Cowboys' Top Hypothetical Trades to Make Splash in 2024 NFL Draft

It's been a quiet offseason for the Dallas Cowboys thus far.

There have been far more notable departures for the Cowboys than additions. With Dan Quinn leaving to take the Commanders head coaching job he also took Tyler Biadasz, Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler Jr. and Noah Igbinoghene with him in free agency.

Tony Pollard, Jonathan Hankins, Tyron Smith and Neville Gallimore are gone too.

The additions aren't nearly as hard to keep track of. The Cowboys only external free-agent addition through nearly three weeks of free agency is linebacker Eric Kendricks who signed a one-year, $3 million contract.

The time to make a big splash isn't over yet, though. The NFL draft tends to be a catalyst for big moves and the Cowboys have a roster that went 12-5 for the third consecutive year.

The Cowboys haven't been able to get over the hump in the playoffs and going into the season without making at least one major move to shake up the roster doesn't seem like an approach that will help get them there.

Here are three hypothetical that would at least make a splash and make things interesting going into 2024.

Take a Swing On Javonte Williams

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Javonte Williams

Broncos Receive: 2024 third-round pick (No. 87 overall)

Cowboys Receive: RB Javonte Williams

The Cowboys definitely have work to do to fill out their backfield. Tony Pollard had a disappointing season last year, but he was still the primary back. The Cowboys have re-signed Rico Dowdle but that doesn't offset Pollard's role and production.

The draft is definitely an option, but the running back class doesn't have much top-end talent. There are no running backs in the top 40 of our big board. Notre Dame's Audric Estimé checks in at No. 41 overall.

Free agency is still an option. J.K. Dobbins and Clyde Edwards-Helaire are probably the best options left.

The trade market should be explored as well. Javonte Williams' name hasn't really come up through the rumor mill, but he's a logical target.

For one, he only has one year left on his contract and has a reasonable $1.9 million salary. Injuries have impacted Williams early NFL career, but the talent is there for him to have a big season if he's healthy.

Williams had 1,219 total yards while splitting the backfield in his rookie season back in 2021. However, he tore his ACL and LCL four games into his second season. He returned in 2023, but saw a sharp decline in his performance.

Here, the Cowboys would have the opportunity to buy low on the running back and potentially reap the benefits of a breakout season two years removed from the injury.

Trade Up for an Offensive Lineman

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Alabama OT JC Latham

Jaguars Receive: 2024 first-round pick (No. 24 overall), 2024 third-round pick (No. 87), 2024 sixth-round pick (No. 216 overall)

Cowboys Receive: 2024 first-round pick (No. 17 overall), 2024 seventh-round pick (No. 236 overall)

The Cowboys go into the draft with one major need. Despite all of their losses this offseason, the core has mostly remained intact. The lone exception is Tyron Smith. While the aging tackle wasn't always dependable from health standpoint, the best versions of the Cowboys offensive line over the last decade have included him.

On one hand, this is a deep tackle class. The latest mock draft from our scouting department has the Cowboys landing Amarius Mims with the 24th pick. However, Mims has just eight collegiate starts under his belt, though so there's going to be a steep learning curve.

If the Cowboys are in the market for a tackle prospect that's going to be able to offer better play right away, they might need to trade up.

Based on a consensus of the most recent mock drafts from a variety of sources, trading ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals at 18 might give the Cowboys a shot to lock up JC Latham, third tackle and No. 13 player overall on our big board.

All of Latham's 25 career starts were made at right tackle, begging the question about whether it would be him or Terence Steele moving to left. But the trade would allow Tyler Smith to stay at guard where he has All-Pro potential.

Add a Former First-Rounder to the Pass Rush

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Bucs Edge Rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka

Buccaneers Receive: 2024 fifth-round pick (No. 174 overall)

Cowboys Receive: Edge Joe Tryon-Shoyinka

At this point, the Cowboys options are fairly limited. They don't have a ton of cap space and most of the obvious trade chips this season have already been swapped.

But someone like Joe Tryon-Shoyinka profiles as under-the-radar trade fodder. He's entering the final year of his rookie contract and he's been underwhelming since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took him with the 32nd pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

He has just 13 sacks across his first three seasons and took a step back from Year 2 to Year 3 in his role on the Bucs defense. He only played 51 percent of the snaps in 2023 after playing over 70 percent in 2022.

As it happens, the Cowboys have a big need on the edge and Tryon comes with an affordable $2.2 million salary. With Dorance Amstrong and Dante Fowler Jr. leaving, the Cowboys with 716 snaps to replace.

They can find another edge defender in the draft, but it's going to be hard to find one ready to contribute with the fifth-round pick they'd be sending to Tampa. They can go to free agency but there aren't many 24 year old with the potential to find a new level of production on the market.

For the Bucs, this would be a chance to move on and get something in return for a player that they benched last season. For the Cowboys, it's an opportunity to take a relatively low-cost risk on a high-potential player.