The Dallas Cowboys received generally good reviews on their 2025 draft over last weekend. CBS Sports, for example, handed out grades ranging from “A+” to “C” for each of the ‘Boys nine picks, grades in the “B” range being most frequent with five (the “A+” went for the third-round pick of East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel Jr.).
NFL.com gave a single grade of “A-” for the Cowboys entire draft. Pro Football Focus was even more generous, awarding Dallas an “A+” for their draft.
But there was one glaring omission from the Cowboys’ draft. They simply overlooked the wide receiver room, failing to draft a single receiver, even a tight end, instead taking two running backs, five defensive players and a pair of offensive linemen. The Cowboys’ 82-year-old owner and de facto general manager Jerry Jones later assured fans that, “the train has not left the station.”
Moves to upgrade the wide receiver position would be coming, Jones said, if he determined that “improvement is needed from what we’ve got on campus.”
After UDFA Signings, WR Train Remains in Station
Then came the Cowboys’ round of undrafted free agent signings later on Saturday, after the draft itself wrapped up. The Cowboys added another nine players via the UDFA route — and two of them were indeed wide receivers. The first was Josh Kelly out of Texas Tech, who led all of FBS receivers with 32 third-down receptions.
The second UDFA addition to the wide receiver room was Oregon’s Traeshon Holden. But both of the post-draft acquisitions face a difficult path to make the Dallas 53-man roster at all, much less actually provide an upgrade to supporting cast behind four-time Pro Bowl pick CeeDee Lamb, who has already racked up 6,339 receiving yards in his five years since being drafted out of Oklahoma in the 2020 first round, 17th overall.
According to SB Nation Cowboys analyst Brian Martin, however, the train may still be in the station even after acquiring the two UDFA wide receivers. Martin believes that a trade may be on the way for the Cowboys.
Steelers ‘Expendable’ Receiver Named as Cowboys Target
One primary candidate is a fourth-year second round 2022 pick out of Georgia, a receiver who little more than a week ago was named by ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter as “expendable” in the eyes of his team.
That receiver is 24-year-old George Pickens of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who could in theory be considered redundant by coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Omar Khan after Pittsburgh’s acquisition of two-time Pro Bowler D.K. Metcalf via trade in March.
“The Cowboys apparently had discussions about acquiring a veteran WR from a AFC North team and George Pickens is believed to be said player,” Martin reported. “There are concerns about Pickens’ locker room presence, but there’s no questioning he would be an immediate upgrade in Dallas. Depending on trade compensation, this trade could potentially still be on the table.”
Trouble has followed Pickens since his Georgia days, when he was involved in an on-field fight with Georgia Tech cornerback Tre Swilling.
In the pro ranks, Pickens has been a magnet for unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and fines. But his receiving talent is undeniable. In 2023, Pickens caught 63 passes for 1,140 yards and led the NFL in yards per reception with 18.1. Last season he caught 59 for an even 900 yards.
In his three seasons so far, Pickens has caught 12 touchdown passes and 117 first downs despite the Steelers’ annually unstable quarterback situation. In Dallas where he would be the No. 2 target behind Lamb for three-time Pro Bowl pick Dak Prescott, Pickens’ already solid production is only likely to improve.
Pickens will also be on an expiring contract, finishing up his four-year, $6.75 million rookie deal in 2025, making him an even more likely candidate to be traded by the Steelers and potentially picked up by the Cowboys.
