While Jerry Jones may not have spoken at the scouting combine for the first time in a long time, Dallas Cowboys fans got plenty of Jerry Jones content from Zack Martin’s retirement press conference on Wednesday.
After the Martin retirement press conference, Jones spoke to reporters about the team and their plans heading into free agency and the draft. In doing so, he may have given away some of the Cowboys plans for the draft.
When asked about how the Cowboys could spend the 12th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, Jones mentioned the team has “a lot of options”, but specifically mentioned running back, defensive line, and “outside pressure players” as potential candidates with the 12th overall pick in the first round.
Jerry Jones on picking 12th in the draft: “We’ve got a lot of options. The combine emphasized that there are key players at key areas — RB, DL, outside pressure players. So frankly, this is good time to be where we are.”
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Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty has received most of the first-round running back hype, but people should not overlook North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton as a potential option in the first round as well. As far as the defensive line goes, that list looks a lot larger. Michigan’s Mason Graham headlines the list, but Oregon’s Derrick Harmon, Michigan’s Kenneth Grant, Ole Miss’s Walter Nolen, and Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart should also be mentioned as potential candidates in the first round for the Cowboys.
For those that do not know, “outside pressure players” means defensive end or edge rushers who will primarily rush “from the outside.” The first round names that fit that criteria should include, Penn State’s Abdul Carter (who is a betting favorite to be the first-overall pick in April), Georgia’s Mykel Williams, Georgia’s Jalon Walker, Tennessee’s James Pierce Jr., Boston College’s Donovan Ezeiruaku, Marshall’s Mike Green, and a name we have not mentioned, but maybe need to start talking more about, Arkansas’ Landon Jackson.
While it should be known the Cowboys could go in a different route with their first-round pick (wide receiver, cornerback, or offensive line), it would be wise for us to get very familiar with the names mentioned about, because according to the general manager, those are the positions they are zoning in on in early March as they continue to build their draft board.
