
How far can the Cowboys trade up or down using pick No. 24?
There is still over two months until the 2022 NFL Draft, but it’s never too early to be prepared for what the Dallas Cowboys could possibly do with the 24th overall pick in the first round. Whether they choose to trade up, down, or stand pat has yet to be determined, however, knowing the value of the 24th pick is probably wise to know ahead of time.
Today, we will explore the possibility of trading up from No. 24 for a true difference-maker or trading down to acquire extra draft capital. To do this, we will use DraftTek’s handy-dandy 2022 NFL Trade Value Chart to determine the value of all of the draft picks, including the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys hold picks 24, 56, 88, 120, 152, and 183. Compensatory picks have yet to be awarded.
TRADING UP FROM PICK 24
Trading up is always a fun topic of discussion around Cowboys Nation, whether it’s realistic or not. It’s always fun to dream about the Cowboys moving up to snag one of the true difference-makers, however, it’s really important to know the cost of making such a move.
With that in mind, let’s take a look to see how far the Dallas Cowboys can trade up in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft using the 24th overall pick and their other draft capital.
Trading Cowboys’ 1st- and 2nd-round picks to move up:
24th pick (740 points) + 56th pick (340 points) = 14th pick (1100 points)
The Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles currently hold the 14th and 15th overall picks in the first round in the 2022 NFL Draft and there is just a 50-point difference between the two. If the Cowboys want to trade up using their first- and second-round picks they can essentially move up into the Top 15.
Trading with the Eagles for the 15th overall pick favors the Cowboys by 30 points and trading for the Ravens’ 14th overall pick favors Baltimore by 20 points. Both are pretty close to being equal trades based on the value chart, however, the point differential is also close to the value of a fifth- and sixth-round pick respectively.
Who do you think the Cowboys would be targeting if they traded into the Top 15?
Trading Cowboys’ 1st- and 3rd-round picks to move up:
24th pick (740 points) + 88th pick (150 points) = 18th pick (900 points)
The New Orleans Saints currently hold the 18th overall pick in the first round in the 2022 NFL Draft. If they’re looking to add an extra third-round pick to their draft capital for whatever reason, trading down six pots with the Dallas Cowboys makes a lot of sense. Of course, that’s nothing more than speculation at this point.
This is pretty much is close as it gets to be an equal trade. There is just a 10-point differential favoring the Saints, which is equivalent to an early seventh-round draft pick. If the Cowboys do trade up in the first round, using their first- and third-round picks is probably a more likely scenario. But again, that’s purely speculation.
Who do you think the Cowboys would be targeting if they traded up to No. 18?
TRADING DOWN FROM PICK 24
As much fun as it is to think about the Cowboys trading up in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, trading down is probably the more likely scenario in order to add additional draft capital. That’s especially true this year with them picking in the latter part of the first round at No. 24. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how far they would have to trade down to pick up an extra second-, third-, or fourth-round draft pick.
Trading down for an extra 2nd-round pick:
24th pick (740 points) + 88th pick (150 points) = 31st pick (600 points) + 63rd pick (276 points) + 190th pick (13.8 points)
Trading down for an extra second-round pick is a bit tricky considering the Cowboys are selecting in the latter part of the first round. It still definitely doable, however, it would take swapping multiple draft picks and a willing trade partner to make it all come to fruition. The only team that makes this somewhat plausible is probably the Cincinnati Bengals.
Depending on how the Super Bowl plays out, the Bengals will either hold the 31st or 32nd pick in the first round. For arguments sake let’s pretend it’s the 31st, meaning the Cowboys would send Cincinnati picks 24 and 88 in exchange for 31, 63, and 190. That would be as close to an equal trade as possible.
Trading down for an extra 3rd-round pick:
24th pick (740 points) = 30th pick (620 points) + 94th pick (124 points)
The Kansas City Chiefs could be an ideal trade partner for the Cowboys if they’re looking to trade down to acquire an extra third-round draft pick. If you do the math, there is just a four-point difference in favor of the Chiefs if they swap first-round picks with the Cowboys while also throwing in their third-rounder. That’s just about his even if is a trade as there is.
Trading down six pots with the Chiefs would then give the Cowboys a total of four draft picks in the Top 100. It is a bit of a risk trading down that far because they could be passing up on some talented players, but adding another selection Top 100 could be worth it depending on how things were playing out. That’s the gamble of trading down though.
Trading down for an extra 4th-round pick:
24th pick (740 points) = 26th pick (700 points) + 122nd pick (50 points)
If the Cowboys want to trade down a few spots to pick up an extra fourth-round pick, the Tennessee Titans would make a pretty good trade partner. Dallas’ 24th pick plus Tennessee’s 26th and 122nd picks equate to just a 10-point difference in favor of the Titans. It’s not an evenly matched trade per se, but it is relatively close enough for both parties to be satisfied.
If the Cowboys believe they can trade down a couple spots while also adding an extra fourth-round pick, they probably wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. That, of course, all depends on the Titans willingness to move up a few spots to draft a player they are targeting they may believe may not make it to them at No. 26.