DeAndre Hopkins headlines 5 AFC South trade targets Cowboys must ask about before NFL deadline

The Dallas Cowboys need help. Sure, they were able to stem the tide with their 20-15 win over the New York Giants on Thursday, but things are far from righted. Dallas has two victories on the season, over two teams that, as currently constituted, don’t seem very capable of winning many games.

They played two teams which look like contenders and were blown out. Through four games, clear deficiencies have appeared. There’s little depth behind All-Pro wideout CeeDee Lamb. The running backs are moving behind a work-in-progress offensive line and aren’t breaking tackles. The defensive line doesn’t appear capable of stopping a top rushing attack. Add it all together and what does it spell? Trade for help.

Picks are a commodity for the Cowboys more so than most teams. That makes it unlikely they want to part with any unless the price is in their favor. But with four comp picks on deck for 2025, perhaps the Cowboys would be willing to part for any of these players who could help.

We first examined the AFC North for help, where entering the weekend, three of the four teams are below .500. The same can be said about the AFC South, with only the Houston Texans looking like legitimate playoff contenders. That means the Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans might be willing to part ways with soon-to-be free agents in exchange for draft compensation.

Here are five players the Cowboys should make calls about, to see if there may be a trade that can be worked out.

WR DeAndre Hopkins, Tennessee Titans

Hopkins is dealing with yet another underdeveloped quarterback and the veteran simply doesn’t have that much time left in his career to waste. Now in his 12th season, he bounced back in 2023 to haul in 75 catches and surpass the 1,000-yard plateau for the seventh time in his career. Getting him to Dallas would solve the issues Dallas has had with Brandin Cooks, although the two aren’t similar in size or role. Pairing Hopkins with Lamb and TE Jake Ferguson would give the Cowboys an imposing arsenal at Dak Prescott’s disposal.

DT Taven Bryan, Indianapolis Colts

Bryan has been a part-time starter since coming into the league in 2018 and is set to hit free agency next summer. He’d be a nice rotational pickup who could log some time at either position despite not being the prototypical size for a Mike Zimmer DT (6-foot-4, 291 pounds).

DE Dayo Odeyingbo, Indianapolis Colts

Sitting behind Kwity Paye in the rotation, Odeyingbo has notched 13.5 sacks across the last two seasons. In Dallas, he may be helpful as a rotational 3-tech as opposed to an edge player, but he certainly offers more in both departments over draft classmate Chauncey Golston.

RB Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars

This one’s more likely a pipe dream, but closed mouths don’t get fed. The Jaguars owner said he expects to win now and the team is winless. They drafted an impressive Tank Bigsby last year and perhaps they’d be interested in recouping a second-round pick for a talented back that will require a second contract before the club gets good again. If things fall down further in Jacksonville, the Cowboys should be prepared to make an offer for the exciting dual-threat runner with two 1,000-yard rushing seasons and who’s under the fifth-year option for 2025.

RB D’Ernest Johnson, Jaguars

More than likely the Jaguars are going to hold on to Etienne, so if rebuffed Dallas should focus on the backup’s backup in D’Ernest Johnson. He’s proved his worth as a depth piece over the years with a strong 3.07 yards-after-contact per attempt metric throughout his career, including 4.29 this season, albeit on only seven carries through Week 3.