Cowboys' Rooting Guide for 2025 NFL Draft Implications of Week 11

There haven't been many positives to take away from the Dallas Cowboys 2024 campaign. What felt like a make-or-break season for many involved in the organization has slowly turned into a disaster.

Mike McCarthy's team is on a four-game losing streak with two blowout losses at home against the Detroit Lions and the Philadelphia Eagles. Dak Prescott is out for the season and they have two tough games on the docket with the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football and a matchup against a suddenly dangerous Washington team.

If they can't win one of those games with Cooper Rush as their starting quarterback they could be 3-8.

The 2025 NFL draft is one of the few sources of hope in the season. They are on pace to have a top-10 pick for the first time since 2016. ESPN's latest projections give the Cowboys a 58.5 percent chance to be picking in the top 10 and project them to pick ninth.

However, there's also a 19.3 percent chance they are picking in the top five. This is a roster that could use a new star to join the group of well-compensated stars they already have on their roster.

Here's a look at three results that could help them move up the draft board this week.

Current Top 10 Draft Order

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DETROIT, MI - APRIL 25: The Dallas Cowboys make their pick during Day 1 of the NFL Draft on April 25, 2024 at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza in Detroit, MI. (Photo by John Smolek/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

1. Jacksonville Jaguars 2-8

2. New York Giants 2-8

3. Tennessee Titans 2-7

4. Cleveland Browns 2-7

5. Las Vegas Raiders 2-7

6. New England Patriots 3-7

7. New Orleans Saints 3-7

8. New York Jets 3-7

9. Carolina Panthers 3-7

10. Miami Dolphins 3-6

11. Dallas Cowboys 3-6

Jets over Colts

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Aaron Rodgers

If they gave out an award for Disaster of the Year, the New York Jets would be neck-and-neck with the Cowboys. Much like Dallas, they came into the season with a bloated payroll and hopes of finally putting things together for a playoff run.

Instead, their fanbases both have their eye on the draft order in Week 11.

The sad thing for the Jets is that they were buyers at the trade deadline. They made the move to acquire Davante Adams and are still just 3-7 going into their matchup with the 4-6 Colts.

On one hand, a Jets victory would put the Colts in contention with the Cowboys for draft order as well. If the Cowboys and Jets win, the three franchises would each have four wins.

However, the Jets are in the same position as the Cowboys. Their starter for 2025 is probably locked in. Rodgers recently told reporters he thinks he'll play next season.

Meanwhile the Colts could be looking at drafting a quarterback if their season craters too far. Anthony Richardson was benched a few weeks ago. The club announced they are returning to the second-year quarterback for this week's game, but a losing streak to close out the season could easily put the Colts in the market for a quarterback.

Either way, a Jets win would help the Cowboys gain ground on the draft board right now.

Patriots over Rams

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Hunter Henry

As a team with no momentum and an uphill battle to create some this week, the Cowboys should be rooting for any of the league's bottom teams with any positive movement right now.

That means hoping that the New England Patriots are able to build on the fact that they've won two of their last three games.

In all likelihood, the Cowboys aren't drafting a quarterback. The ink is barely dry on a four-year, $240 million contract extension Dak Prescott signed this season. The Patriots aren't drafting a quarterback either. They used a first-round pick on Drake Maye and he's already flashing massive potential.

That puts the Cowboys and Patriots in direct competition for the best non-quarterback prospects in this year's class.

Conversely, the Rams could easily go with a quarterback if they were to surpass the Cowboys on the draft board. Matthew Stafford is 36 years old and the cracks are starting to show. He has nine touchdowns to seven interceptions so far this season.

Just a few weeks ago, the Patriots were in the running for the No. 1 pick. A win this week would nearly eliminate any hope of that and even put a top-10 pick in question.

That would create some room for the Cowboys to jump in the top 10 and leap frog another team that won't be targeting quarterback.

Bears over Packers

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Matt Eberflus

The NFL's lower class is big this year. There are 11 teams that only have two or three wins. Most of those teams have already folded the tents on their season.

If the Cowboys are going to compete for a top 10 draft pick they have to hope that the apathy pool doesn't get any bigger this early in the season.

That's why the Bears game against the Packers could be an important one for the Cowboys.

The Bears sit just ahead of the Cowboys in the standings with a 4-5 record. They just fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and are buried under the weight of a three-game losing streak that includes a 19-3 loss to the Patriots last week.

A loss to the Green Bay Packers would ensure the Bears are in the mix for a top-ten pick. The schedule is brutal for them with two matchups against the Vikings and Lions broken up by a road game against San Francisco.

A win against the Packers would at least offer new hope. The Bears got off to a 4-2 start. If they can come together to beat a division rival they could build the confidence to pull off a few more upsets.

The Bears are also another team that would be targeting non-quarterback prospects after taking Caleb Williams last year. Keeping them out of the top 10 would benefit the Cowboys.