B+
Dallas Cowboys
Grand theft in No. 249: the Cowboys steal Sanders and grade out a B+.
by Ra M ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 12 steals
· 0 reaches
Somebody in pick 249 was going to get robbed, and it turned out to be the rest of the league. The Cowboys sat still while T.J. Sanders, the No. 42 name on the board, slid all the way to them, then sprinted to the podium. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B+.
They punted on tight end, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. Wide receiver is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.
Nearly every premium pick went to that side of the ball. Trading back for volume was the quiet throughline of their weekend.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 12 they get an island corner, outstanding value to boot. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Taking Ashton Jeanty in No. 46 is close to grand larceny; a running back that good had no business lasting this long. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Cam Ward in the 76th pick is a gift, value that borders on unfair. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Steal is underselling it; Kenneth Grant at pick No. 117 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. The roster fit checks out.
Walter Nolen in slot 150 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. A need, and now a little less of one.
You do not let a cornerback like Jahdae Barron reach Round 5, Pick 31 and blink. They did not. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Wyatt Milum at the Round 5 slot is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Jihaad Campbell in the 174th overall pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Tre Harris at the 190th pick is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
The board fumbled Aireontae Ersery all the way to pick No. 211, and they scooped it up. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Somehow Demetrius Knight Jr. was still sitting there in the 244th overall pick, and they pounced on premier linebacker value. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They barely believed it either: T.J. Sanders still on the board at the Round 7 slot. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.