2025 Draft Guide: Dallas Cowboys

Coaching History: Last Three Years

Head Coach: Brian Schottenheimer (DET ’22-24)
Offensive Coordinator: Klayton Adams (ARI ’23-24, IND ’22)
2024 Record: 7-10

Team Summary

The difference between the 2023 & 2024 Cowboys’ Offenses? Dak Prescott. In 2023, with Dak healthy for all 17 games, the Cowboys ranked 1st in points and 5th in yards. In 2024, when he played only 8 games, they were 21st and 17th respectively. After fully recovering this offseason, not only is Prescott healthy heading into 2025, but he has a new weapon in George Pickens to pair with CeeDee Lamb.

Dallas has a clear strength in the passing game compared to a clear weakness in the running game. Expect that to manifest itself via their PROE which should jump from 17th (remember they played half the season with Cooper Rush at QB). CeeDee Lamb is an All-Everything WR at the top of his game. Opposite Lamb, they now have George Pickens, an improving X WR with elite ball-tracking ability to help haul in deep passes.

The backfield, however, is more of a “Land of Misfit Toys” situation. Atop the depth chart, we have Javonte Williams. An elite prospect entering the league, who battled injuries and has never fully regained his form. After a disappointing stretch in Denver, he was allowed to walk in Free Agency. Behind Williams, we have Miles Sanders. The player who Carolina brought in to lead their backfield… until he was beaten out by Chuba Hubbard. The Cowboys do have two rookies worth monitoring, as Jaydon Blue is an electric big-play threat and Phil Mafah has the frame to handle a large workload. None of the options are particularly appealing, although fantasy managers seem to think Blue has significant upside despite his small stature.

2024 Ranks (2023 Rank)

• Points: 21st (1st)
• Yards: 17th (5th)
• Passing Attempts: 3rd (8th)
• Passing Yards: 11th (3rd)
• Passing TDs: 13th (1st)
• Rushing Attempts: 24th (14th)
• Rushing Yards: 27th (14th)
• Rushing TDs: 32nd (15th)

2024 Positional Market Share

Dallas’ 2024 backfield had an obvious talent discrepancy. Rico Dowdle performed well in an anemic offense, but behind him, there was a dearth of options led by the husk of Ezekiel Elliott. Expect this backfield to be more of a committee as the best options aren’t as good as Dowdle, and the worst options aren’t as poor as Elliott was last year.

For the past few years, the Dallas target hierarchy has been: 1. CeeDee Lamb followed by 2. Everyone else. We may start to see a shift there, as George Pickens arrives and will demand a reasonable target share, although likely at the expense of ancillary receivers rather than Lamb. Expect this offense to concentrate around their top two WRs and TE room.

Depth Chart:

• QB: Dak Prescott, Joe Milton III
• RB: Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders, Jaydon Blue, Phil Mafah
• WR: CeeDee Lamb (Z), George Pickens (X), Kavonte Turpin (Slot), Jalen Tolbert, Jonathan Mingo
• TE: Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker
  • Bold – Fantasy relevant
  • Highlighted – Priority target

Player Breakdowns

Dak is back! There isn’t a lot that needs to be said, as when healthy Dak Prescott consistently produces as a QB1. That trend will continue as Dallas pushes the pace and throws the ball a lot. Until they can get a resolution to the Micah Parsons contract dispute, the defense should help push the offense to score even more.

While atop the depth chart, Williams should have a short leash if he proves ineffective. He may keep a good chunk of playing time, given his pass protection acumen, but the rushing opportunities are likely to shift elsewhere quickly if he doesn’t prove that he still has burst and wiggle that were his hallmarks coming out of college.

 Sanders opens the season as the RB2 in Dallas. He’ll look for an opening to restart his career after disappointing ends to his time in Philadelphia and Carolina. Give his recent history and the number of backs involved in the competition, it is doubtful that Sanders will be able to separate, but with his price point being so low, he is worth mentioning and considering as a late round option, in case the Cowboys decide to roll with a trusty veteran even though others may have more upside.

 Jaydon Blue is a pass catching specialist that has been making waves in training camp. His electric speed has been on display throughout the past month, and his coaches and teammates have taken notice. He has already worked his way into the mix for 1st team reps in practice and should continue to push Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders for opportunities. He has however, dealt with a few minor injuries throughout camp that have forced him to miss some time. With his small frame, it is disconcerting to see him entering the season banged up. He does have the most upside of any Dallas RB, though – as even on limited touches, he could spark enough big plays to make an impact in fantasy matchups. Consider Blue as a late sleeper, although his ADP has been steadily rising and he is now being drafted as an RB4.

 Lamb is as steady as they come in the WR world. As long as he has competent QB play, he is a lineup lock. He adds additional target competition this year, as Dallas brought in George Pickens to play the X position, but the Cowboys are expected to play faster and lean more towards the pass. Any decrease in target share should be made up for with overall passing game volume. Draft CeeDee as a strong WR1 candidate, and he should be taken in the first round of every draft.

 Pickens moves to Dallas after a stint in Pittsburgh. He immediately will have the best QB play of his career and is a great fit for the offense in Dallas. Pickens’ role as the X WR will result in plenty of downfield shots, where Pickens excels at tracking the ball in the air. Known for making highlight reel catches in Pittsburgh, catching these passes from Dak Prescott may be a bit easier and lead to more run-after-catch opportunities rather than having to make the circus catches from the list of also-ran QBs he dealt with in Pittsburgh. This should be a consolidated passing game, and Pickens should be a priority target as a WR2 option that you can draft as a WR3.

 Jake Ferguson signed a 4-year extension with the Cowboys this offseason, which should lock him in as a focal point of the offense for years to come. Ferguson isn’t the most impressive pass catching TE, but his role should be secure, and there are limited weapons ahead of him. He should at least be a reliable low-end TE1 if you focus elsewhere earlier in your fantasy draft.

 Schoonmaker shouldn’t be on the radar in redraft leagues, but he should be monitored as a waiver wire option if anything should happen to force Ferguson to miss time. Dynasty managers should be targeting Schoonmaker as he plays out his rookie contract in Dallas. When he has filled in for Ferguson, he has produced low-end TE1 numbers, and he should thrive if given a lead TE role for his second contract.

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