Cowboys trade down, land 3 national title winners in 4-round NFL mock draft

NFL.com has the Cowboys going heavy on the Ohio State Buckeyes in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson celebrates after defeating Notre Dame in the CFP National Championship / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

If the Dallas Cowboys want to establish a championship culture, the latest mock NFL Draft from NFL.com would certainly be one way to do it.

According to draft analyst Chad Reuter, the Cowboys will select not one, not two, but three members of the reigning national champion Ohio State Buckeyes in the first three rounds next month.

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Per Reuter, things will get started with a trade, that has Dallas sending the No. 12 pick to the Broncos, and moving down to No. 20, where they will fill their biggest need with Buckeyes standout wide receiver Emeka Egbuka to pair up alongside CeeDee Lamb.

"In this scenario, Dallas moves down for the third time in five years to stack draft currency and ultimately land a very good prospect," Reuter wrote. "Egbuka played in the slot often at Ohio State because of his toughness and reliability over the middle -- as well as the presence of Marvin Harrison Jr. and freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith. In Dallas, though, he and CeeDee Lamb would work together inside and outside to expose opponents' weaknesses."

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the CFP National Championship / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

In his career with the Buckeyes, Egbuka has two 1,000-yard seasons under his belt, including catching 74 passes for 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore in just 13 games. And while he seemingly took a back seat to Jeremiah Smith in 2024, he still caught a career-best 81 passes for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns while helping the Buckeyes bring home the title.

However, he is not the only Ohio State skill position player projected to land in Dallas, either.

Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson runs with the ball against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

In the very next round at pick No. 44, Reuter believes the Cowboys will select Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson, filling arguably their biggest remaining need in the process.

During his career at Ohio State, Henderson was an elite presence in the backfield, averaging 6.4 yards per carry over his four seasons, and putting together two 1000-plus-yard seasons. On his way to 3,761 career rushing yards and 42 touchdowns, he had one of the best freshman seasons in Buckeyes history, rushing for over 1,200 yards and 15 scores. He also added six receiving scores to his name.

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Later in the second round, as part of the deal they made with Broncos, the Cowboys will finally take their first non-Buckeyes player at pick No. 51, selecting Texas Longhorns defensive tackle Alfred Collins.

Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Alfred Collins celebrates a quarterback sack in the fourth quarter vs. the Clemson Tigers / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Collins, who recently scheduled a top-30 visit with the Cowboys, would be a tremendous fit for Dallas on the interior of the line, thanks to his elite run-stuffing ability - an area in which the team struggled mightily in 2024.

But after the quick pivot from Ohio State, Dallas is projected to go right back to the Buckeyes in Round 3.

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard takes a snap behind offensive lineman Seth McLaughlin / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For his final pick in this mock, Reuter has the Cowboys selecting Ohio State center Seth McLaughlin at No. 76 overall in the third round. Currently, the Cowboys have Cooper Beebe occupying the center spot on the roster. That said, if they bring in McLaughlin, they could theoretically move Beebe to his more natural position at guard, and fill the hole left by the retirement of Zach Martin in the process.

All things considered, the likelihood of any team selecting three players from the same school are relatively low.

That said, should the Cowboys indeed elect to go in this direction, they will fill multiple needs with championship-level players, and solidify their roster as well.

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