Cowboys currently have a top-10 draft pick; projected compensatory picks for 2025

The Dallas Cowboys haven’t had many wins heading into the 2024 season, and if that trend continues, it could have serious consequences. With Mike McCarthy and his team in the firing line all season, things could look very different if the club can’t turn their early bad luck into a backstory for a strong run later in their schedule.

Currently, however, the Cowboys have one of the 10 worst records in the NFL and are therefore in a position to secure a top-10 draft pick after the conclusion of Monday night’s doubleheader.

If the season ended today, Dallas would draft the ninth player overall.

There are 14 teams with a 1-2 record. The NFL Draft decision criteria are determined by inverse strength of play. The team with the easier schedule is considered “worse” and therefore receives preferential treatment in first-round draft selections.

In each subsequent round, the teams with the same record switch. The team with the easiest schedule gets the highest priority and then moves to the end of the line of tied teams for round 2. In each subsequent round, the conveyor belt continues.

Currently, Indianapolis, New England, Cleveland, Miami, Carolina, Dallas, Chicago, New York, Baltimore, Denver, LA Rams, Arizona and San Francisco are all in the same boat. The direct comparison is meaningless.

Of course, there will be weekly rotations, and football will be played almost every day three nights a week. What will also change are the compensatory picks.

The Cowboys lost five eligible free agents during the 2024 free agency period, leaving them in contention for up to four of the 32 additional picks awarded to teams each year. The amount of compensation fluctuates somewhat depending on playing time and postseason awards. First, here’s a look at the rounds of the Cowboys’ 10 total draft picks.

Dallas Cowboys 2025 Draft Picks

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 5 Comp (Tyron Smith)

Round 5 Comp (Tyler Biadasz)

Round 5 Comp (Dorance Armstrong)

Round 6

Round 6 Comp (Tony Pollard)