Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver Traeshon Holden 'Hurt' After Going Undrafted

Former Oregon Ducks wide receiver Traeshon Holden has all the motivation he could ask for after going undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft.

After signing an undrafted free agent deal with the Dallas Cowboys, Holden has a chance to prove other teams wrong. He first has to prove the Cowboys right at the team's rookie minicamp, potentially using the disappointment he felt during the draft as fuel for the fire.

In an exclusive interview with Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com, Holden opened up about some of the pain he felt after seeing himself go undrafted while others got to see their name called.

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Traeshon Holden (1) celebrates after a touchdown in the second half against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2025 Rose Bowl college football quarterfinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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"I was hurt," Holden told Yarrish. "That 24-hour rule, I was hurting. But now, I'm here, and I'm ready to make it happen. I'll do what I can to show everybody that I belong. ... Prove everybody wrong. Everybody. I'm coming for heads. That's it."

Along with signing Holden, the Cowboys selected Oregon offensive tackle Ajani Cornelius in the sixth round. But most notably, Holden will be joining former Oregon wide receiver coach Junior Adams, who the Cowboys hired to Brian Schottenheimer's new staff this offseason.

Holden told Yarrish that he's looking forward to getting to reunite with Adams, who likely helped play a part in getting the Cowboys to sign his former receiver. The pair spent two seasons together in Eugene and will now have a chance to strengthen that relationship if Holden ends up making the 53-man roster or practice squad in Dallas.

"I'm very excited," Holden told Yarrish. "He told me if he got a chance to come get me, he was coming to get me. He knows he got a dawg, and I'm ready to make it happen."

Holden played the first two years of college at Alabama, where he tallied 46 catches for 570 yards and seven touchdowns. He arrived to Eugene in 2023 and became an immediate contributor in the passing game for former Duck quarterbacks Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel.

However, his final season at Oregon was marred by an unfortunate choice he made on the field. In the win over the Ohio State Buckeyes in October, Holden spit on Buckeyes defensive back Davison Igbinosun, which led to an ejection.

Holden has already moved past his mistake while simultaneously expressing his regret. In April, he responded to a user on X that spoke up about not defending someone that chooses to spit on another.

"I haven't ever defended anyone spitting on nobody," the one user wrote,

"As you shouldn’t fam!" Holden responded. "Ya boy made a stupid mistake and been learning from it ever since and going to continue to grow and elevate as a man."

It's possible that some teams took the incident into account when evaluating Holden during the draft process. But regardless of what happened in the past, Holden now has a chance to rewrite his future in a place that might have been the best possible fit for him.

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