Mickey Spagnola

FRISCO, TexasAlas, finally, almost mercifully, it's here, the 2025 NFL Draft. The three-day player-selection affair. The wait, the anticipation palpable, as if around the corner.

And for those following these Dallas Cowboys, this all started probably as soon as the team took its eighth loss, Dec. 9, dropping their record to 5-8. They were well on their way to a 7-10 non-playoff season for the first time since the COVID-infected 2020 effort of 6-10.

Why, we've waded through draft shows coming at us from all angles and entities. We are bombarded with hundreds of mock drafts, some changing weekly for more than a month. And the rumors of who might take who are thrown around faster than oyster-shucking shells, rarely confirmed but intriguing none the less.

The must-watch shindig begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, and for the Cowboys, with the 12th pick in the first round, one of 10 they own heading into this seven-round player selection, they likely will go on the clock roughly around 8:20, give or take a few minutes, depending on how long it takes for the 11 teams ahead of them to make their picks or consummate trades.

And for new head coach Brian Schottenheimer, he'd sure like to begin his era with a generational talent setting the tone for the program he's trying to establish. Sort of the way Tom Landry did in 1961 with his first draft choice, Bob Lilly, and Jimmy Johnson did with his first, Troy Aikman, and Mike McCarthy did with his, CeeDee Lamb.

Poor Dave Campo in 2000. He didn't have a first-round pick for two years, the Cowboys having traded two firsts for veteran wide receiver Joey Galloway. On the other hand, there's the bundle Bill Parcells had in 2003 with his first four picks being Terence Newman, Al Johnson, Jason Witten and Bradie James, all starters. And for sure would love to replicate what Jason Garrett did with his first in 2011, finding impending Hall of Famer Tyron Smith.

"We're going to add great players throughout this entire draft, and it doesn't end after the draft ends," Schottenheimer promised. "We're going to find and continue to keep looking under every stone to find guys that fit into what we want to do as a culture and what adds value to our team. But I know one thing, whoever we add on Thursday night, it will be through tremendous, tremendous amounts of hard work from the top down. From Jerry, Stephen, with Mitch, Chris Vaughn, the entire scouting department, the coaches.

"And it will be someone that's going to make the Cowboys' fans proud."

History suggests the Cowboys have a great chance of doing just that, since over the past 11 drafts, going back to 2014 when nailing the recently retired Zack Martin at 16, the Cowboys have turned 15 of those players into Pro Bowlers who have combined for a grand total of 38 Pro Bowl selections.

The Cowboys have such a wide variety of needs, they almost can't help from knocking that first pick out of the park. There is a good chance if they go by their draft grades for the best player available, that player will strike a need.

For example: Because of the depth at the running back position, unless Heisman Trophy finalist Ashton Jeanty falls out of the top 10 no way he will the Cowboys can find a fine one in the second round since seems there will be no more than two, maybe three, first-round running backs selected.

What about wide receiver? Sure like Matthew Golden of Texas there or Tet McMillan of Arizona State.

Cornerback? Could be a choice there if Texas' Jahdae Barron drops out of the top 10 or Michigan's Will Johnson, though he has battled a toe issue. And don't go to sleep on East Carolina's Shavon Revel in the second, a sure first-rounder if not for tearing his ACL three games into the 2024 season and likely starting training camp on PUP.

And maybe a defensive end? Lot of talk going around out there about Georgia's Mykel Williams and Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart.

As owner Jerry Jones said during the pre-draft press conference on Tuesday when asked if the Cowboys still have a variety off needs that could match a BPA, he said facetiously, "Are you saying we have a few needs? I thought you were. Yes."

So let's go, though the Cowboys at the mercy of how those first 11 draft chips fall.

Follow The Leader: Continuing to try to clear this up when most keep saying Micah Parsons needs a contract. No, he wants a long-term contract, and the Cowboys would like to extend him for cap-saving reasons this year, but it's not a total necessity. Please remember the Cowboys did pick up his fifth-year option, a guaranteed $24 million. But under no uncertain terms, Jones has repeatedly said for Parsons to receive a long-term deal with somewhere in the $35 million to $40 million average per year range he must become "a leader." To the point, "We need him to be elevated in his leadership," Jones said. That means more than just being here for the "voluntary" workouts that began last week, though a start. That means interacting with his teammates more than Micah has. That means when having a crawfish boil a week ago Monday to start the workouts, be out there with your teammates even if you're not eating crawfish. That means sitting with your teammates during Tyron Smith's retirement celebration, not off to the side with DeMarcus Ware. That means, as Micah did on Tuesday, be there with his teammates for the Home Run Derby competition. The Cowboys have lost a bunch of locker room voices recently: DeMarcus Lawrence, Jourdan Lewis, Brandin Cooks, Zack Martin, Eric Kendricks. Especially the defense needs someone to follow, and not just because that player leads the team in sacks. They need someone the guys listen to when he talks, who interacts as one of the guys. As Jerry said, and listen up here, this is quite important to him and his salary cap pocketbook, "It would be a downer if (Micah) doesn't elevate his leadership." Eyes and ears are upon you, Micah.

Rehab City: So far so good with Cowboys players returning from either season-ending or postseason surgeries. Of course, as we've heard, Dak Prescott is doing just fine and should be ready for the start of training camp. Same for defensive end Sam Williams, returning from his torn ACL surgery in mid-August. Cornerback Trevon Diggs is currently doing his knee surgery rehab from afar, and at this point has a way to go to be ready for camp. Tight end John Stephens appears will be ready for the start of training camp after suffering his torn ACL. And no surprise linebacker DeMarvion Overshown is likely to start training camp and possibly the season on PUP after his second ACL tear in two years.

Expanded Honors: Cowboys Pro Football Hall of Fame safety Cliff Harris expanded his 2024 Small College Defensive Player of the Year Award from one player participating in the Division II, Division III or NAIA ball to a player from each level. Winners this year were safety Josiah Johnson from Cliff's alma mater Division II Ouachita Baptist, defensive back Matt Jung from Division III Bethel (Minn.) University, who played well enough to transfer for the 2025 season to the University of Wisconsin, and defensive end Tau Lologo from NAIA Keiser (Fla.) University. The players and family were here at The Star last week to each receive one of the two-foot, 35-pound trophies, which replicates a Harris tackle of Harold Jackson in an NFL game,and get a tour of the facility,

More Draftables: Those Cowboys' aforementioned 15 drafted players going on to Pro Bowl careers from 2014-24 is the most in the NFL, followed by Baltimore's 13 and Detroit's 12 Dallas also leads with 11 All-Pro players from 2011-24, followed by Kansas City's nine and San Francisco's eight The Cowboys still are in the market for a No. 2 quarterback, either signing a veteran following the draft and/or selecting one more than likely on the third day of the draft to compete for a roster spot with Will Grier and Joe Milton III From Tuesday's Reliant Home Run Derby, while punter Bryan Anger defended his crown by earning $13,200 worth of hits/homers, finishing in fourth with $10,500 was cornerback/special teams ace C.J. Goodwin,who came on strong after the first round. Saying he hadn't swung a bat since he was 14 years old, his production at the plate was a testament to the type of athlete he is and is why the Cowboys once again have re-signed him.

As for this week's last word, we turn to Cowboys COO and co-owner Stephen Jones breaking down the team's draft philosophy between selecting strictly the best player available in the first round or need becoming the overriding factor.

"I think at the end of the day you are trying to pick the best player on the board," Stephen began. "Now, if it's up there and you got guys who are equally graded for the most part, then obviously you might lean into a position where, hey, we could use a little more help there and we're pretty strong over here, so let's lean in over here and take that player.

"But what you don't want to see yourself doing is picking a player who's quite a bit down the line, a round down, and trying to take that player over a guy that you've got situated, in particular, to let you use the 12th pick. If we've got first-round grades on players on our board, you don't want to take that player. And at the end of the day, those things work themselves out.

"I mean, we never went into that draft, Micah's draft (2021), thinking we were going to pick Micah, a pass rusher/linebacker. The year we picked CeeDee (2020), we were thinking we were going pass rusher all the way, and we end up with a receiver.

"Great things happen when you do things like that."

Can only hope to strike such gold again when taking Thursday's shot at No. 12 after 8.