Cowboys 7-round mock draft: Dak Prescott traded and rebuild begins

The 2024 NFL draft is knocking on the door and the Dallas Cowboys are on the verge of executing their most important offseason battle plan. After largely opting out of free agency again this year, it’s “draft picks or bust” in Dallas. There are a ton of holes to fill and only a limited number of picks available to fill those holes. Nailing the draft is a must.

Unfortunately, there’s an unresolved contract situation hanging over their heads as well. Dak Prescott is entering the last year on his deal and per the language of said deal he cannot be franchise tagged in 2025. It means he’s free to test the waters of free agency in 11 months and unless he’s extended before the upcoming season, it makes enormous financial success to do so.

The Cowboys could be just dragging this out until training camp and have no intention of letting Prescott walk. But they could also be looking for ways to pinch pennies and what better way to save money than not pay a quarterback $60 million per year.

Let’s be clear: under no circumstances is trading Prescott the smart way for the Cowboys to get back in the win column. He’s the 2023 runner up for NFL MVP and likely the best quarterback this franchise will see for the next decade plus.

But the Cowboys handle things their own way and sometimes their top objectives don’t always align with fans’ top objectives. It’s a business in Dallas and the Cowboys have proven over the last 30 years marketing success does not require on field accomplishments.

As such, cash spending is often kept low so revenues can remain high. The salary cap is massaged in a way to make it seem like the front office’s hands are completely tied in the matter, but most will agree they are exactly where they want to be.

With this understood, the Cowboys see a way to cash in on Prescott’s big season and flip him for picks. They cut the QB salary off the books and roll into the 2024 season with Trey Lance as QB1. Prescott has a no trade clause in his contract but it's something he could waive if the money if right from his would-be suiter.

In this mock draft we use familiar scouting sites like The Athletic, NFL Draft Buzz, PFF and more. We also run simulations through a mock draft simulator to get honest results. Outlier situations are tossed so some form of realism may prevail.

Cowboys round 1, pick 11: OT Taliese Fuaga

The Cowboys gain picks 11 and 108 in 2024 along with Minnesota’s first round pick and third round pick in 2025 all in exchange for Prescott. The Vikings find themselves in a loaded QB division suddenly and need a ready-made player like Prescott to stay in the mix.

The Cowboys get two first round picks (MN keeps their other first rounder in 2024) and a pair of Day 2 picks to pull the trigger. It gives them ammunition next year if they need to trade up in the draft to target a blue-chip QB prospect and allows them to test drive Lance this year in his first true audition.

Fuaga is a player the Cowboys have been curiously scouting from the start. Most of their other interests have realistically fallen into their range of picks but nearly every source predicts Fuaga will be gone well before 24. This situation is why Dallas scouted him.

In Fuaga the Cowboys get arguably the second-best LT in the draft. His selection allows Tyler Smith to stay at LG where he appears to be a perennial All-Pro and allows Dallas to turn their attention to the center position in upcoming rounds.

Fuaga, 6-foot-6, 324-pounds, is built for the part. The Oregon State RT is expected to transition to LT easily. 33-inch arms and 81-inch wingspan meet’s Dallas demands in a prospect and his high character standing (team captain in 2023) help sell him as a mature professional worthy of a top-15 pick.

Cowboys round 1, pick 32: OC Zach Frazier

Again, the Cowboys take to the phones, this time accepting an offer from Kansas City to swap spots in the first round. Dallas gains the Chiefs third round pick in 2024 and adds their fourth rounder in 2025.

Before trading back, Dallas saw Graham Barton and Jackson Powers-Jackson were both off the board. Frazier seemed rich at that point so the trade back to 32 allowed them to get better value while adding extra selections along the way.  

The need at OC is obvious. Tyler Biadasz left in free agency and Brock Hoffman doesn’t appear to have starter quality traits. Finding a plug and play starter is high priority for Dallas and Frazier is just that.

Frazier profiles as one of the top OCs in the draft. The 6-foot-2, 315-pound product of West Virginia is a former wrestler with elite balance and stability. With 38 games of starting experience at the center position, he comes more polished than the two OC prospects that went before him.

Experienced in both zone and gap running schemes he would be a clean fit on the Cowboys. A hard worker with a high-end IQ and tremendously high floor makes him an instant starter. The only downside with Frazier is his ceiling isn’t as high as Barton or Powers-Johnson.

Cowboys round 2, pick 56: RB Jonathon Brooks

Brooks and Trey Benson are similarly rated by many and if Brooks isn’t there, the Cowboys would likely go with Benson instead. The Cowboys intended on drafting a RB in the middle rounds last season but the draft board got away from them and before long, their targets were all gone. They won’t risk that again in 2024.

Brooks is a do-it-all everything bagel of a RB. Coming off a knee injury, his testing is incomplete and his full-contact start date is a little in question. But by all accounts, he’s not expected to miss any time and like the two previous picks, he should be the Day 1 starter in Dallas.

The Cowboys currently lack RB options on their roster. They re-signed Rico Dowdle but his sorted injury history make him a risk to rely on. Deuce Vaughn didn’t show anything as a rookie and Hunter Luepke’s role for 2024 is probably TBD. Brooks is a clear answer at the position and someone they can feel secure with as they continue on in the draft.

Brooks, a former four-star recruit, comes to the NFL without much milage on his tires. Just eight games of starting experience indicates the 20-year-old has plenty of good football ahead of him. Of course, that also means he’s less proven than others in the draft class but the film shows shifty running, game-breaking speed and excellent vision. He can play multiple running schemes and would easily slide into RB1 on Day 1 with the Cowboys.

Cowboys round 3, pick 95: LB Trevin Wallace

It’s possible media scouts and teams scouts are all mixed up at LB because how the top-5 stack up from scout to scout, seems to range widely at the moment. Edgerrin Cooper probably goes in the top-50. Payton Wilson is an injury wild card who Dallas loves. Junior Colston will be very much in play at 56 and Wallace here could fall anywhere between the mess.

The Cowboys have a need at LB. They were exposed in 2023 and don’t want to suffer the same fate again. Adding at least one LB between rounds 2-4 is a high likelihood so that’s the pick at 95.

Wallace, 6-foot-1, 237-pounds, looks the part at LB. Well-built and highly athletic, Wallace can impact both phases of the game and looks like another version of last year’s LB draft pick DeMarvion Overshown. The Kentucky product has 19 games of starting experience and should be an instant starter at the next level.

Wallace can be a bit overaggressive at times and needs to work on pre-snap reads, but overall his pursuit ability and lateral quickness are good enough to get him out jams. Also interesting to note, Wallace isn’t afraid to fight through blockers so if the Cowboys interior defensive line is less than satisfactory (a strong likelihood), Wallce is a great choice.

Cowboys round 4, pick 108: WR Brenden Rice

With CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks at the top of the depth chart, the Cowboys don’t have an immediate need at WR, but in 2025 that all changes. Lamb will presumably re-sign but Cooks is expected to hit free agency.

The Cowboys will likely need a new WR2 as well as a new WR3. It’s perfectly possible third year man Jalen Tolbert steps up into the WR3 role this season but that’s wishful thinking for a 25-year-old with just 24 career receptions. Drafting a mid-round WR this year will give the Cowboys a season of grooming before they need him to be a real starter.

Rice, 6-foot-2, 208-pounds, is a big bodied prospect who comes to Dallas with 35 games of starting experience. The 22-year-old USC product has a natural feel for the game and projects at the X receiver position recently vacated by Michael Gallup. His presence will allow Lamb to work inside where he’s at his best.

Rice is a red zone weapon with sure hands and good enough speed to make plays down the sideline. Nothing is jaw-dropping with Rice but he has all the tools to be a starting WR in the NFL and should be a good complement to Lamb.

Cowboys round 5, pick 160: McKinnley Jackson

Dallas sends a sixth and seventh rounder to move up 14 spots so they can select and important cog in their defensive machine. As the roster stands today, the Cowboys are without a proven run-stuffer in the middle. With weight gain Mazi Smith could be the answer but banking on him jumping into that role in 2024 may be reckless.  

Jackson, 6-foot-1, 326-pounds, will help add size to the Dallas interior. LBs don’t matter much if the big guys up front can’t keep blockers off them so it’s imperative the Cowboys find a girthy 1-tech at some point in the draft.

Jackson is a one-dimensional DT who has a quick first step and long reach. He’s technically unrefined and will need coaching to reach his potential but could be a rotational piece early.

Cowboys round 7, pick 233: CB Chigozie Anusiem

Teams are drafting traits late on Day 3 and Anusiem has traits coming out of his ears. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound CB from Colorado State has 32-inch arms, 79-inch wingspan and 4.39 speed. What he doesn’t have is actual ball production.

Anusiem is seventh round pick for a reason. The 24-year-prospect has never been able to apply his physical tools with on field production. He lacks a feel for game in space and struggles locating the ball. He’s a physical player with tackling skills and press ability but he struggles in off coverage.

On the Cowboys he’ll likely be used situationally as a boundary CB or possibly cross trained at safety while he plays special teams.

Tools for the rebuild

The Cowboys cut salary from the books and acquired multiple top picks in 2025 to facilitate a potential trade up in 2025. If Trey Lance surprises and looks like a legit franchise QB in 2024, the Cowboys could re-sign him or flip him for more picks just like they did with Prescott.
Prescott would have to approve a trade but as long as the new team meets his salary demands there's no reason to think he wouldn't.

None of this is ideal but it's making the best of a bad situation. If the Cowboys don't intend on paying Prescott before the season, trade options should be explored or else they risk losing him for nothing on the open market.

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