Could the Dallas Cowboys go back on their word and re-enter Maxx Crosby trade discussions? How about grabbing him and Jordyn Brooks?
The Dallas Cowboys were one of the teams interested in pursuing Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby in a trade this offseason, but once Crosby's moved to the Baltimore Ravens was nixed over a failed physical, Dallas claimed they wouldn't re-enter conversations.
But that can change if Jerry Jones & Co. follow the path of one of the many mock drafts that are trying to predict the Cowboys' moves ahead of the NFL Draft.
Equipped with two first-round picks, the Cowboys will certainly want to devote at least one (or one complete move) to the defensive side of the ball. Arguably each of the three levels of the defense could use high-grade reinforcements for new coordinator Christian Parker, and the draft is an obvious path that Dallas likes to build through.
This mock, however, pins the Cowboys as a buyer, with K.D. Drummond of Cowboys Wire projecting a major trade that lands Crosby in silver and blue once and for all.
Oh, and in this incredibly productive mock, Cowboys Wire predicted a second blockbuster get as well.
Here are the details:
DAL receives: DE Maxx Crosby
LV receives: Round 1, Pick 20 & Round 3, Pick 92
But there's more. The mock also includes Dallas trading down from its No. 12 slot with the Los Angeles Chargers, who send pick No. 22, No. 55 in the second round, and a fourth-round pick in next year's draft.
Then, the Cowboys call the Miami Dolphins for a deal for veteran linebacker Jordyn Brooks, who we've pegged as a target amid the current absence at that spot on the current roster.
"In short, we don't believe anyone on either side of this potential blockbuster trade is being truthful right now," Drummond acknowledges based on Dallas' reported disinterest and Vegas' second thoughts about moving on from Maxx at all.
"We don't believe you, you need more people," the writer urges. And so the proposed trade gets done via the mock.
When it comes to the capital, that secondary move is also critical, as it ensures the Cowboys can stay at a reasonable spot in Round 1 while also re-supplying a Day 2 pick. The No. 92 pick that would be going to Las Vegas is currently the Cowboys' only selection in the second and third rounds after it was acquired in the deal that sent Osa Odighizuwa to the San Francisco 49ers.
Brooks would immediately fill in as a green-dot guy after the position struggled mightily in 2025. The Texas Tech grad would be returning to his home state after leading the NFL in tackles last year for the rebuilding Dolphins.
Drummond calls this a "George Pickens-like acquisition" as the Cowboys would give up a 2027 third-rounder. With the production we saw from the breakout wide receiver, that comparison is awfully nice.
Crosby on the line is already tantalizing, and as Drummond assesses, his addition is the only way you can make a splash on this defensive line considering what's already there. Dallas acquired former first-rounder Rashan Gary this offseason to pair with last year's standout rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku.
While the Cowboys' interior of Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark is a strong starting foundation, the D-line requires depth, and the edge spots remain slim. Throwing Crosby into the mix, and potentially re-signing Jadeveon Clowney or James Houston to a veteran deal, does wonders to the pass rush.
The rest of this mock includes Dallas picking up a versatile cornerback at No. 22 in Tennessee's Aveion Terrell, defensive tackle Gracen Halton from Oklahoma going in Round 2 and another DT in Southeast Lousiana's Kaleb Proctor going to Dallas in Round 4.
Later, Dallas gets fourth-round running back Emmett Johnson of Nebraska, fifth-round linebacker Aiden Fisher of Indiana and seventh-round linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. of LSU.
The hub of the wheel of this idea, however, is rebuilding the front seven around Crosby at edge and Brooks at linebacker. Drummond describes the potential unit as "upper echelon territory for edge rushers, or at least on paper."
There'd be a risk involved as there always is in these high-profile discussions, but time is still on Jerry Jones' side in deciding if the Cowboys could - or should - go after a splash after all. This framework would be a good place to start. ... because with Crosby and Brooks, it's really two splashes.
