Costly win? Week 12 victory knocks Cowboys outside of NFL draft top 10

The Cowboys’ victory didn’t send them to far down the draft order, but it makes reaching the top far more difficult.

The Dallas Cowboys won, but did they lose in the long run?

That’s how some of their fanbase is feeling following the club’s Week 12 win in Washington. Dallas traveled to the east coast for their annual regular season trek to visit the Commanders in NFC East action. The script was flipped from how things normally go. Dallas has dominated the rivalry in recent years, and they’ve been the better team far more often than not.

Normally when these two teams meet, the Cowboys are jockeying for playoff positioning and Washington fans have circled their calendars as the one game they want to win in a lost season. Dallas ended up 34-26 winners to snaps their five-game losing streak and improve to 5-7. But did they lose by winning?

The victory knocked Dallas outside of the 2025 draft’s top 10 for the time being. Dallas had an outside shot at a top-five selection, but did plenty of damage to those chances with the win.

Of course, fans and the team’s coaches and players differ greatly in their perspective. Coaches and players want to win every time they step on the field. They care nothing about draft positioning and the thought of caring more about the long-term than the immediate.

Players aren’t rooting for a top draft pick. That amateur will be welcomed in the locker room when they arrive but in November, they simply represent taking the job away from a teammate said player is currently in the trenches with.

There’s perhaps some situations where a coaching staff might lean in the other direction, but 2024 in Dallas is certainly not it. Mike McCarthy and staff are almost assured to be sent packing once the final whistle blows; they won’t be anywhere near the Cowboys’ next No. 1 choice.

But for fans? Sure, draft positioning is more important than a single victory in a lost season.

Here’s a look at the current draft order prior to the final two games of the Week 12 schedule: Philadelphia at the LA Rams and Baltimore at the LA Chargers. Only the Rams result will update this current listing.

  1. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-9) – SOS: .492
  2. New York Giants (2-9) – SOS .519
  3. Las Vegas Raiders (2-9) – SOS: .538
  4. New England Patriots (3-9) – SOS: .471
  5. Carolina Panthers (3-8) – SOS: .487
  6. Tennessee Titans (3-8) – SOS: .505
  7. NY Jets (3-8) – SOS: .508
  8. Cleveland Browns (3-8) – SOS: .513
  9. New Orleans Saints (4-7) – SOS: .489
  10. Cincinnati Bengals (4-7) – SOS: .489
  11. Dallas Cowboys (4-7) – SOS: .511
  12. Chciago Bears (4-7) – SOS: .558
  13. Indianapolis Colts (5-7) – SOS: .482
  14. Miami Dolphins (5-6) – SOS: .432
  15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-6) – SOS .508
  16. San Francisco 49ers (5-6) – SOS: .559
  17. LA Rams (5-5) – SOS: .529
  18. Arizona Cardinals (6-5) – SOS: .538