The pomp and circumstance of the 2025 NFL draft is now over, and the Dallas Cowboys had a strong three days. It was a draft where it felt like the Cowboys picked the best players available without accounting for their specific needs.
While that led to a great class and should pay dividends down the road, it left the team short at a few positions for the upcoming season. The good news is the Cowboys can still find veteran free agents who can help improve the team, which will enhance their draft decisions. Stephen Jones said the team isn’t done adding players and here are five players the Cowboys could sign post-draft that make sense.
Keenan Allen, WR
The Cowboys addressed some of their needs, but not them all could be strengthened in the draft. The cost of adding some of that elite talent cost the team a chance at drafting a WR. With CeeDee Lamb as the only quality WR on the roster, the team must find another good option.
Allen should be at the top of the list. He just turned 33-years old and had only 70 catches for 774 yards last season, but he was working with a rookie quarterback and a new offensive scheme that took time to develop. Allen also missed two games early in the season but came on late with a stretch of four games in five weeks where he had over 70 yards receiving and a score.
He might have slowed down a bit, but he was never a deep ball threat, and he can still get open with his savvy route running ability.
The Cowboys aren’t going to find a game breaker at this point, but what they can do is add a quality WR who can help elevate the offense. Allen has no trouble getting open and would be an asset for quarterback Dak Prescott.
He’s not a true No. 1 WR these days, but the Cowboys don’t need him to be, they just need a capable second option. Allen checks all those boxes. There isn’t a WR available who helps the offense this year more than Allen.
Amari Cooper, WR
Cooper is two years younger than Allen and is just one-year removed from back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. He got traded in the middle of the 2024 season which didn’t help him achieve success last year, especially without a viable QB in Cleveland or with the tough weather in Buffalo for a heavy run-based scheme.
However, much like Allen, Cooper is a great route runner who has little trouble gaining separation and getting open. Cooper often finds space and can still make tough catches in traffic down the field. He isn’t a burner the offense could use, but he can create separation and already has a good relationship with Prescott.
The issue with bringing Cooper back resides in the front office; despite thriving in Dallas during his four years, the team discarding Cooper felt personal. If there are still hard feelings between the two parties, a reunion seems unlikely.
It’s hard to believe that Cooper and the Cowboys would get back together, but strange things can happen.
Diontae Johnson, WR
Johnson is younger, has more speed and wiggle in his game than the first two options, but he also struggled for multiple teams last season. It couldn’t have helped that Johnson went from the Carolina Panthers to the Baltimore Ravens to the Houston Texans last year, but having just 33 receptions for 375 yards and three touchdowns wasn’t inspiring.
Prior to a rough 2024, Johnson had some very good years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he hit a high-water mark of 107 catches for 1,161 yards and eight scores in 2021. He did have two more seasons with 86+ receptions and over 880 yards, but it’s been three years since he’s played at that level.
Johnson’s speed would be welcomed on the offense, but he isn’t a true burner, and his play has slipped recently. Still, Johnson is better than almost every other WR on the Cowboys not named Lamb.
Elijah Moore, WR
At 25-years old, Moore is the youngest of the options, has the most shiftiness, and ability to make plays after the catch. The Cowboys could get creative with Moore and find ways to get him touches to get the big plays they need.
Moore is also the least accomplished, he hasn’t caught more than 61 balls or gone over 640 yards in any of his four seasons.
Evaluating what Moore can bring is difficult to do with his team situation in his four years; playing for the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns with their unstable QB play hasn’t helped his cause. The Cowboys with Prescott could give Moore a chance to fully blossom and his size is very similar to Brian Schottenheimer’s former WR Tyler Lockett. Moore and Lockett aren’t the same type of players, but perhaps Schottenheimer can find ways to use Moore’s speed and dynamic open field capabilities to help boost the offense.
J.K. Dobbins, RB
Although the Cowboys picked two running backs in the draft, they also missed out on the top tier RBs. Jaydon Blue brings electric speed and can help in the passing game, but he’s not likely to be someone who can be a full-time starter. Seventh-round pick Phil Mafah is a bruising, physical style of runner, but he’s also not going to be a starter.
Dobbins would combine the skills of both the draft picks and would give the Cowboys a better group in the backfield. He doesn’t have elite speed, but Dobbins is fast enough to run away from defenders and has some physicality to his game. The veteran RB could also step in to be the starter right away and leave Blue or Mafah to be contributors in the run game.
He’s often injured, but the Cowboys have prepared for that by adding Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders in free agency, while also drafting two options. Dobbins had 905 yards rushing and nine touchdowns in just 13 games last season, far surpassing anything Williams or Sanders produced.
Dobbins leading the way at RB would be ideal for the Cowboys heading into the season and ease any concerns at the position.
If the team had a plan going into the draft, it’s time turn over their cards and show what they had in mind. The front office has talked about possible trades, but there hasn’t been much to those rumors. And now that the Cowboys can’t ruin their compensatory pick formula, they can get more serious about adding talent. This list is comprised of mostly wide receivers, a place where the team is desperate for help.