Cowboys' Top Hypothetical Trades to Make Splash in 2023 NFL Draft

The Dallas Cowboys have already been one of the most aggressive teams in the NFL when it comes to trades this offseason, after Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore were brought in to fill important roles in the 2023 season.

The question is whether Jerry Jones and Co. are done yet.

The NFL draft is fun for so many reasons, but the trades are definitely among the top reasons.

In the lead up to the talent grab, and once it gets started, there is always a flurry of deals that happen as teams try to manage the board or take a veteran for a package of picks.

The Cowboys already surrendered a fifth-round pick in this year's draft and a sixth-rounder in the 2024 event for Cooks as well as another 2023 fifth-round selection for Gilmore.

Those aren't high prices and it sets the stage for Dallas' mindset as we head toward the draft. Here are three hypothetical trades that would continue a splashy offseason for the Cowboys.

Trade Up for Bijan Robinson

AP Photo/Darron Cummings

Texas running back Bijan Robinson runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Packers Receive: No. 26 overall, No. 90 overall (third round)

Cowboys Receive: RB Bijan Robinson (No. 15 overall), No. 170 overall (fifth round)

This feels like a very on-brand move for Jerry Jones.

The Cowboys parted ways with Ezekiel Elliott this offseason. Jones has been effusive in his praise for the running back since the franchise drafted him fourth overall in 2016.

While the team owner should be given credit for moving on from Elliott, he told media that he thought there was a way they could keep Tony Pollard and his former star on the roster.

Elliott's six-year $90 million contract extension signed in 2019 has been a burden on Dallas' salary-cap situation since the ink dried.

Now the Cowboys go into the 2023 draft with a shot at grabbing another star RB in Bijan Robinson. The Texas product is ranked No. 4 overall on Bleacher Report's big board.

Jon Machota of The Athletic noted that Dallas would be ecstatic if the 21-year-old fell all the way to No. 26.

The question is whether the team would be willing to wait if he's still on the board after the Eagles pick at No. 10. It feels like the next obvious landing spot is No. 19 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

This trade would allow them to get in front and work with a Green Bay Packers team that should be willing to trade back. They have a tight cap situation that hasn't allowed them to be very active in free agency, so an additional third-rounder could be useful.

Trade for DeForest Buckner

Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 08: Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (99) waits for play to resume during the game between the Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts on January 8, 2023, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Indianapolis Colts Receive: No. 26 overall

Dallas Cowboys Receive: DT DeForest Buckner

DeForest Buckner has already addressed any potential trade rumors, making it clear he wants to stay in Indianapolis. But that really isn't his decision to make.

The fact is the defensive tackle's contract makes him a top candidate to be traded if the Colts are looking to shift their timetable for contention. He's 29 years old and his cap hits of $19.8 million and $20.3 million over the next two seasons carry only $1 million in guaranteed money.

Essentially, the Colts could trade him away for a first-round pick to continue rebuilding with Shane Steichen manning the helm and clear up a ton of cap space to spend where they deem fit in free agency next season.

For the Cowboys, it's the opportunity to add an elite interior defensive lineman that should be appealing. Micah Parsons is one of the most electric and talented edge-rushers in the game. Giving him a guy like Buckner, who had eight sacks last season, would take the Dallas pass rush to the next level.

The nice thing about Buckner's contract is that it's set up well to either be restructured or outright extended. The Cowboys could easily get the deal to fit their long-term plan while providing a huge boost to their odds of fielding an elite defense next season.

Trade Dorance Armstrong Jr.

Cooper Neill/Getty Images

ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 24: Dorance Armstrong #92 of the Dallas Cowboys defends against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium on December 24, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Falcons Receive: Edge Dorance Armstrong Jr.

Cowboys Receive: No. 75 overall (third round)

This one might not be quite as splashy as the first two, but if the Cowboys were to move on from Dorance Armstrong Jr after he notched 8.5 sacks last season, that would be a big deal.

It would at least be worth considering, though. Dallas has built quite a bit of depth on the edge. Sam Williams should be expected to contribute even more as a second-year player. DeMarcus Lawrence and Dante Fowler are still on the roster, and the team just signed Takkarist McKinley to a one-year deal.

In other words, the pass-rushing depth chart is starting to get pretty crowded.

Armstrong is in the final year of his contract and could be a costly extension if he puts up another season like the one he just had. If the Cowboys let him walk in free agency, the best thing that could happen would be a compensatory third-round pick at the end of the round.

Instead, they could speed things up and get a third-round pick now. They'd be dealing from a position of strength for a selection who could help them in a position of need.

For the Falcons, it's worth considering giving up the draft capital. Free agency did not bring them much help in the pass-rushing department, and they had just 21 sacks last season.