The Dallas Cowboys are primed to take a big leap in the 2025 NFL season, largely due to a stronger than normal draft crop, with several compensatory picks as well.

Not to mention, these are key additions that fill some of the major holes each team needed to address, and it helps their attempts at being competitive this season.

A look at the Cowboys’ 2025 draft capital

The Cowboys are heading into the 2025 NFL Draft with 10 picks, a windfall that includes four compensatory selections.

This gives the front office a ton of wiggle room on draft day, being able to trade up to grab desirable prospects or to collect talent at different spots.

The Cowboys can only be viewed as contenders for the upcoming season if they can put things right in the preseason. Looking at football tips on SportyTrader, competition will be strong, and all teams need to be involved in serious business.

Compensatory Picks and How They Work

The compensatory picks are based on the net loss of qualifying free agents the previous year, using a secret formula employed by the NFL that takes into account salary, playing time, and postseason awards.

Those four compensatory picks the Cowboys possess perfectly reflect how smartly they can attack free agency and replenish talent without going broke.

Addressing Key Roster Needs

The 2025 draft would give the Cowboys a chance to address many of their most important needs.

Running Back:
Tony Pollard, who recently signed a $7.25-million-per-season deal with another contender outside of the Big D, created a hole in the backfield.

Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, a tackle-breaking, pass-catching type — “one of the Cowboys’ primary targets” per local insight. Jeanty could provide a versatile option, with a similar skill set to that of Jones, running and catching with the Cowboys playbook.

Cornerback:
The secondary needs help with veteran cornerback Jourdan Lewis signing a $5 million-a-year deal elsewhere.

Additionally, the Cowboys have been linked to a few cornerback prospects, including Ole Miss’ Trey Amos and Kentucky’s Maxwell Hairston, each of whom the team has reportedly brought in for pre-draft visits.

Wide Receiver:
The Cowboys already have a top-flight receiving corps, but they still feel like they could use a playmaker with speed to stretch the field and give Dak Prescott another weapon to help improve their passing attack.

The top-ranked wide receiver has long been a mocked draft target for the Cowboys, making it a clear-cut position of interest.

2025 Season Downgrade Ability

The draft lessens the void of the Cowboys’ 2025 season in several ways:

• Improved Depth. A good haul in the draft can add even more pieces to the depth chart, giving top backups as well as veterans real competition to help weather an NFL season.
• Immediate contributors. Top-10 selections, especially at spots of great need, can slide right into starting roles and provide new life to a team plan/strategy — right away.
• Financial Management. With these rookies on less expensive deals, this enables the Cowboys to allocate those funds accordingly, so they can keep a balanced salary cap and possibly bring in a veteran if needed.

The 2025 NFL Draft could be a critical point for the Dallas Cowboys to further bolster their roster and improve certain areas of weakness.

What they do moving forward with their draft capital is going to have a huge impact on how their season goes next season.

Through perhaps the most important areas, like running back, cornerback, and wide receiver, the Cowboys are looking to round out an overall talented roster to contend deep into the postseason.