Cowboys Reportedly Linked to Matthew Golden, James Pearce, Nolen Ahead of NFL Draft

The Dallas Cowboys have been connected to Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden, Tennessee edge-rusher James Pearce and Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen ahead of the NFL draft, per Jane Slater of NFL Network.

The Cowboys, who are looking to bounce back from a 7-10 season, have 10 draft picks starting with No. 12 overall.

All three players are considered first-round prospects per the B/R NFL Scouting Department. Nolen is 14th overall, Golden is 21st and Pearce is 31st.

All three make sense as fits for the Cowboys. Their defense took a major step back last year, finishing second-last in points allowed. They could use help on the interior of the defensive line as well as more edge-rushing assistance to get after the quarterback and support Micah Parsons.

On the flip side, the Cowboys also need a No. 2 wide receiver to go along with superstar wideout Cee Dee Lamb. Dallas hasn't had a wideout not named Lamb amass 700 or more yards in a season since 2021.

Simply put, the Cowboys need help in multiple areas, and it wouldn't be a surprise if Dallas potentially moves down to get even more picks.

Slater reported that fans shouldn't rule out the team "being comfortable moving down because of these guys." Right now, they are all considered mid-to-late first-rounders, so that would certainly make sense.

The latest B/R NFL Scouting Department mock draft has the Cowboys selecting Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan with the 12th overall choice. But maybe Dallas could find any of those players a little later. Nolen went 22nd to the Los Angeles Chargers, Golden went 25th to the Houston Texans and Pearce was slated 32nd overall to the Philadelphia Eagles.

For now, Dallas is sitting at 12th, where a host of talents should be available. The draft kicks off Thursday from Green Bay at 8 p.m. ET.