Cowboys Named Patriots' Trade Down Partner

The Dallas Cowboys have been named a potential trade down partner for the New England Patriots.
Jan 5, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA;  Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones before the game against the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium.
Jan 5, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones before the game against the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
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The New England Patriots head into the NFL offseason holding the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. After winning the last game of the regular season, the Patriots lost out on the No. 1 pick that they would have had if they had lost.

Despite losing out on the No. 1 pick, New England is in a strong position. There are quite a few talented players for them to choose from with that pick or they still could consider trading down and adding more future assets.

Should the Patriots actually want to explore trade down options, there are quite a few teams who could have interest in coming up to No. 4.

One of those teams could end up being Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys.

Nick Goss of NBC Sports Boston has suggested the Cowboys as a potential trade down partner for New England. Dallas holds the No. 12 overall pick, which would be a big step down for the Patriots, but that could mean a lot of future draft capital coming back in return along with the No. 12 pick.

There are a few scenarios that Goss could see happening that would make Jones and the Cowboys want to move up.

"The Cowboys aren't afraid of bold moves, and if Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter is available at No. 4, would the Cowboys consider trading up for him?" Goss wrote. "Would the Cowboys be interested in moving up for Arizona wideout Tetairoa McMillan? What if Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders falls to No. 4? The Athletic's Dane Brugler published a new mock draft on Wednesday and he projects Sanders falling to No. 6."

"The Cowboys have made 13 first-round picks since 2010, and only two of them were used to take skill position players on offense — running back Ezekiel Elliott at No. 4 in 2016, and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb at No. 17 in 2020."

Goss continued on, admitting that dropping that low in the first round would be a tough move to make for New England and also suggesting some targets that they could have with the pick.

"Moving to No. 12 would be a fairly steep drop down for the Patriots, but in that range, quality players such as Georgia safety Malaki Starks and edge rusher Jalon Walker, Ohio State left tackle Josh Simmons, Texas A&M defensive tackle Shemar Stewart, Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III and others could still be available," Goss wrote.

More than likely, a trade with Dallas would be a long shot. However, no one can count Jones and the Cowboys out of making any move when he has his mind made up.

Adding more future draft capital would be a wise decision for the Patriots. They are likely still a couple of years from truly being a contender in the AFC.

If Jones is willing to overpay to come up to No. 4, New England should at least entertain the idea.

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Evan Massey
EVAN MASSEY

Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst who covers college football, the NFL and NBA. He has contributed to the On SI network since July 2021. He has also written for ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, NFLAnalysis.net, NBAAnalysis.net and many other publications. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son.