The Dallas Cowboys came into NFL Draft night with a clear mission: get aggressive. And for a few tense moments, it looked like Jerry Jones was about to pull off a blockbuster that would have reshaped the entire first round.
According to a revealing ESPN special, the Cowboys tried to swing a deal with the Cleveland Browns that would have sent their two first-round picks — Nos. 12 and 20 — plus a fifth-rounder to Cleveland in exchange for the Browns' selections at Nos. 9 and 24. But the Browns said no thanks.
“They want to do 12 and 20 for 9 and 24, which is light on all dimensions,” Browns GM Andrew Berry said in the team’s draft room, as captured by the special. When Cowboys COO Stephen Jones pressed further, Berry was blunt: “That wouldn’t move the needle for us.”
Instead, Dallas pivoted. They swapped picks with the Miami Dolphins to land Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at No. 11 overall. Then, after trading back from No. 20 to No. 23, they grabbed UCF pass rusher Malachi Lawrence. It was a defensive double-dip that fit the team’s stated goal of upgrading that side of the ball.
Jerry Jones Felt the Urgency
The ESPN special, titled “The Pick Is In,” showed Jerry Jones working the phones with urgency. “I keep hearing Cleveland wants an offensive lineman and they’re worried New York’s going to take him,” Jones said, warning that the Browns didn’t want to get jumped by the Giants. That sense of desperation drove the Cowboys to try and leapfrog potential suitors.
Cleveland had already moved down from No. 6 to No. 9 in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs, eventually taking Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano. Meanwhile, the Giants grabbed linebacker Arvell Reese at No. 5, and Miami took offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa at No. 10, leaving the Cowboys to snag Downs.
Head Coach and Owner Lobbied for Lawrence
Once the Cowboys secured Downs, the focus shifted to adding a pass rusher. In the war room, head coach Brian Schottenheimer made his case for Malachi Lawrence. “The pass rusher can be a difference-maker. That’s my point,” Schottenheimer said. Jerry Jones echoed that sentiment: “I really think we ought to pick [Lawrence]. I really like him.”
The Cowboys traded back from No. 20 to No. 23 with the Eagles, then selected Lawrence — a move that satisfied both the coach and the owner. The pick continued Dallas’ defensive overhaul, which also included Michigan linebacker Jaishawn Barham in the third round.
While the Cowboys didn’t land the blockbuster trade they wanted, they still came away with two defensive playmakers and a clear identity: this team is building around its defense. And if the ESPN special is any indication, Jerry Jones isn’t done being aggressive.
For more on the NFL Draft and other sports news, check out our coverage of Cowboys Cheerleader Abby Summers and Eagles Star Cooper DeJean Go Public at Kentucky Derby and Belichick and Hudson Steal the Show at Churchill Downs.
