Dallas needs consistency in 2nd night of the 2025 NFL Draft

Since the NFL went to a seven-round draft format over three days, getting the second day’s picks in the second and third rounds right, has become paramount in the league.

Over the last four drafts, the Dallas Cowboys have come up short on Friday evening. As has been the issue with the last two first round picks, the Cowboys have been caught reaching.

Here are the Friday night picks the Cowboys have made over the previous four drafts:

2021 (2nd) Kelvin Joseph DB

2021 (3rd) Osa Odighizuwa DL

2021 (3rd) Chauncey Golston DL

2021 (3rd) Nashon Wright DB

2022 (2nd) Sam Williams DL

2022 (3rd) Jalen Tolbert WR

2023 (2nd) Luke Schoonmaker TE

2023 (3rd) DeMarvion Overshown LB

2024 (2nd) Marshawn Kneeland DL

2024 (3rd) Cooper Beebe OL

2024 (3rd) Marist Liufau LB

Hit-and-miss seems to be the best way to describe this list. And they’ve never hit in both rounds on any of the Friday night picks they’ve made since 2021.

That must change this Friday night in the Cowboys’ war room at The Star in Frisco. Primarily because both the Eagles and Commanders are only improving.

The Giants can’t be relied on to hold the cellar position in the NFC East much longer either.

Stop Panic-fueled Reaching

In the 2023 draft, having already reached for defensive tackle Mazi Smith, bypassing a more pressing need on the offensive line, the Cowboys reached in the second round as well.

Panicking over a tight end run, Dallas selected an already old player with a serious foot injury in Michigan’s Luke Schoonmaker.

The thought was obviously to replace the departed Dalton Schultz, lost in free agency. But the Cowboys had a solid tight end in Jake Ferguson already.

So far, Schoonmaker has not lived up to his second-round selection.

In 2024, the scenario was repeated once again.

Having reached in the first round for a third-round prospect in Tyler Guyton, Dallas compounded their error in the second round.

They reached for another third-round prospect in defensive lineman, Marshawn Kneeland.

Kneeland missed a few games due to injury in 2024. At best, his rookie season was mid.

But with an urgent need at running back, the Cowboys bungled the second round for the second-straight draft.

Third Round Recoveries

The saving grace of the last two drafts for Dallas and Jones Inc. has been the third round.

In 2023, they landed linebacker DeMarvion Overshown. A solid player when on the field, Overshown has suffered two significant injuries that sidelined his entire rookie year and the end of last season.

Unlike Schoonmaker and Kneeland, he has shown a lot more promise despite his setbacks.

Last year, the Cowboys landed center Cooper Beebe and linebacker Marist Liufau in the third round. Both of those players have more than lived up to their selections.

Beebe is already a solid center and an upgrade from his predecessor, Tyler Biadasz.

Liufau, especially after Overshown’s injury, is likely a long-term starter in Dallas.

Jekyll And Hyde Cowboys

The previous two drafts were similar, though somewhat reversed for the Cowboys’ draft board.

In 2022, the Cowboys took defensive lineman Sam Williams in the second round. Playing behind Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, his first two seasons kept him out of the starting lineup.

However, despite a few ill-considered plays on special teams, he managed to make an impact.

Williams had four sacks in 2022 and another 4.5 in 2023. He averaged 24 tackles and a forced fumble per year and recovered three fumbles in his rookie campaign.

His 2024 season ended with a preseason knee injury, but is expected back in 2025.

The Cowboys’ third round pick in 2022, Jalen Tolbert, has been healthy and even managed to start in 15 games last year.

His 2024 season was clearly his best, with 610 yards and seven touchdowns on 49 catches. But he clearly isn’t the WR2 Dallas desperately needs.

In all likelihood, his days as a starter will come to an end with the Cowboys’ first-round pick on Thursday.

Defensive back Kelvin Joseph was the Cowboys’ second-round pick in 2021.

He lasted two seasons in Dallas, starting in three of the 26 games he played in. He failed to get an interception, but did recover a fumble while forcing another.

Joseph has played for three NFL teams other than the Cowboys the last two seasons.

A clear miss by Dallas here.

The Cowboys had three picks in the third round in 2021. Only one of them remains on the roster today.

Osa Odighizuwa has started in 63 of the 67 games he has played in the last four years and has been rock solid.

Fellow defensive lineman Chauncey Golston started in 16 of the last 34 games over the past two seasons. He had an interception, a fumble recovery and 5.5 sacks last year.

Dallas’ mismanagement of the salary cap made him expendable, and he signed with the Giants in the offseason.

Defensive back Nashon Wright was the final pick of the three. In his three seasons with Dallas, his best year was 2022, despite only playing in seven games.

Wright had career highs in tackles (23) and his lone interception in 2022.

He played one game for the Vikings in 2024 and is currently on the Chicago Bears’ roster.

Friday Night’s Assignment

For the second straight year, the Cowboys won’t have a fourth-round pick.

Which makes getting both rounds right this year a must. No more reaching.

When the Cowboys go on the clock, they must pick the best available player at their greatest position of need.

Otherwise, this recent trend of getting it half-right will continue.

And both the Eagles and the Commanders will pull further ahead in the division. While the Giants will be riding the Cowboys’ bumper at the back of the pack.