The 2025 NFL Draft is right around the corner and you can almost feel the anxiousness amongst Dallas Cowboys fans growing with each passing day.
Following another penny-pinching free agency, the Cowboys have little margin for error. They can't afford to whiff on the No. 12 overall pick, but it is equally important for the front office to nail its second- and third-round picks.
As currently constructed, this roster has enough talent to contend for a playoff spot. At the risk of looking too far ahead, emerging from Day 2 with three impact players could position Dallas to challenge the Eagles and Commanders for the NFC East crown.
We are a long way from that, though.
After all, the great Mel Kiper Jr. thinks Jerry Jones can send the draft into chaos by selecting UNC running back Omarion Hampton at No. 12. Needless to say Cowboys fans would throw a fit if that happens, but insider Clarence Hill Jr. of All-City DLLS is not buying the Hampton smoke.
Cowboys insider shoots down idea of Dallas drafting Omarion Hampton No. 12 overall
Hill went as far as to call out Kiper, saying on X, "He don’t know. There’s no way the Cowboys are taking Hampton at 12."
Cowboys fans are hoping and praying Hill's intel is accurate. It was only three years ago that Kiper was the only analyst in the industry who mocked Tulsa offensive tackle Tyler Smith to Dallas with the No. 24 pick. Smith has since developed into one of the game's premier guards.
That is why Kiper's Hampton consistency has Cowboys Nation on edge. There's no doubt Kiper is zigging while other draft folks are zagging by projecting Hampton to Dallas in each of his last three mock drafts. But he is very comfortable sticking his neck out there.
The general consensus is that the Cowboys will target a receiver at No. 12. Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan and Texas' Matthew Golden becoming the overwhelming favorites in recent weeks. Hill believes McMillan is the favorite to get drafted by Dallas.
It's open for interpretation what's the ideal blueprint for a successful Cowboys draft. In a perfect world, they go wide receiver in round before taking a combination of running back, cornerback or nose tackle in rounds two and three.
This RB class is so deep that you could justify taking McMillan over Ashton Jeanty. While Hampton figures to be a really good NFL running back, it would be bordering on franchise malpractice to take him No. 12 when the team could get a similarly-talented back in round two.
