Dallas Cowboys find their stud WR2 in new NFL mock draft

The Dallas Cowboys give their quarterback help by drafting fast-rising wide receiver No. 2 in latest USA Today mock draft.

Texas wideout Matthew Golden during the 2025 NFL Combine / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys have a variety of needs, and only one can be addressed in the first round of the NFL draft.

The team is looking to improve at wide receiver, running back, offensive line, defensive line, and cornerback, or they could opt to upgrade any position by selecting the best player available.

Given the lack of elite talent in the Cowboys' receiving corps, it has become a popular trend for mock draft artists to project a wide receiver to the Cowboys in the first round.

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Continuing the trend, USA Today's Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz projects the Cowboys to make a splash by drafting this year's 40-yard dash king, Matthew Golden.

Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden scores a touchdown against Michigan defensive back Aamir Hall / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"After again treating free agency like a yard sale while other teams operated as though they were at the auction house, Dallas is due for a spark. Golden certainly provides that, with his knack for creating separation making him an enticing asset for Dak Prescott and a Cowboys offense searching for some semblance of a threat beyond CeeDee Lamb," Said Middlehurst-Schwartz.

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Before last year's college season kicked off, there was one Texas Longhorns wide receiver that analysts believed would be drafted in the first round: Isaiah Bond. However, Matthew Golden entered the fold and outperformed Bond in every single wide receiver statistic.

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Matthew Golden celebrates a big play against the Arizona State Sun Devils. / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There's a strong case to be made that Golden has improved his draft stock more than any other player in the 2024 season and at the NFL combine.

His athleticism and measurables stand out, and coupled with his elite play in SEC showdowns, Golden is as noteworthy a prospect as any wide receiver in this draft.

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