It has been 11 years since the last time we saw a Cowboys trade-up in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Dallas struck a deal with the then-St. Louis Rams to move up and take Morris Claiborne.
Since that 2012 trade, it feels like the Cowboys’ front office has been scarred by the bust that Claiborne turned out to be. Their reluctance to trade up in the draft over the last decade has frustrated fans for years.
Before the Claiborne move, Dallas had traded up in the first round in 2007, 2008, and 2010.
It is time for this organization to put one bad pick behind them and at least consider moving up in the 2024 draft, especially if the right player is there for the taking.
The Cowboys are in a good position with this draft class; their top needs and the top position groups in the class align.
Specifically at wide receiver and offensive line, there is more first-round talent than ever.
If one of the upper-tier guys at one of those positions does slip down the board, there has to be a serious conversation in the draft room about putting a package together to go up and get their guy.
Here are the three guys that we could see in Dallas if a Cowboys trade-up does come to fruition.
Tackle, Olu Fashanu
If you have been paying attention to the draft coverage for a few months now, you are familiar with Penn State’s star tackle, Olu Fashanu.
He has been mocked as early as the top three, but his stock has dipped after the combine.
After measuring in with below-average hands and being overshadowed in the performance testing by some of the freak athletes in the class, it seems teams are starting to lose track of what put Fashanu in top-three discussions in the first place.
Olu Fashanu goes 5.11 in his first attempt at the 40-yard dash
pic.twitter.com/5iFCSfHVzi— Joel Haas (@Joel_Haas1) March 3, 2024
Fashanu is as polished as it gets, and he is a true student of the game. Outside of his hand size, there are no questions about his height, weight, or any other size measurement here.
We are talking about a plug-and-play starter to replace a franchise legend in Tyron Smith.
Moving up for Fashanu means moving up for a smooth, strong, experienced, and powerful left tackle.
Take a look at the Cowboys roster without Smith; a guy matching Fashanu’s description is needed badly right now.
There is a scenario where his hand size and mid-combine hamstring injury slide him below some of the flashier tackle options in the draft, and if that happens the Cowboys need to strike.
Wide Reciever, Rome Odunze
Before you consider this unrealistic, remember that the idea of CeeDee Lamb falling to 17th in the 2020 NFL Draft was impossible until it happened.
Former Washington Huskie, Rome Odunze, is one of the stars of the 2024 draft.
Projected right now as a top-ten pick, Odunze has the kind of superstar potential and hype that Lamb had heading into his draft.
Rome Odunze with the smoothest gauntlet rep of the entire Combine pic.twitter.com/XOKZJsKvER
— Jacson A. Bevens (@JacsonBevens) March 3, 2024
If not for the generational talents at receiver in this draft, Marvin Harrison Jr and Malik Nabers, there would be serious debate about Odunze’s potential to go in the first five picks.
So with that in mind, you have to be thinking “Where in the world do the Cowboys fit into this”.
The answer has less to do with Odunze’s ability and more to do with LSU Wide Reciever, Brian Thomas Jr.
This guy is not getting enough media attention, but I am willing to bet that he is getting more than enough attention from NFL teams right now, especially after running a stellar 4.33 40-yard dash.
Thomas led all of college football in 2023 in receiving touchdowns, and he is now quietly positioning himself as the WR3 in this class over Odunze.
This could open a window for Dallas who is on the hunt for a receiver.
If Harrison, Nabers, and Thomas are drafted to the WR-needy times, Odunze could fall simply because teams do not need a first-round receiver. If that happens, Dallas can pull off a Lamb-like draft heist again with a trade package for Odunze.
Center, Jackson Powers-Johnson
Here we have a name that is connected to the Cowboys way more than Fashanu and Odunze.
Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson is the best center in this draft class, and the Cowboys seem to be heading for a split with incumbent center, Tyler Biadasz.
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1765437188395749841
Naturally, this has generated a lot of interest in “JPJ” from Cowboys fans.
The issue for that crowd is Powers-Johnson’s stock has seemingly passed Dallas by, and they would have to trade up to get him.
Usually, that would take the Cowboys out of the running for him, but with the center need being as big as it is and Powers-Johnson being as good as he is, this could make sense for Dallas.
Additionally, unlike the Fashanu and Odunze moves, this Cowboys trade-up may only be a few picks.
If Powers-Johnson is on the board at 18-21 or so, it is a no-brainer for Dallas to move up and take their next center.
