The Dallas Cowboys have one game left on the 2024 schedule, but their season effectively ended when the severity of Dak Prescott’s hamstring injury came to light.

While Prescott wasn’t playing great football before his hamstring ripped off the bone, the front office did not put him in a position to succeed.

Between waiting until the last-minute to sign Ceeee Lamb, shoehorning Ezekiel Elliott into the lineup and starting two rookie offensive linemen, Dallas essentially asked Prescott to carry the offense on his back.

We’ve seen Prescott thrive in the Superman role, but only a handful of quarterbacks in the world can perform that role every week. There is no shame in admitting that Prescott needs more than the bare minimum.

With the 2025 offseason right around the corner, we used PFF’s Mock Draft Simulator and went through three rounds to get an idea of whom Dallas could draft when April rolls around. We opted to build around the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback.

Dallas Cowboys 3-round 2025 NFL Mock Draft

Round 1, Pick 13: Luther Burden, WR, Missouri

The Cowboys’ roster has myriad holes, but getting Prescott and CeeDee Lamb a legit complementary option is arguably the biggest need. The front office has failed to replace Amari Cooper since they foolishly traded him for spare parts two years ago.

Burden would be a terrific complement to Lamb. He excels in the intermediate passing game and creating yards after the catch, but can also win vertically. Despite being 5-11 and 210 pounds, he accumulated 22 contested catches in his three years at Missouri, per PFF.

Burden’s contact balance and physicality mirrors that of a running back. That would explain the Deebo Samuel comparisons. He is a natural playmaker and Dallas’ passing game does not possess any of those sans Lamb.

Round 2, Pick 45: Dylan Sampson, RB, Tennessee

How deep is this running back class? Well, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, UNC’s Omarion Hampton, Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson and Ohio State standouts Treveyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins were all drafted in this simulator before No. 45 overall. That could manifest itself in April.

Sampson is absolutely worthy of a round two pick. He was SEC Offensive Player of the Year this season after running for 1,491 yards and 22 touchdowns on 258 carries. That is no small feat in a conference that breeds NFL talent.

In his first year as a full-time starter, Sampson ranked seventh in the nation in forced missed tackles and 12th with 929 yards after contact. He also caught 40 passes in three years. It was arguably never been more important to have a RB who can make plays out of the backfield as a receiver.

Sampson probably shouldn’t be a three-down back in year one, but he’d make for an excellent complement to Rico Dowdle if Dallas chooses to re-sign him.

Round 3, Pick 77: Mello Dotson, CB, Kansas

You might be thinking round three is too high for a cornerback. It actually might be too low. As of this writing, Trevon Diggs, DaRon Bland and Caelen Carson are the only cornerbacks under contract in 2025.

Diggs will undergo bone-graft surgery in his knee and faces a six-to-eight-month recovery. The expectation is that Diggs won’t be cleared for training camp, meaning his rehab could bleed into next season.

Carson, meanwhile, was placed on season-ending IR in November with a shoulder injury. The fifth-round pick had a rookie year to forget. He missed four games in the first half of the season with a shoulder injury, then had a brutal string of performances after returning to the lineup.

Enter Dotson.

Some players possess an unteachable nose for the football and Dotson is one of them. He tallied 11 interceptions and a school record five pick-sixes with the Jayhawks.

Dotson was an AP Third-Team All American this past season. His ball skills and instincts have him penciled as day two pick, but he could ascend up draft boards if he performs well in the East-West Shrine Bowl.

The Cowboys already have two ball-hawks in Diggs and Bland. Why not add a third to the mix? It’s worth noting, too, that Diggs’ long-term future in Dallas is no sure thing after his second major knee surgery in as many years.