2025 NFL Mock Draft: Dallas Cowboys choose blocking help

Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas

After becoming the owner of the ONLY National Football Conference team in the league that hasn’t made it to the Conference Final this century, Jerry Jones has FINALLY decided to relinquish some power so that this team can possibly see one more Lombardi before he kicks the bucket. Now, it’s up to me to fix this dumpster fire

If this were real life, I’d probably start calling around to see if anyone’s interested in Shedeur Sanders. Jerry has created such a mess that adding more picks to the arsenal doesn’t sound like a bad idea. If Tennessee, Vegas, or Cleveland are willing to trade their early 30s pick along with a 2026 first-rounder, I think it’s a deal you have to consider. Since the draft order is static, I’ll go with the player I believe is the best fit at 12. And that player is Kelvin Banks Jr. (OL, Texas).

I honestly expected this to be a bit easier. This team has so many holes that you could probably throw a dart at a draft board and find an upgrade over a current player. However, with a few players falling further than expected, I had to make a tough decision.

Before I get into my pick, I’ll take a look at Dallas’ other needs to see if there’s a better option available.

Quarterback

This might not be the biggest need, but since I already mentioned Shedeur, I’ll just go ahead and address this now. **I wrote this before the Cowboys traded for Joe Milton. Not changing it.**

Player considered: Sheduer Sanders

Current players: Dak Prescott, Will Grier

Shedeur at a glance: 6’1, 212 pounds- 2024 stats: 4134 yards, 37 TDS, 10 INTS

Ceiling: Joe Burrow (Laugh.. I do not care)

Floor: Jake Browning

Base: Geno Smith

Argument for: Trolling aside, this is a legitimate need. Dak Prescott tore his hamstring off the bone last season, missing nine games. He missed four games in 2022 due to a broken thumb and 11 games in 2020 with a dislocated ankle. When he actually is healthy, he can put up some pretty little stats in the regular season, but we all know what tends to happen in January.

$$$: Jerry values the star’s brand over actual winning, and the Sanders name brings in money. 9.3 million people tuned in to watch a Colorado vs. Colorado State game with a 10 p.m. EST kickoff. There’s real on-field value in this. Shedeur is used to playing under the spotlight. While he’s had his fair share of struggles and hasn’t seen postseason success, I wouldn’t chalk that up to mental pressure. He thrives under it. If put in the right position, I believe he’ll have no issue playing for a team everyone loves to see fail.

Argument against:

Thanks to Jerry’s masterful contract negotiations, Dak Prescott is essentially locked in for the foreseeable future. Sanders would likely have to sit for at least two years, which may not be the worst thing in the world. The real question is whether Shedeur and papa can keep their egos in check and stay patient in the media while waiting for his turn. Coach Prime has openly criticized his own offensive line in front of the media mid-season at Colorado. It could get loud. That kind of dynamic could turn into a headache.


Verdict:

I’d need to think this over more if Dak didn’t just sign a deal that leaves almost $200 million in dead cap over the next two seasons. Sanders is high risk, but also comes with the potential for high reward. Despite the bust potential, his value here is still solid. If Dak stays healthy, the team will likely pick around 20-25 next year, making it harder to land a top QB without trading up. Ultimately, I’d rather focus on building the team now and look for a quarterback later. The team that does eventually take Sanders may struggle with the media circus, and you could probably get him for a better value in a couple of years anyway.

Running Back

Players Considered: Omarrion Hampton, I guess

Current Players: Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders, Deuce Vaughn

I’m bringing up running back because I keep seeing Dallas fans pushing for Ashton Jeanty. He’s not on the board in our draft, but even if he were, I wouldn’t consider him. A lot of people think Howie Roseman has changed the narrative on running backs, and some GMs will try to zig after Howie has already zagged. The thing is, even Saquon Barkley himself wouldn’t look competent behind the dreadful Dallas O-line. I love the guy, but we saw what he looked like in NY behind a cruddy O-line. Just a Bugatti in a trailer park.

Verdict: Fix the line and target Quinshon Judkins or TreVeyon Henderson later.

Wide Receiver

Player considered: Tetairoa McMillan

Tet at a glance: 2024 stats- 84 catches, 1319 yards, 8 TDS

Ceiling: Mike Evans

Floor: Kelvin Benjamin

Base: Drake London

When I first saw Teitoroa McMillan still on the board, my mind locked onto him immediately. Luther Burden III and Matthew Golden are good as well, and WR is a need, but T-Mac is really the only one I’d seriously consider at 12.

Argument for:

As I said, it is a need. Ever since trading Amari Cooper for a pack of Starburst, Jerry has not found a WR2 that really scares opposing defensive coordinators. The Cowboys were 31st in red zone offense last season, and at 6’4” with 10” hands, McMillan can pluck Dak’s errant passes out of the sky. Watch the tape of him against BGN’s first overall pick, Travis Hunter, and you’ll see the Heisman just trying to hold on for dear life.

Argument against:

Something like this:

I was about ready to lock in T-Mac, but then I ended up talking myself out of it. I had a flashback of Burrow on 4th and 1 with the Super Bowl on the line, getting swung around and put on his ass just 0.2 seconds after the snap.

Verdict: As Eagles fans, we know the meme above isn’t 100% accurate—unless “Anybody” means “Anybody besides James Thrash, Todd Pinkston, Travis Fulgham, or Jalen Reagor.” But at the end of the day, I just think it’s easier to find WR talent elsewhere, whether through trade or with a Day 2 pick.

It’s definitely possible to find OL talent outside of the first round too, with Jordan Mailata, Cam Jurgens, and Landon Dickerson serving as proof. But Jeff Stoutland isn’t on my coaching staff here.

Cornerback

Player Considered: Shavon Revel

Current Players: Trevon Diggs, Daron Bland, several miscellaneous 1st and 2nd-round picks from the last few years that have failed elsewhere

Shavon at a glance: 2 INTs, 1 torn ACL

Ceiling: Richard Sherman

Floor: Kevin King

Base: Tariq Woolen

Argument for:

Argument against:

Verdict: I’d have to think about this a bit more if Shevon hadn’t torn his ACL. If I’m the Dallas GM, I am on my knees praying this man isn’t sitting there at 32, but I can’t make the pick here.

Edge

Many draft sites highlight this as a significant need, but I disagree. While Shemar Stewart and James Pearce Jr. are viable options, I don’t believe this should be a priority in the first round. With the addition of Dante Fowler Jr. to replace a declining DeMarcus Lawrence, I think the team can afford to address depth at this position later in the draft and be set for now.

Interior Defensive Line

Player considered: Derrick Harmon

Derrick at a glance: 6’5, 330 lbs 11 TFL, 5 sacks

Ceiling: Fletcher Cox (?)

Floor: Teair Tart

Base: Johnathan Hankins

Argument for: Mazi Smith is bad at football. Jerry took him over Super Bowl Champion Nolan Smith (lol)

Argument against: I really don’t have anything. If you’re going to vote ‘no’ in the ‘Do you approve of this pick?’ poll for skipping on interior DL help, that’s fair. Dallas was 28th in opponents’ yards per carry last season. They were also first in rushing TDs allowed. To even have a prayer of stopping the Eagles, or even the Lions and Packers, Dallas needs to shore up their run defense.

Offensive line

Player Considered and Taken: Kelvin Banks Jr.

Current Players: Tyler Guyton, Terence Steele, a bunch of scrubs

Kelvin at a glance: 6’5”, 315 pounds. 4 career sacks allowed in over 1,500 snaps.

Ceiling: Trent Williams

Floor: Andrus Peat

Base: Rashawn Slater

Argument For:

• Dallas ranked 30th in yards per carry last season and 24th in pass block win rate. This was before future Hall of Famer Zach Martin (who, to be fair, was starting to slide) decided to retire. Adding Banks would help address both the run game and pass protection, giving Dak at least a fighting chance behind a better line.

• Tyler Guyton: 2nd most penalized tackle in the league, with 6 sacks allowed on 668 snaps.

• Terence Steele: 7 penalties and 9 sacks allowed on 1,168 snaps.

Argument Against:

• Maybe Jerry’s 2024 first-round pick, Tyler Guyton, should be given some grace. He played defensive tackle in high school, spent his first two college seasons at TCU as an H-back, and didn’t really start playing tackle until just three years ago at Oklahoma. He primarily played on the right side before being drafted and then asked to move to the left to replace another future Hall of Famer, Tyron Smith.

• I’m not sure what the ideal layout looks like here. You could draft Banks and move him to guard to fill in for Martin, but it’s tough to justify picking a guard at 12. A more sensible option might be to draft Banks to play left tackle and move Guyton over to compete at right tackle with Terence Steele. On one hand, Steele was the only offensive lineman who performed well in run blocking last season. On the other hand, he was a liability in pass protection, and you could save $14 million by cutting him next offseason. This savings would come in handy, especially considering Jerry’s usual habit of waiting until the last minute to sign his stars—like Micah Parsons—which means we’ll likely have to back up the Brinks truck.

TL;DR

Dak = bad


RB = bad too


WR (besides CeeDee) = bad


Really, everything else is bad, except Parsons, Aubrey, and Lamb.


At the end of the day, when you’ve got a QB making $200 million and coming off a catastrophic leg injury, you can’t afford to have a turnstile in front of him.

If you make a “safe pick” like Banks here, I think you can afford to be a little more aggressive later. If Burden, Golden, or Ravel somehow fall to the mid-30s, you have to go “all in.” Taking Jaxon Dart at 44 wouldn’t be out of the question either.

Whether you agree or disagree with the pick, I’m sure we can all agree that we should be thankful Jerral Wayne Jones Sr. is the owner and de facto GM of the team down south.

Poll

Do you approve of this pick?

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  Yes

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  No

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2025 BGN Mock Draft Order

1) Titans (JoeDirtsBarber): Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado

2) Browns (kjb304): Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State

3) Giants (The Player Formerly Known as Mousecop): Cam Ward, QB, Miami

4) Patriots (ReginaldHtower): Will Campbell, OT, LSU

5) Jaguars (eaglenomics): Mason Graham, DT, Michigan

6) Raiders (dkays): Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

7) Jets (Stick19154): Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State

8) Panthers (89Tremaine): Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

9) Saints (FierceDisc65): Jalon Walker, EDGE, Georgia

10) Bears (DrprofBubbles): Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia

11) 49ers (granthill7): Armand Membou, OT, Missouri

12) Cowboys (Be subpar for Ja’Marr): Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas

13) Dolphins (thehead92)

14) Colts (green1us)

15) Falcons (All_Hail_Howie)

16) Cardinals (Good Bad Ideas)

17) Bengals (ablesser88)

18) Seahawks (herbalonius)

19) Buccaneers (Hoosinole)

20) Broncos (Silverlark60)

21) Steelers (Dr.MidnightGreen)

22) Chargers (LancGuy)

23) Packers (Leo Bedio)

24) Vikings (krikkebelgium)

25) Texans (Aint1stULast)

26) Rams (Booth12)

27) Ravens (pheebthegoose)

28) Lions (Neil Dutton)

29) Commanders (Mailata_in_a_Miata)

30) Bills (PhilaWolverine)

31) Chiefs (niels.rosenquist)

32) Eagles (Philly21)

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Now it’s time for you to vote for who YOU think should be selected in the 2025 BGN Community Consensus Mock Draft.

Poll

Who should the Cowboys pick at No. 12 overall?

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  QB Shedeur Sanders

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  WR Tetairoa McMillan

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  WR Luther Burden

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  WR Emeka Egbuka

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  WR Matthew Golden

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  DT Walter Nolen

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  RB Omarion Hampton

  (0 votes)

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  OG Tyler Booker

  (0 votes)

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  S Malaki Starks

  (0 votes)

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  EDGE Mykel Williams

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  LB Jihaad Campbell

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Vote Now

1) Titans: QB Cam Ward

2) Browns: EDGE Abdul Carter

3) Giants: WR/CB Travis Hunter

4) Patriots: OT Will Campbell

5) Jaguars: DT Mason Graham

6) Raiders: RB Ashton Jeanty

7) Jets: OT Armand Membou

8) Panthers: CB Will Johnson

9) Saints: EDGE Jalon Walker

10) Bears: TE Tyler Warren

11) 49ers: OT Kelvin Banks Jr.

12) Cowboys: