3 Teams That Could Tempt Cowboys to Trade Down During the NFL Draft

2. Jacksonville Jaguars

Looking at Dallas' current roster of picks on board, the lack of a fourth-round selection stands out.

The Cowboys will be on the clock at No. 87 in the mid-late portion of the third round, but they'll then have to wait until No. 174 in the fifth -- nearly 90 picks later -- to make their next choice. This is due to owing the San Francisco 49ers their fourth-rounder (No. 124) for the Trey Lance trade, and the Kansas City Chiefs owning Dallas' original fifth-rounder (No. 159).

The fourth round has been incredibly kind to the Cowboys in just recent history. Tony Pollard was drafted here in 2019, and the team famously landed Dak Prescott here as well in 2016. Meanwhile, Jared Allen, Geno Atkins, Asante Samuel and Eddie Jackson are some of the Pro Bowl/All-Pro talents to be scooped up during this round as well.

All of that is to say, Dallas might want to add a pick here in 2024 -- and the Jacksonville Jaguars could help them out.

The logic here is the same as considering a trade down in the first. The Cowboys could still get a guy they like just moving back a few places, while adding a better second pick to make it worthwhile. And the fact third-round talent evaluations are much less of a consensus that earlier days means there isn't as much risk in waiting, since the team would've moved up to grab someone they thought was more sure-fire.

In this scenario, Dallas opts to send Jacksonville No. 87 (155 points) and No. 174 (22 points) for the Jaguars' picks at No. 96 (116 points) and No. 116 (62 points). This is near-equal in value and gets the Cowboys a chance to find their next fourth-round diamond in the rough.

Meanwhile, the Jags get to move up higher in the third to go after a player who may have more competition and still retain their other fourth-rounder (No. 114). Dallas just has to hope there's someone Jacksonville is really eyeing who's still available to help motivate a deal.