Mock draft: Simulating how the Cowboys’ draft could play out

FRISCO, Texas — On Thursday, it gets real for the Dallas Cowboys, as the 2025 NFL draft kicks off in Green Bay, Wisconsin, at 8 p.m. ET (on ESPN/ABC/ESPN App).

Until then, we can play make believe, thanks to ESPN’s mock draft simulator.

The Cowboys currently have 10 draft picks. They don’t have a fourth-rounder, but they have multiple choices in Rounds 5, 6 and 7.

By now, we know the Cowboys’ needs: wide receiver, running back, offensive tackle, guard, defensive end, cornerback, defensive tackle and linebacker. Feel free to put them in any order you like and try out the simulator on your own.

With the help of the simulator, calls to sources and some limited scouting of my own, here is my take on a seven-round mock draft for the Cowboys:

Round 1 (No. 12 overall): Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona

McMillan might not be there when the Cowboys make their first pick, but they need to get quarterback Dak Prescott help. McMillan might not have the speed the Cowboys crave opposite WR1 CeeDee Lamb, but at 6-foot-4, McMillan can make plays on the ball with his giant catch radius. If he’s gone, then Texas’ Matthew Golden would’ve been the pick here, although Alabama guard Tyler Booker (Mel Kiper Jr.’s top-ranked guard) also crossed my mind.

Round 2 (No. 44): TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State

I’m not as sold as most people on the Cowboys taking a running back here. I could see them going cornerback. I could see them going offensive tackle. It’s a deep running back class, but Henderson’s breakaway speed is something the Cowboys need. He is also an excellent pass protector. With offseason additions Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, the Cowboys could wait a round to take a runner, but without a fourth-round pick, like last year, they might have to select a back sooner.

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Round 3 (No. 76): Shemar Turner, DT, Texas A&M

He’s a local prospect (DeSoto High School) and was a predraft visitor to The Star, just like McMillan and Henderson. Some folks might want more bulk, but the Cowboys plan to use a deep rotation on their defensive line, and Turner showed he can play multiple spots. He should be a future NFL starter.

Round 5 (No. 149): Barryn Sorrell, DE, Texas

You can never have too many pass rushers. The Cowboys have Micah Parsons, Dante Fowler Jr., Marshawn Kneeland (last year’s Round 2 pick), and Sam Williams, who is coming back from a torn left ACL. Sorrell plays hard. He can change direction and bend. This pick also has the future in mind, since Fowler is on a one-year deal and Williams is in the final year of his contract. So is Parsons, but the expectation is he will sign an extension.

Round 5 (No. 174): Denzel Burke, CB, Ohio State

His fit in defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus’ scheme might be a question, but he is a solid player all around. He didn’t wow people at the combine, but he was productive at Ohio State (31 pass deflections, four picks), is a willing tackler and can play on every special teams unit. He also played in a lot of big games and won’t be scared in the NFL.

Round 6 (No. 204): Cobee Bryant, CB, Kansas

Considered going with him in Round 5 and found him too good to pass on in the sixth round. He had 13 interceptions in his career. He finds the ball. He can be too aggressive at times, but that can be contained by coaching.

Round 6 (No. 211): Luke Lachey, TE, Iowa

Jake Ferguson is from Wisconsin. Luke Schoonmaker is from Michigan. Brevyn Spann-Ford is from Minnesota. Why not another Big Ten tight end for Dallas? His father, Jim, is a former All-Pro tackle, so there’s good lineage. He is mostly an in-line tight end but showed at the East-West Shrine Bowl practices he can make some plays down the field.

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Round 7 (No. 217): Dylan Fairchild, G, Georgia

Was surprised to see him still available, and if I had to do it all over again, maybe I would take him for the Cowboys in the sixth round — but call this lucky. He started 24 games in his final two seasons. Some think he might be able to play center, too. He has the requisite size, and his background as a wrestler (two-time Georgia Class 7A high school state champion) gives him an understanding of leverage.

Round 7 (No. 239): Shemar James, LB, Florida

Probably should have looked at a linebacker sooner but was still able to get a good value here. James moves well. He might not be the biggest (6-1, 229), but he had 11.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. Perhaps he can help on special teams early.

Round 7 (No. 247): Seth Henigan, QB, Memphis

He took part in the Cowboys’ Dallas Day workouts. He was a four-year starter at Memphis with 104 touchdown passes and 31 interceptions. At this point in the draft, why not? Instead of hoping to sign him as an undrafted free agent, the Cowboys use their final pick to secure him.