Sometimes in the NFL draft, doing the right thing doesn’t involve filling the biggest need. Teams willing to keep the big picture in mind stand to gain the most on draft day. Teams singularly focused on just the upcoming season are doomed to make mistakes.
Then again, the Dallas Cowboys have so many glaring needs, they can ill afford to stray off the needs list with their first pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Receiver, cornerback and defensive tackle are the most critical needs currently on the Cowboys needs list this offseason. Running back and linebacker aren’t far behind. But it’s pass rusher that might ultimately be one of the best long-term decisions for Dallas in the first round.
The 2025 NFL draft has more than one high-end edge prospect. Abdul Carter might get all the attention, and for good reason, but pass rushers Shemar Stewart, Jalen Walker, Mykel Williams, Mike Green, and James Pearce, Jr. all have legitimate star potential.
All Edge rushers in this class (including Campbell and Walker) pass rush win rates against true pass sets. pic.twitter.com/Fgyus1o3JD
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) March 19, 2025
After signing Dante Fowler, Jr. in free agency, the Cowboys appear to have a handle at the defensive end position. Together with Micah Parsons, Sam Williams and Marshawn Kneeland, the Cowboys have enough viable players on the edge to feel secure about the upcoming season, but anything beyond 2025 is an entirely different story.
A year from now, Fowler and Williams are free agents leaving Parsons and Kneeland alone at edge. Kneeland isn’t even a sure thing having struggled with injury and performance in his only NFL season. A front office interested in the long-term would be very open to the idea of drafting a DE should he be the top prospect on the board when Dallas goes on the clock.
Whether it’s at No. 12 or in a trade-down scenario, pass rusher should be considered by the Cowboys early in the draft.
As for the prospects themselves there are plenty of questions regarding them all. Williams has questions about his technique and consistency. Walker has questions about his size and fit. Stewart has traits but no production. Pearce has questions about his personality and Green has questions about off-field incidents.
The devil will be in the details, and that’s up to private investigations and interviews to answer, but as for sheer ability, this is a talented field of pass rushers. Green and Pierce are particularly accomplished pass rushers and either one could form quite the dynamic duo playing opposite Parsons for the next four to five years.
There are clear opportunity costs to consider since thinking long-term at pass rusher would mean defensive tackle, receiver and cornerback would all take a backseat in the short-term. Unlike RB and LB, these four positions (DE, DT, WR, CB) typically require top 100 picks to adequately fill. But if the Cowboys trade down in the first, select a pass-rusher, but recoup a top-100 pick in the process, they may have a way to think long-term and short-term at the same time.
If team visits are any indication, and they usually always are, the Cowboys are busy scouting some of these top pass rushers as we speak. Maybe it’s just due diligence or maybe it’s with an eye toward the long-term.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire:
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