Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones addresses possibility of trading draft picks for veterans

The Dallas Cowboys enter the 2023 NFL Draft with seven picks worth of draft capital. On Monday at the team’s pre-draft press conference, executive vice president Stephen Jones addressed the possibility of the Cowboys using one, or more, of those selections to trade for a veteran player.

Dallas already expended some of its draft capital with the trades for Stephon Gilmore and Brandin Cooks. The corner and wideout each cost the Cowboys a fifth-round selection in this year’s draft, among other costs.

With hours left before the draft, Jones wouldn’t say the Cowboys will try for a trade, however, he did admit this is the time when GMs get some great value deals.

“We don’t ever rule anything out,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday. “Obviously you’re in quick evaluation mode. And I’ll say this, veterans right before the draft usually come at a good price. After the draft, then things go back up again… people aren’t valuing picks as much because you’re a year away from using them, so it’s harder to make something happen.

“There have been some things where people might be fire-selling a veteran, but one of the problems you got is usually when you’re talking about trading a guy, which it did with both (Gilmore and Cooks), there’s the evaluation and a lot of times having to work through it with an agent on what the contract is going to look like if we make the trade.”

Vegas reveals odds for Cowboys’ move in round one

The Cowboys enter the 2023 NFL Draft with seven selections, one in each of the seven rounds, beginning with the No. 26 overall pick. Las Vegas oddsmakers released odds this week for that first-round pick and all the possible outcomes.

Despite it being more than two decades since the Cowboys last drafted a tight end, Vegas has the best odds for Dallas to take a tight end with their first pick. The draft is heavy with talent at the position and the Cowboys have shown significant interest in tight ends since the end of the 2023 season. They parted ways with top tight end and second-leading receiver Dalton Schultz, opening the door for a new face at the spot.

Aside from eyeing the NFL’s top choices like Dalton Kincaid and Michael Mayer, Dallas also hosted several others, including Georgia’s Darnell Washington, for top-30 prospect visits this month.

Behind tight end, Vegas favors the Cowboys selecting a defensive lineman or an offensive lineman. Dallas surprised many last year by taking under-rated Tulsa tackle Tyler Smith in the first round. The move panned out well as Smith went on to start at left tackle.