Mel Kiper, Field Yates weigh whether Dallas Cowboys must draft WR early in 2025 NFL Draft

As the 2025 NFL Draft creeps closer, ESPN is keeping tabs on the ebbs and flows in the pre-draft process. And in a mock draft on a SportsCenter Special on Wednesday afternoon, analysts Mel Kiper and Field Yates provided the latest on the outlook for the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys have the No. 12 overall pick in the draft and have multiple needs. In the mock draft, ESPN had Dallas selecting Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan.

“It’s a need, no question about it,” Kiper said. “But I think when you look at where he is on my board right now he’s at 20, 21 area and you’re picking at 12, which means you’ve got to get somebody in your top 10.”

So if not McMillan, who? Dallas might have some options.

“Is it going to be Matthew Golden, wide receiver Texas, who I think has moved ahead of McMillan?” Kiper said. “Ran 4.29, had nine games this year averaging 20-plus yards per catch after two really successful years for the Houston Cougars.

“Then you’ve got Emeka Egbuka. Emeka Egbuka just ran 4.46 after a heck of a year at Ohio State. But Matthew Golden to me would have to be in the mix here for the Dallas Cowboys.”

Now the question becomes whether Dallas spends a pick in the 2025 NFL Draft scooping up a receiver to improve its corps or goes elsewhere with the pick. For Yates, there’s only one real answer.

He turned to host Kevin Neghandi and floated a simple hypothetical. The question brought out laughter from Kiper.

“Kevin, you’re an Eagles fan. If the Eagles and the Cowboys play in Week 1 in this upcoming NFL regular season and Vic Fangio lines up opposite an offense that is led by CeeDee Lamb and then KaVontae Turpin and Javonte Williams, who are you afraid of?” Yates asked. “Mel likes these fear factor players, so do I. Who scares you? Who puts an ounce of fear that’s not named CeeDee Lamb in that offense?”

It’s a tough question to answer. But it’s one that Dallas will have to ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. It’s imperative.

Before the segment concluded, Kiper listed off some other potential needs for Dallas. He honed in on two other spots.

“Cornerback is a need area as well, and a running back,” Kiper said. “They like Omarion Hampton, could be in the cards there for the Dallas Cowboys. So really a lot of options on offense: running back, receiver. Should they want to go defense they could go corner. Will Johnson, Jahdae Barron, cornerback from Texas has moved up a lot after running as well as he did at the Combine.

“So I think it’s going to set up really nicely if you’re the Cowboys at those three spots. You’re at 12, maybe somebody in your top 10 will be available at that point.”