The Cowboys were linked as landing spots for Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton at various points throughout the 2025 pre-draft process. While Jeanty was already off the board when the Cowboys were on the clock, they drafted a pair of Day 3 running backs — Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah — to join free-agent additions Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, both of whom signed one-year deals. The focal point of Notre Dame's offense, Love's blend of speed, power, vision and contact balance would give the Cowboys a true workhorse back.

Tate is the token Ohio State wide receiver in the first round. Will he follow in the footsteps of Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Terry McLaurin, Emeka Egbuka, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and others before him? Tate is far from a given, but one to watch in what may be another thin wide receiver group.

The Cowboys passed on taking a wide receiver early this year, so they still need a high-level complement to CeeDee Lamb. Enter Lane, who had 12 touchdown catches on 43 receptions last season. Lane has a high-end catch radius and sudden movement traits at 6-4, 195 pounds. I just want to see more consistency. I was in attendance for his three-touchdown performance in the Las Vegas Bowl, but Lane had fewer than 50 yards in seven of the 12 games he played last season. If he expands his route tree and has a few more big games this fall, he could entrench himself as the WR1 of the class.

Best Pick: I love third-round corner Shavon Revel. He suffered a torn ACL last year, but is expected to be ready for the season. If not for the injury, he's a first-round pick.

Worst Pick: It's not any of their picks, but rather not addressing receiver with their first three picks. They have to get somebody who can help balance the field for CeeDee Lamb.

The Skinny: They added some good players, even if taking a guard at No. 12 seems high. Tyler Booker, that guard, will be a good player. I do like Revel in the third-round edge Donovan Ezeiruaku in the second. I love running back Jaydon Blue in the fifth. It was a good haul, but I wanted to see an early receiver taken.

Top needs entering the draft: Running back, wide receiver and cornerback

The Cowboys, coming off a disappointing and injury-plagued 7-10 season, could have gone in several directions at No. 12 overall. They could have targeted the defensive line, where they lost key depth with DeMarcus Lawrence and Chauncey Golston departing in free agency. They could have picked a guard to replace future Hall of Famer Zack Martin, who retired in February. They could have taken a tackle to create competition for Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele.

Or Dallas could have done the flashy thing and taken a playmaker to help the offense. It doesn't have a standout No. 2 receiver behind CeeDee Lamb, nor does it have a game-changing running back. I thought running back Omarion Hampton might be an option, along with wideouts Matthew Golden or Tetairoa McMillan (who went off the board at No. 8).

So what did the Cowboys do? Well, they went unflashy with guard Tyler Booker, who can step in for Martin. Look, I like Booker as a player -- he is my No. 1-ranked guard. I just don't love the value at No. 12, which I wrote about Thursday night. I would have rather them trade down to add more capital that could have helped a depleted roster. I don't think team owner Jerry Jones & Co. will care much about the value if Booker becomes a multi-time Pro Bowler, but it matters when I'm trying to grade a class from top to bottom.

Now, I did like what the Cowboys did on Day 2, adding edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku and cornerback Shavon Revel Jr., both of whom could have landed in the first round if everything broke right. They have the potential to be early starters for a Dallas defense undergoing a ton of turnover. Ezeiruaku could help fans forget about Lawrence, whose time with the team ended unceremoniously.

On Day 3, the Cowboys finally snagged a running back, but I had others rated over Jaydon Blue. Damien Martinez, Devin Neal and DJ Giddens were all higher in my rankings. Dallas also traded up for Blue, eating into its capital. It drafted another back -- Phil Mafah, adding to a crowded depth chart. I like the competition, though. Jay Toia is a big run-stopping nose tackle who can plug holes on defense.

Overall, this is a solid, if unspectacular, haul.