Jerry Jones Declares Cowboys’ Plans to Make Big Trade in 2022 NFL Draft

What Jones says he wants and what the Cowboys will do can often be different things, but the Dallas owner’s intentions became very clear on Wednesday.

For better or for worse, the Cowboys haven’t brought in a flurry of players through free agency this offseason. Signings like wide receiver James Washington help round out the starters, but Washington and defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. can hardly be considered quality-for-quality replacements of ex-Cowboys WR Amari Cooper and DE Randy Gregory.

Dallas Morning News reporter Michael Gehlken made an interesting point in regards to the lack of return: it will translate to even more picks next year.

“Cowboys have four fifth-round picks this month,” Gehlken Tweeted on April 13. “Their lack of free agency activity — no compensatory free agents signed — and departures of Randy Gregory, Connor Williams and Cedrick Wilson mean compensatory picks to come in 2023. If Dallas wants to move up, it has the capital.”

At the time of writing, the Cowboys current draft selections are:

• Round 1: No. 24 overall
• Round 2: No. 56
• Round 3: No. 88
• Round 4: No. 129
• Round 5: Nos. 155 (from Browns), 167, 176, 178
• Round 6: No. 193 (from Browns)
• With more comp picks coming, Dallas and Jones can trade more of their mid-to-late round picks this year or next year without giving up the majority of selections. Trading up this year in the first or second round will be expensive, so those four fifth-round selections are the most likely area to be used as trade weight.
  

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  Dallas and Jones Trading Up in the First?

  It’s worth noting that Jones’ declaration needs context: if Dallas decides to trade up in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, it will be the first time the franchise has done so since 2012.

  A ten-year pause from trading up in the first could be due to how the Cowboys’ last time trading up ended somewhat poorly, as the team took corner Morris Claiborne who never lived up to the billing of the No. 6 overall pick in the draft.

  Dallas and Jones may want to trade up again, but it’s hard to see them trading up as far as the top 6 or 7 picks. When they traded up for Claiborne in 2012, the Cowboys sent the Los Angeles Rams their No. 14 pick and No. 45 pick in the second round in exchange.