Standing at 3-5, four wins behind the division-leading Commanders, and certified longshots to make the postseason, the Cowboys are not the typical “buyers” at the trade deadline. The NFL trade deadline is a time for winners to load up and losers to unload. It’s hardly a time for losers like Dallas to add players.
Yet, that’s what the Cowboys did, sending a fourth-round pick to Carolina for receiver Jonathan Mingo and a throw-in seventh rounder. This head-scratching move was as as curious as it was laughable in many NFL circles. Not only did the Cowboys pay a steep price for an otherwise disappointing player, but they added a piece at a time when they should really be subtracting.
But a deeper look shows the addition of Mingo is more about the future than it is the present. Under contract through the next two seasons, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Ole Miss product is a low-cost replacement part Dallas can use to build up their WR room after Brandin Cooks likely leaves in 2025.
The 39th overall pick in 2023, Mingo comes with an impressive physical profile and draft pedigree to make him an intriguing prospect to develop. He was an official 30-visit of Dallas’ that draft cycle and someone the Cowboys rated as a top 50 prospect.
Regardless of what outsiders think, the Dallas front office likely sees him as a Round 2 value at Round 4 price. Looking at the trade through that lens it’s reasonable to believe Mingo impacts the Cowboys plans in the 2025 NFL draft.
Based on the Cowboys’ current slide, upcoming schedule and Dak Prescott’s move to IR, it’s safe to predict Dallas will be picking in the top 10 in 2025. Favored in only two of their remaining nine games, there’s a real chance the Cowboys will have their pick of the litter at the WR position.
Travis Hunter, an elite WR/CB prospect, will probably be long gone by Pick 3, but notable WR prospects such as Tetairoa McMillan, Emeka Egbuka, Tre Harris and Tai Felton should all be options for Dallas in the first round. It’s perfectly possible that Mingo, a player the Cowboys recently valued as a top 50 talent, a WR they paid a hefty sum to acquire at the deadline, and someone under team control through 2026, could nudge them in the direction of a different position this spring.
The Cowboys have no shortage of needs to address this spring. They need interior linemen, another pass rusher, a safety, and offensive lineman, running back and tight end; might as well add linebacker to the list too since DeMarvion Overshown and Marist Liufau are the only LBs worth keeping around.
The point is the addition of Mingo could allow them to turn their focus elsewhere early in the draft. He wouldn’t satisfy them completely at WR, even if they see him optimistically, but he could help sway decisions in the early rounds.
It’s something to keep in mind as mock draft season picks up.
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