Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is well known to do things his way as an NFL owner.
When he traded with the Philadelphia Eagles during the NFL draft last week, he continued his dismissal of late then-Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis’ advice for him regarding trades within the division. ESPN’s Cowboys insider Todd Archer recounted the story recently, and Jones said “I didn’t take that lesson from Al.”
The Cowboys dropped three spots in the first round from No. 2o to No. 23 to obtain UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence. Philadelphia picked up USC wide receiver Makai Lemon at No. 20.
Archer noted that Lemon “was on the phone with the Pittsburgh Steelers at the time of the trade” on April 23. Lemon gives the Eagles another dangerous target for quarterback Jalen Hurts, and it will alleviate things when star wide receiver A.J. Brown most likely gets traded to the New England Patriots.
Dallas’ efforts to improve the secondary with defensive back Caleb Downs from Ohio State at No. 11 may be challenged twice a season when facing the Eagles. Philadelphia’s wide receiver room looks as poised as ever to give the Cowboys secondary trouble twice in 2026.
Jerry Jones Post-Trade Tension Settles With Steelers Owner
GettyMakai Lemon going to the Eagles left a sour taste for the Steelers.
Pittsburgh’s dissatisfaction with the Cowboys swiping their chance for Lemon surfaced after the first day of the draft, which Fort Worth Star-Telegram writer Nick Harris detailed during the “House of Haymaker” show on April 24. Jones made it clear, via The Athletic’s Jon Machota, that upsetting the Steelers wasn’t the intent.
“I don’t want to get on their bad side,” Jones said via Machota. “I’m sorry if they’re mad. But, boy, I’ll tell you what, we’ve had it happen to us a bunch of times.”
“It traded right out from under us. That’s why we [traded] those [fifth-round picks to move up to get Caleb Doans],” Jones added.
Machota also mentioned that Jones spoke well of Steelers owner Art Rooney II and head coach Mike McCarthy. The former Cowboys head coach worked with Jones from 2020 to 2024 before parting ways in early 2025.
Rooney likewise downplayed any tensions with the Cowboys. The Steelers, which lost wide receiver George Pickens to the Cowboys in free agency last year, needed a talented wideout such as Lemon.
“No, no, no,” Rooney said during the “Randy Bauman and the DVE Morning Show” recently. “No hard feelings with Jerry. I mean, those things happen in every draft where the team in front of you jumps in an picks somebody that you wanted, or somebody trades up in front of you and grabs somebody that you wanted.”
Jerry Jones Gets Candid on Caleb Downs Pick
GettyCaleb Downs instantly boost the Cowboys secondary.
Jones didn’t want to let Downs slip through their hands, so trading up to No. 11 from the No. 12 spot in a trade with the Miami Dolphins was a no-brainer.
“We had high respect for him. … He was a prize for us sitting there — with the [fifth-rounders] or without them. … We had every reason to think another team would [move up] to try and get him,” Jones said via Yahoo Sports’ Aikanish Chaudhary.
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