Why CB Will Johnson or Jahdae Barron will ultimately be the Cowboys’ first-round pick

As the NFL’s free agency period is in full swing, the Dallas Cowboys have plenty of holes to fill on their roster. While Dallas did get off to a good start, re-signing their best impending free agent, Osa Odighizuwa, last week, there’s plenty of work to be done if the Cowboys want to field a competitive team this fall.

On Monday, as teams around the league started to reach informal agreements with impending free agents, one current need on Dallas’ roster went from a priority to a gaping hole that must be addressed significantly. That need is the cornerback position, where the Cowboys saw long-time slot corner Jourdan Lewis depart to the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency.

Last week, there seemed to be a belief around the league that Dallas was gaining some momentum toward retaining the veteran corner. Clearly, that did not hold up, and Lewis’ departure will not just impact Dallas’ strategy for the rest of free agency but will significantly affect who the Cowboys target in the first few rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Even if the Cowboys had brought Lewis back, there was still a strong possibility the Cowboys would draft a cornerback with one of their first three selections in the draft. The main factor contributing to Dallas’ significant need at the cornerback spot is the long-term health of former All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs.

Diggs, who will turn 27 in September, suffered a knee injury towards the end of the 2024 season that required surgery in late January. The injury could force Diggs to miss a good portion of the 2025 regular season, and there seems to be an outside chance the veteran will be unable to play the entire year.

With Diggs on the shelf for the foreseeable future, the Cowboys currently have two cornerbacks from the 2024 roster, DaRon Bland and Caelen Carson, currently under contract for next season. Bland, like Diggs, suffered a serious injury last year that forced him to miss more than half of the regular season. While Bland did play well once he returned, the 25-year-old is entering the final season of his contract, making his long-term future in Dallas uncertain.

The Cowboys had high hopes for rookie cornerback Caelen Carson entering his first season in the league, but injuries and poor performance plagued the 23-year-old during his rookie year. Nothing Carson put on display last season should give them any confidence that they can enter the year with him as one of their starting cornerbacks.

Dallas did take a flier on a one-time talented cornerback this week, acquiring former first-round pick Kaiir Elam from the Buffalo Bills on Wednesday afternoon. While there is a slight chance Elam could finally find his potential and play a significant role, this move was more likely for depth purposes and won’t come close to fixing Dallas’ cornerback problem.

Elam, who will turn 24 in May, has not shown much promise during his three seasons in the league and will likely be a cut candidate during training camp if he does not perform well.

All uncertainty raises the question: Is the Cowboys’ need at cornerback significant enough to spend their first-round pick on the position? The answer is, and likely will be unless some free agency or trade happens, a resounding yes.

The Cowboys were rumored to have some interest in signing former 49ers’ cornerback Charvarius Ward in free agency, but the veteran ultimately earned a three-year $60M deal with the Indianapolis Colts on Monday night. Signing Ward would have significantly improved Dallas’ cornerback group, but it seems very unlikely they would have come anywhere close to the dollar amount he ended up getting from Indianapolis.

Few starting-caliber cornerbacks are left on the free-agent market after Monday’s barrage of moves. Furthermore, the Cowboys have given us no reason to believe they would pony up the money it would take to acquire one of the few quality corners left on the open market.

While things may seem troublesome, thankfully for Dallas, there are two talented cornerbacks at the top of this draft that could make an instant impact on their defense. Will Johnson and Jahdae Barron are the top two cornerbacks in this year’s draft class, both currently projected to be drafted in the first 20 or so picks.

A little over a week ago, the Cowboys formally met with Johnson and Barron in Indianapolis at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine.

These formal meetings make it clear Dallas is at least somewhat interested in selecting a cornerback with its first-round selection. While Dallas may be tempted to go elsewhere at pick 12, a defensive back may be the player who could have the most immediate impact on their team.

Selecting either Johnson or Barron would improve Dallas’ defense and give them some much-needed insurance if A)Trevon Diggs is unable to play at a high level again or B) DaRon Bland ultimately walks in free agency after this year.

As we get closer to the start of the 2025 NFL Draft, cornerback will likely become linked to the Cowboys at pick 12 more and more. Don’t be shocked if, come April, Will Johnson or Jahade Barron end up being Dallas’ selection in the first round.