NFL fans get very caught up in which college prospects will help improve their teams as first-round picks. Rightfully so, as the top of the draft is the best place to find a prospect immediately ready to make an impact.
But teams can find that in the second round too.
That’s what the latest seven-round 2025 NFL mock draft from Pro Football Network predicted for the Dallas Cowboys, as they landed Stanford wide receiver Elic Ayomanor at No. 44 overall.
Cowboys Projected To Draft WR Elic Ayomanor in PFN Mock Draft
Dallas already has one of the best receivers in the NFL with CeeDee Lamb, but Lamb could be even more dangerous with one of the top wideout prospects playing opposite him in 2025. Ayomanor could fill that role as a second-rounder for the Cowboys.
“CeeDee Lamb has long solidified himself as one of the top wide receivers in the NFL, but the high-end talent in that Cowboys receiver room alongside him has been lacking since Amari Cooper’s departure,” wrote Jacob Infante.
“Only a redshirt sophomore, Elic Ayomanor is a big-bodied receiver who thrives along the boundary with his physicality, body control, and breakaway speed after the catch. He’s a bit raw as a route runner but carries impressive physical potential at the next level.”
Infante projected the Cowboys to target offensive players early in the 2025 draft. In the mock draft, the Cowboys also landed Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty at No. 12 overall.
The arrivals of Jeanty and Ayomanor could transform the Cowboys’ offense, especially if quarterback Dak Prescott returns healthy in 2025. Lamb had 101 catches for 1,194 receiving yards and six touchdowns last season.
GET DRAFTING: Free NFL Mock Draft Simulator With Trades
With Prescott starting every game in 2023, Lamb set single-season Cowboys records of 135 receptions and 1,749 receiving yards, tallying 12 touchdowns in the process.
How Ayomanor Could Help Cowboys QB Dak Prescott
Former NFL quarterback Cam Newton speculated on Jan. 29 that the Cowboys could try to tank in 2025 and aim to draft quarterback Arch Manning. However, Prescott signed a four-year, $240 million extension in September 2024.
The earliest, most realistic exit the Cowboys can make in that deal is following the 2027 season. In all likelihood, Prescott will be Dallas’ signal caller for the foreseeable future. So, it would make sense for the Cowboys to do everything they can to ensure Prescott bounces back to being an MVP candidate again in 2025.
Prescott finished second in MVP voting during the 2023 campaign, but he ended the 2024 season ranked 30th in the PFN’s QB+ metric. Overall, he earned a D grade (65.6) compared to his A- in 2023 (90.7, second in the NFL that season).
“Prescott finished the year with a -0.05 EPA/DB (30th), a 32.1% third-down conversion rate (32nd), and 6.5 nYPA (22nd). He was particularly bad from a clean pocket (0.11, 31st) but wasn’t much better when pressured (-0.40, 25th),” wrote PFN’s Ben Rolfe.
Adding offensive weapons such as Ayomanor could help fix Prescott. While playing just two seasons at Stanford, Ayomanor posted 1,844 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. He recorded a consistent 62 and 63 receptions in both seasons; in 2023, Ayomanor averaged 16.3 yards per catch.
There’s a long way to go in the NFL Draft process, but Ayomanor is a candidate to be one of the top 10 wide receivers drafted this spring.
In the latest PFN mock draft, he was the seventh receiver off the board.
