DALLAS, TX — The 2025 NFL Draft is behind us, and the Dallas Cowboys had a pretty good haul.
In the first round, the Cowboys selected Alabama offensive guard Tyler Booker, who was regarded as the best guard in the NFL Draft. After the Cowboys lost Zack Martin to retirement, interior offensive line was a huge need. The Cowboys' coaching staff says it is committed to running the football this season, and they made investments in that area, especially later in the draft.
In the second round, the Cowboys selected Boston College defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku, who was projected to go late in the first round. He won the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation’s top defensive end last season and ranked second in the nation with 16.5 sacks. In the third round, the Cowboys selected East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel Jr., who tore his ACL last season. If that had not happened, he could have been a late first- or early second-round pick.
On Day 3, the Cowboys picked up two running backs, two defensive tackles, an offensive tackle and a linebacker.
Dallas picked running backs Jaydon Blue, out of Texas, and Phil Mafah, out of Clemson. Blue ran a 4.38 40-yard dash, so he does have some home-run speed, but he also lost four fumbles. If he can fix the ball security and pass protection issues, Blue could be a huge factor in the Cowboys' offense. Blue also caught 42 passes for 368 yards and six touchdowns.
In the seventh round, the Cowboys picked Mafah, who is 6-foot-1 and 234 pounds, to add some size to the backfield. Mafah had 216 carries last season for 1,115 yards and eight TDs. In 2023, he went for 965 yards and 13 scores. Mafah averaged over 5 yards a carry the past three years at Clemson.
The Cowboys traded up in the fifth round to select Florida linebacker Shemar James, who has sideline-to-sideline speed, a high motor and blitzing ability. While not the fastest linebacker, he could make an immediate impact on special teams.
Dallas addressed the offensive line again late in the sixth round by selecting durable offensive tackle Ajani Cornelius. He has all the traits but needs to clean up his technique.
The Cowboys also drafted two defensive tackles late in the draft in UCLA’s Jay Toia and Maryland’s Tommy Akingbesote, two 300-plus pound linemen. These two are going to be run stuffers. Draft analyst Dane Brugler ranked Toia as a potential third- or fourth-round pick.
One thing the Cowboys did not address in the NFL Draft was the receiver position. This year was sort of a weak receiver class, and there are still names available that would bridge the gap to next season like Keenan Allen or Amari Cooper.
Dallas did pick up a couple of undrafted receivers in Oregon’s Traeshon Holden and Texas Tech’s Josh Kelly.
Other names the Cowboys added after the draft include:
- Bruce Harmon, CB, Stephen F. Austin
- Mike Smith Jr., DB, Eastern Kentucky
- Zion Childress, DB, Kentucky
- Alijah Clark, DB, Syracuse
- Rivaldo Fairweather, TE, Auburn
- Tyler Neville, TE, Virginia
- Justin Barron, LB, Syracuse
Rookies will start their NFL careers in early to mid-May.
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