Dallas Cowboys trade down from No. 24 overall pick in first round

The Dallas Cowboys are trading the No. 24 overall pick in the first round of the draft. They are giving the No. 24 pick to the Detroit Lions – the host team of the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Cowboys have multiple offensive linemen of interest remaining on the board, but they opted to pick up extra draft capital by trading away their pick after the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Brian Thomas Jr. from LSU. They swapped the 24th pick with Detroit, and sent a 2025 7th-round selection to the Lions, for pick No. 29 and No. 73 in the third round. The Lions used the No. 24 selection to draft Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold.

More on Cowboys 2024 NFL Draft picks

The Cowboys came into the 2024 NFL Draft with seven selections. They have four of their original picks (RD1.PK24, RD2.PK56, RD3.PK87, and RD7.PK244). Dallas also received two compensatory picks (RD5.PK174, RD6.PK216). They also acquired a seventh-round pick (RD7.PK233) via trade with the Raiders. The only round the team did not have a selection in coming into the draft was the fourth.

The Cowboys sent a fourth-round pick to the 49ers last year for former first-round QB Trey Lance. They also gave a fifth-round pick to the Chiefs for a six-round pick in last year’s draft, with which they drafted cornerback Eric Scott Jr. They gave up a sixth-round pick to Houston in exchange for wide receiver Brandin Cooks last offseason as well.

The 2024 NFL Draft, which began Thursday, April 25, continues through Saturday, April 27 in Detroit, Michigan. The draft broadcast runs throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.

Free agency deteriorates Dallas’s roster

The Dallas Cowboys entered the 2024 NFL Draft with a variety of needs after a very quiet free agency period. Short on cap space, Jerry Jones and the front office let RB Tony Pollard, OT Tyron Smith, DT Johnathan Hankins, DE Dante Fowler Jr., DT Neville Gallimore, C Tyler Biadasz, DE Dorance Armstrong Jr., and CB Noah Igbinoghene walk. They also released wide receiver Michael Gallup and linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, the latter for medical reasons.

Since the start of the league new year, Dallas has re-signed very few of their free agents. They signed long snapper Trent Sieg, running back Rico Dowdle, offensive tackle Chuma Edoga and cornerbacks Jourdan Lewis and CJ Goodwin. They all inked new one-year deals. The Cowboys did make two new free agency additions before the draft, signing veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks and running back Royce Freeman to one-year deals.