbuka burst onto the scene in 2022 with 74 catches for 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns. An injury wiped out most of his junior year, but he responded with a vengeance in 2024 to the tune of 49 catches for 612 yards and eight TDs.
While Egbuka doesn't have game-breaking speed, he glides in and out of his breaks, which allows him to create separation on a consistent basis. He has excellent spatial awareness against zone coverage and a 86.1 receiving grade this season in man coverage to boot. He's also played over 70% of his snaps in the slot. That makes him an ideal complementary inside/out player next to Lamb, who can win in the slot and on the edge.
The Cowboys would be doing Prescott and Lamb a major disservice by not targeting Egbuka with their first-round pick. With the defense finding its stride in Mike Zimmer's scheme, Dallas has the flexibility to draft Prescott another weapon early.
Egbuka in the middle of round one would take this offense to new heights.