The Dallas Cowboys aren't one player away. Most people agree with that, and the Cowboys themselves know it. ... Which is why COO Stephen Jones said what he said.
So let’s play in the hypothetical sandbox for a minute.
COO Stephen Jones recently all but shut down any talk of a potential trade up in the first round, but he left the door wide open when it came to the idea of trading back. And if history is any indicator, the Cowboys are more than willing to slide down the board if it nets them extra capital.
Remember, they moved from pick 10 to 12 in 2021 and still landed Micah Parsons. Just last year, they dropped from 24 to 29 in a deal with the Lions and turned those picks into Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe — two players they’re now counting on in a revamped offensive line.
Trading back doesn’t just get you more picks, it gets you players. And nobody — nobody — seems to value draft capital quite like the Cowboys do. Which is why the hypothetical “two-for-one” swaps we’re exploring aren’t just internet daydreams; they’re very much in line with how this front office thinks.
The Cowboys currently hold the 12th overall pick, worth 1,200 points on Jimmy Johnson’s (Mike McCoy's) iconic draft trade value chart. That’s premium real estate. But what if Pittsburgh — thirsty for their quarterback of the future — comes calling with pick 21 and wide receiver George Pickens?
We've explored a very similar hypothetical in the past but we're taking it a step further this time.
Pick 21 is worth 800 points.
As for Pickens? Let’s peg his value around the same as what Seattle recently paid for DK Metcalf — pick 52, or roughly 380 points.
Keep in mind Pickens is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
So if you trade for him, you're trading for him knowing you're also going to have to negotiate a contract extension to keep him.
But anyway, 800 + 380 = 1,180 points.
That’s just 20 points shy of equal trade value, and it’s close enough to make this deal more than just a fun Twitter-theory.
If the Steelers want to leap up for QB Jaxson Dart, this deal makes sense mathematically — but it makes even more sense for the Cowboys on the field.
Dallas would immediately fill their desperate WR2 void with a cost-controlled, high-upside receiver in Pickens. And they’d still hold a first-rounder at 21 — giving them the chance to draft a plug-and-play offensive lineman, a difference-making back like Omarion Hampton, or the best defensive player on their board.
It’s a two-for-one: a dynamic weapon and a premium draft pick, without the pressure of getting it "perfect" at No. 12.
If this new Cowboys staff is serious about reshaping the roster with toughness in the trenches and explosive playmakers out wide, this is the type of bold, optics-friendly move that could pull it off.
And just like that — the best-case scenario ... 2 for 1 ... might be hiding in plain sight.
