Cowboys projected to trade up with Panthers for surprising edge rusher

The Dallas Cowboys are projected to trade up with the Carolina Panthers for a versatile defender.

Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jalon Walker reacts after defeating the Texas Longhorns / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys are less than two weeks away from the NFL Draft, where they desperately need to find franchise-altering talent.

With multiple positions in dire need of upgrades, the team cannot afford to draft a bust in the first few rounds if they want to get back to the playoffs.

NFL.com's Gennaro Filice has the Cowboys making a rare trade-up in the first round to draft Georgia Bulldogs edge rusher Jalon Walker.

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The Cowboys haven't traded up in the first round since 2012, when they moved up to draft Morris Claiborne, and have more commonly traded back; however, Filice is adamant about Walker's fit in Dallas.

Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jalon Walker reacts against the Texas Longhorn / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

"Across the mockosphere, Walker often comes off the board at No. 8 overall -- typically, though, the Carolinas native is projected to land in Charlotte. But in this simulation, the Panthers trade the pick to the Cowboys, who scoop up Walker for themselves."

The Cowboys are in need of both a pass rusher and a linebacker, and Filice even compares him to Micah Parsons, who excelled in both roles before settling in at edge rusher.

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"Wait, doesn’t Dallas already have a twitchy LB/edge hybrid? Yeah, but why settle for one Micah Parsons when you can have two?! Alright, that comp’s aggressive, but the pairing would be undeniably fun. And Parsons is a well-documented fan of Walker’s game."

Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jalon Walker reacts during the first half in the 2024 SEC Championship game / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Unless the team feels Walker would be their saving grace, it seems unlikely they would use additional draft picks to trade for him.

With a need at nearly every position group, the team is better suited to trade back so they can take a swing at more prospects rather than putting a lot of pressure on one prospect to contribute.

The last time the Cowboys had a non-playoff draft pick, they traded back with the Eagles from No. 10 and drafted Micah Parsons at No. 12.

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