Jerry Jones is at the center of draft discussions as the countdown for the draft picks up pace. All the big guns were present at the Dallas Cowboys Press Conference, including team co-owner Stephen Jones, Will McClay (director of player personnel), and team HC Brian Schottenheimer.

The Dallas Cowboys hold the No. 12 pick in the first round of the draft, and 10 draft selections this year as well. When asked about their draft ideas this year, Will McClay told the press, “I think every draft is different, so we’re gonna have a certain number of players that we consider as first-round players. And those guys that will come into contention,n whether we move back or not that will depend on the depth of the draft and you know how we graded those players and the decision from the decision makers.”

The decision-making process for the draft, according to Jerry, is a “cumulative” approach between player personnel and the Coach. Jerry says about the 12th pick, “I do not make the decision about that player – I’m a tiebreaker. Maybe” While this does sound rather wholesome, we all know just how involved Jerry likes to be when it comes to signing on talent. He meets with the players, talks to them, understands them, and then he signs them. Just look at his final decisions regarding Jalen Brooks, Deuce Vaughn, CeeDee Lamb, and Dez Bryant. But he might finally be letting loose the reins a little and letting the HC take some of the calls now.

Jerry has indicated that he will be handing over some of the draft responsibilities to the new coaching staff, along with HC Brian Schottenheimer. He knows the team roster inside-out and will be a great contributor to the Dallas draft process, “When we get ready to draft a player, one of the real advantages that I saw, Schotty knows our team. He knows it as well as any coach could have known it and that was big,”. Schottenheimer has been very active with the Dallas Cowboys, as Jerry puts it, “He’s already shown me he’ll work my a—— over.”

While they are keeping the cards close on their first-round pick, when asked about the idea of drafting a QB early, Jerry Jones said they have a “major commitment” with Dak Prescott. He further added that players often get hurt in the games, and one has to wonder what would happen if Dak got hurt again this year by some chance. It wasn’t exactly a controversial statement per se, but it seems like the Cowboys might want to have a backup plan ready just in case. We know Jerry has recently met with Matthew Golden to assess his potential as a WR, but his stance on the QB position is still unclear, especially with Prescott’s new injury updates.

Dak Prescott’s recovery and the Cowboys’ big draft plans

The 2024 season has not been kind to Dak. In the Week 9 game against the Atlanta Falcons, he suffered a season-ending hamstring injury. He then underwent surgery in November and has since been working on rehab. Stephen Jones shared an update in this year’s NFL annual meetings that Dak’s been making a steady recovery. As per his comments to The Athletic, “Dak’s doing great. He’s coming along. He’s very thrilled with where he is. And I know the trainers are, too. I feel like he’s doing a hell of a job.” While Dak won’t be at 100%, he has recently shared a workout clip, and we can clearly see he is moving around and getting his groove back. And we can also see the Cowboys are committed to Dak, so there is faith there, too.

While there is no tangible update from the Cowboys in terms of Dak Prescott or their drafting plans, according to Todd Archer, “Jerry Jones said the Cowboys have not finalized the draft board yet, but he is impressed with the depth of the draft.” Jerry himself has said, “We’re looking at two things that could happen before or after the draft. Two pretty substantive trades. Been working on today.” So, what could these two trades be? Jalen Tolbert is still working out the kinks as a WR, and there are certainly gaps that could be filled or positions that can be enhanced.

It seems, with the draft just days away, Jerry Jones and the team are being as tight-lipped as the Jets’ HC Aaron Glenn. They’re not gonna let anything slip, and the only way we will know anything for sure is actually when the draft begins. Or maybe, as Jerry has indicated, we’ll find out after the drafts. What do you think their plan of action is?