The Dallas Cowboys’ season has been a disappointment at nearly every level. They lost their starting quarterback, Dak Prescott, for the year due to a hamstring injury, they’ve been eliminated from NFC East contention, and have generally struggled on both sides of the ball. All of that being said, heading into Week 16, Dallas still somehow had a chance to make the playoffs. After Week 16’s games, is that still the case?
Let’s break down if the Cowboys’ slim postseason hopes are still alive.
Dallas Cowboys Playoff Scenarios
The Cowboys (7-8) currently sit 10th in the NFC’s standings.
Dallas was already eliminated from NFC East contention, with the Philadelphia Eagles firmly in the lead and the Washington Commanders with a very slim chance to take it over as well.
That means that the Cowboys were eyeing a Wild Card spot, but unfortunately for Dallas, they were eliminated from the playoffs altogether in Week 16. They were officially eliminated before they even took the field after Jayden Daniels and the Commanders defeated the Eagles in the early slate.
At the end of the day, a Cowboys playoff appearance was highly unlikely entering Week 16, but now they have officially been eliminated. Their surprising win against the Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football did nothing but potentially save Mike McCarthy’s job and get them a worse draft pick.
This has been a season to forget for the Cowboys, who will now shift their focus to the offseason and try to right the ship for the 2025 campaign. Much to the chagrin of fans who wanted Dallas to tank for a higher pick, the Cowboys have played well as of late, winning four of their last five games.
That means not only will the Cowboys miss the playoffs, but they also won’t have a top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. If the season ended today, Dallas would pick No. 15 overall.
Cowboys 2025 Draft Targets
Well, since the season is basically over, let’s look ahead to the 2025 NFL Draft. In PFN’s most recent 7-round mock draft, the Cowboys selected Ashton Jeanty from Boise State in the first round.
“The Cowboys’ run game has been quite ineffective in 2024, and the ownership certainly has a love for big-name talent. It seems like the perfect marriage to see America’s Team end up with the top running back in college football.
Ashton Jeanty put up video game numbers for Boise State this year. He’s an intelligent runner with the agility, contact balance, ball-carrier vision, and value on passing downs needed to project as a high-impact starter at running back in the pros.”
In the second round, they added another weapon in Jayden Higgins.
“As the Cowboys look to boost their offense with more weapons around CeeDee Lamb, Jayden Higgins could be a good target on Day 2. Higgins has boundary-slot versatility, tremendous hands, and can work leverage points well against DBs to work his way open.”
Head over to PFN’s free Mock Draft Simulator so you can start getting ready for the 2025 NFL Draft.
