The Dallas Cowboys shook up the 1st round of the NFL draft by trading the No. 20 overall pick to perhaps their most hated rival, swapping places with the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1st round.
In exchange for the No. 20 overall pick and a 7th round pick, the Cowboys received the No. 23 overall pick plus the No. 114 overall pick and No. 137 overall pick.
The Eagles selected USC wide receiver and Biletnikoff Award winner Makai Lemon at No. 20 overall, likely signaling that the Eagles will trade 3-time NFL All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Brown after June 1.
“The Eagles land another receiver: Itâs USCâs Makai Lemon at No. 20 after an intra-NFC East trade with Dallas,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero wrote on his official X account. “Theyâve now added Hollywood Brown, Dontayvion Wicks, Elijah Moore and Lemon, in the latest sign that A.J. Brown has probably played his last down for Philly.”
Cowboys Nailed 1st Round Pick at No. 12 Overall
The Cowboys received widespread praise when they moved up 1 spot to the No. 11 overall pick to take Ohio State safety Caleb Downs in a trade with the Miami Dolphins.
From Heavy’s Evan Massey: “Improving the defensive secondary was a major need for Dallas. While the Cowboys had made moves to sign free agents like safety Jalen Thompson and cornerback Cobie Durant, being able to land Downs was a steal. Downs came into the NFL Draft as one of the top defensive players in the nation. Many felt that he could be the best player in the entire draft class.”
Downs was an All-American at Alabama as a true freshman before transferring to Ohio State, where he was an All-American the last 2 seasons, as well as leading the Buckeyes to a College Football Playoff National Championship.
âDowns grades out as a day-one starting safety and high-impact defender in the NFL. His instincts are damn near flawless (thatâs where the Ed Reed comparisons begin and end, as Downs is not a ball-hawking center fielder like Reed was for the Ravens),â McShay wrote.
âDownsâs game compares most favorably to Eric Berryâs (fifth pick in 2010 and a five-time Pro Bowler) and Earl Thomasâs (14th pick in 2010 and a six-time Pro Bowler).â
Brown’s Time With Eagles Coming to End
The trade also signals something really awesome for the Cowboys â not having to play against Brown twice every season.
He’s been targeted to go to the Patriots for some time, where he would reunite with his head coach on the Tennessee Titans, Mike Vrabel, and team up with quarterback and NFL MVP runner-up Drake Maye.
NFL Networkâs Rich Eisen thinks that duo could become 1 of the NFL’s best of all time.
â(Brown) is going to lead the league in touchdowns this year,â Eisen said on Monday. âI donât think thatâs an overreaction at all. If this happens, this does remind me of something ⦠(Brown) is the Randy Moss of the equation. Heâs a beast of a physical receiver. He can go outside the numbers and win 50-50 balls and give the quarterback a big, fat, deep target who can also go over the middle and be a massive matchup problem ⦠23 touchdowns set the (NFL) record (in 2007) ⦠I donât want to disrespect Randy Moss, who is a 1st ballot Hall of Famer for a reason.”
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