The New England Patriots traded quarterback Joe Milton III to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for their fifth-round draft pick. Photo: Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Cowboys start the 2025 NFL draft with one important position locked down: the backup quarterback.
Why it matters: Quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending injury in Week 9 last season, leaving the Cowboys in the hands of backup QB Cooper Rush.
The Cowboys were 7-10 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time in four years.
The latest: Hoping to avoid a repeat, the team traded a fifth-round pick this month to the New England Patriots for Joe Milton III.
Driving the news: Round 1 of the draft starts at 7 tonight. The Cowboys have the 12th pick.
Catch up quick: The Cowboys promoted Brian Schottenheimer from offensive coordinator to head coach after parting ways with Mike McCarthy.
Rush joined the Baltimore Ravens as a backup quarterback.
The Cowboys signed free agent running backs Javonte Williams (previously on the Denver Broncos) and Miles Sanders (previously on the Carolina Panthers) during the offseason.
The team is also looking for another good wide receiver to pair with CeeDee Lamb.
The intrigue: The Cowboys last had the 12th pick in 2021, when they selected linebacker Micah Parsons.
Owner Jerry Jones said the team and Parsons are "close enough" to a new deal but haven't yet agreed on the dollar amount.
What they're saying: "We're looking at two things that could happen before or after the draft. Two pretty substantive trades," Jones said in a pre-draft news conference Tuesday.
What's next: The Cowboys also have the 44th overall pick in Round 2, 76th in Round 3, 149th and 174th in Round 5, 204th and 211th in Round 6, and 217th, 239th and 247th in Round 7.
