Most NFL insiders agree the Cowboys will go wide receiver in Round 1
Wide receiver is becoming the chalk pick for the Cowboys
The first draft pick of the Brian Schottenheimer era with the Dallas Cowboys is almost here. When the NFL draft is this close, the wait could feel like an eternity, with all the information coming about where teams could go on night one.
For Cowboys fans, the hope is that Dallas will upgrade their No. 2 wide receiver as early as their first-round pick. The winds seem to continue blowing in that direction. The Athletic’s NFL Insider Dianna Russini believes Dallas is targeting offense at 12th overall, headlined by Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan and Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden.
Per @DMRussini, Dallas may be zeroing in on WR for Round 1:
— Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) April 23, 2025
“Many sources around the league expect the #Cowboys to target an offensive skill position with the No. 12 pick. Texas WR Matthew Golden and Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan are names that I’m hearing could interest Dallas.” pic.twitter.com/5xAtUBvtS6
Wide receiver has made a ton of sense for Dallas, looking to be more explosive on offense after a lackluster season in Mike McCarthy’s final year. After he missed the final two games last season, the front office got a taste of what life could be like without CeeDee Lamb. It was not good.
McMillan gives the Cowboys a size element on offense they haven’t had in a long time. At 6’4”, McMillan would be a great contested-catch player, vastly improving Dallas’ struggles in the red zone area. It could be the Tony Romo to Dez Bryant unstoppable back shoulder fade all over again.
Golden presents a different skill set than McMillan. The former Longhorn will not win any dunk contests at just 5’11”, but he could be one of the most explosive receivers in the entire draft class. Golden ran a 4.29 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, and that speed shows up during games. Dallas did re-sign KaVontae Turpin to a three-year contract, but having more than one speed element, especially from a player who’s traditionally a wide receiver, would bring variance to Dallas’ offense, complementing Lamb’s abilities.
More will be known over the next 24 hours, but many insiders believe Dallas will target a wide receiver with its first pick. Adam Schefter, Russini, and ESPN's Dan Graziano have all echoed this. However, a few Alabama prospects could be in play if the wide receivers went off the board in front of Dallas in the first round.
In Graziano’s latest intel report, he mentioned linebacker Jihaad Campbell could be in play.
Graziano: And many around the league believe the Cowboys are likely to take a wide receiver at No. 12. Dallas could have its pick of them — outside of Hunter, of course. McMillan and Texas’ Matthew Golden are the two names to watch if the Cowboys go that direction.
Here’s another name to watch for Dallas, though, on the other side of the ball: Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell. He is extremely well regarded by teams and could go higher than expected if some team (Cowboys? 49ers? Colts?) loses out on its Plan A on Thursday night.
Campbell would fill a need for the Cowboys defense, having a light depth chart at linebacker past the 2025 season. Kenneth Murray and Jack Sanborn are on one-year prove-it deals, leaving just Marist Liufau and DeMarvion Overshown as the team’s proven players under contract after this year.
There could be a world in which players outside of the top 12 picks feel jumping in front of Dallas may be the only way they get one of the top two wideouts in the class between Golden and McMillan. The San Francisco 49ers could use more draft capital to replenish their losses from the offseason.
Another Alabama player who could be in the mix for Dallas is offensive guard Tyler Booker, whom NFL insider Peter Schrager had the Cowboys picking at No. 12 in his one and only mock draft.
The great @PSchrags going against the grain with the #Cowboys pick in the first round.
— Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) April 23, 2025
Booker does check a lot of boxes. https://t.co/PGCFwascU5 pic.twitter.com/YFXe6pqF6J
Booker is a logical pick for Dallas, like his Alabama counterpart. Dallas lost Zack Martin to retirement this offseason, leaving a gaping hole at right guard. The front office has done a great job getting bodies in the building to compete for the starting job, but with Booker's talent as a people mover, he could take Dallas’ offensive line to the next level.
During the pre-draft press conference, team owner and general manager Jerry Jones did say, “We won’t eliminate [offensive line at 12] based on the resources we’ve put in.” Could that mean spending their first-round pick on the offensive line or maybe with a pick on day two? One thing is for sure: Dallas is trying to improve on offense, giving Schottenheimer all the tools for success in his first season as a head coach.
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