2025 NFL free agency: Ranking top 100 players, QBs available – Matt Bowen, ESPN

Where the Cowboys top free agents rank.

54. DeMarcus Lawrence, Edge

2024 team: Dallas Cowboys | Age entering 2025 season: 33

Lawrence played in just four games last season due to a Lisfranc injury. If healthy and cleared to go, expect him to have a market this offseason. With his blend of power and speed, Lawrence has 61.5 sacks and 21 forced fumbles during his career. He could boost the pass rush for a contender.

56. Rico Dowdle, RB

2024 team: Dallas Cowboys | Age entering 2025 season: 27

Dowdle has the lateral speed to get through tight quarters as a runner, and I see the short-area acceleration to hit daylight on tape. Last season, he rushed for 1,079 yards while adding 249 yards receiving on 39 receptions. He fits as a rotational player for a club looking to add a veteran back.

65. Jourdan Lewis, CB

2024 team: Dallas Cowboys | Age entering 2025 season: 30

Lewis can add to a secondary in need of a veteran slot corner because of his man- and zone-coverage skills. He can patrol the edges as an overhang defender with his short-area burst to cut off the ball. In eight seasons with the Cowboys, he has 10 interceptions and 27 pass breakups.

74. Chauncey Golston, Edge

2024 team: Dallas Cowboys | Age entering 2025 season: 27

Golston played a career-high 747 snaps last season, posting 56 tackles and 5.5 sacks. He fits best as an edge setter in a 4-3 front, with the ability to create pass-rush matchups from interior alignments in sub packages. He played mostly in a part-time role from 2021 to 2023.

Will McClay’s track record in the 1st round puts him a cut above the rest-Mario Herrera Jr., Inside the Star

How Will McClay’s first-round success sets him apart.

Will McClay, the Vice President of Player Personnel for the Dallas Cowboys, has proven time and again that his eye for talent is second to none. Over the past decade, McClay has been the architect behind the franchise’s most impactful draft selections, particularly in the first round. Since taking on a prominent role in Dallas’ front office, McClay has consistently made savvy picks that have not only bolstered the Cowboys’ roster, but also resulted in several future All-Pro players.

His track record of success can be traced directly to a string of exceptional first round picks, beginning with recently retired RG Zack Martin in 2014. Out of the first eight players McClay selected in the opening round, seven would go on to become Pro Bowl or All-Pro caliber players; an unprecedented level of success that speaks to McClay’s remarkable scouting ability and strategic foresight.

The 1st Hat Trick

McClay’s very first draft in 2014 would start a streak of three seasons where his 1st round picks all became All-Pros or Pro Bowlers.

Taking a Leap

The Dallas Cowboys selected CB Byron Jones in the 1st round of the 2015 NFL Draft at 27th overall. Jones was known for his impressive athleticism, highlighted by a world record setting broad jump at the NFL Combine. He started as a safety but transitioned to cornerback, where he had a strong impact on the Cowboys’ defense in 2018.

He earned the only Pro Bowl honors of his career that year despite not recording an interception. Jones didn’t develop into the player the Cowboys hoped he would be when they drafted him, but he was a solid player who went on to play for the Miami Dolphins for two more seasons after leaving Dallas.

Starting On the Right Foot

The Dallas Cowboys’ drafting of RG Zack Martin at 16th overall in the 2014 NFL Draft set the tone for what would become one of the most impressive runs of draft success in the league. A standout tackle from Notre Dame, Martin was considered one of the safest picks in the draft, but what set McClay apart was his ability to recognize Martin’s immediate impact on the Cowboys’ offensive line at guard.

Martin immediately stepped in as the starter at right guard and not only started all 16 games, but quickly showed how dominant he would be as a member of The Great Wall of Dallas II. He helped pave the way for RB DeMarco Murray’s record-setting 2014 season, and has since accrued nine All-Pro selections, eight of them 1st team. His reliability and dominance in the trenches helped elevate the Cowboys’ running game and protect QB Dak Prescott until the last snap.

Cowboys Predicted To Make 8 Bold Free Agency Moves Despite Jerry Jones’ ‘Void’ Warning – Nathan Karseno, Athlon Sports

Eight hot takes for what what the Cowboys could do in free agency despite Jerry Jones’ cool demeanor.

1. Re-Sign Micah Parsons

The first step is one we at CowboysCountry.com have been analyzing for weeks. Not only does re-signing a defensive superstar sure-up the edge for the long term, is also helps future free agency efforts. If Parsons is extended, the Cowboys will generate more cap space by the time March 12 rolls around and the NFL’s cap ceiling is raised.

Dallas has already made the effort to grow their offseason spending budget, and signing Micah soon will be the latest move in that “Blow It Up” plan. Let’s do this now, Jerry, shall we?

2. Sign Tyler Lockett

The veteran receiver was just let go by the Seattle Seahawks in their efforts to unload their assets this week. Given Lockett’s age (32) and dip in production, you can hope Dallas can sign him at a relatively cheap price. Coach Brian Schottenheimer also has familiarity with Lockett as he was the receiver’s offensive coordinator in Seattle from 2018-20. Lockett would provide leadership, durability, and veteran experience to a Cowboys receiver room in need of help alongside CeeDee Lamb.

3. Sign Nick Bolton

There are multiple question marks surrounding the linebacker position in Dallas. Eric Kendricks is likely to walk in free agency. … though a source tells Fish that Jerry has been strongly advised to try to keep him. DeMarvion Overshown’s timetable to return from knee surgery is uncertain. Other Cowboys free agents in the defensive box like DeMarcus Lawrence and Chauncey Golston have unclear futures.

Relieving some of those troubles with be the signing of Super Bowl champion Nick Bolton, a free agent from the Kansas City Chiefs. Bolton can step in and be an immediate impact for defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. That dependability is crucial with the other question marks still up in the air.