Cowboys to Trade Up? Shocking NFL Draft Prediction for 'Future Starter'

Will the Cowboys follow through on the hint dropped on us by owner Jerry Jones?

FRISCO - When CowboysSI.com recently posed the "trade-up'' question to Jerry Jones, he couldn't avoid his customary word-salad answer.

But the Dallas Cowboys owner also couldn't avoid the truth: He is in general in favor of the idea of sacrificing multiple "darts'' for a targeted talent.

And there are some signs that Northern Iowa offensive lineman Trevor Penning could qualify as such a talent.

In a mock exercise via NFL.com, the Cowboys deal away a pair of picks (a fourth- and a fifth-rounder, picks Nos. 129 and 178) in order to jump up a few spots from No. 24 to New England's No. 21, at which point they select Penning.

It that just an educated guess on NFL.com's part? Likely so.

But ...

We do know that in the collection of offensive linemen the Cowboys are fond of, Penning is in the bunch. Furthermore, we suspect that he is ranked ahead of two other guys Dallas likes, the physical Kenyon Green of Texas A&M and the athletic Zion Johnson of Boston College.

And of course we also know that Dallas has revealingly admitted that offensive line, along with wide receiver, has been pinpointed here inside The Star as areas of thinness.

In Dane Brugler's recent mock, he's got that trio going at Nos. 17 (Penning to the Chargers), 17 (Johnson to Dallas) and 26 (Green to Tennessee). So there is the "bunch.''

Penning

getty

O-Line

Kenyon Green

Does Dallas view the difference between Penning and the other two to be great enough to give up those additional darts? Brugler suggests that Penning is a "foundational piece'' who can also play guard and who would "compete for the starting job from Day 1.'' 

Tempting. But wouldn't Johnson and Green do the same at left guard, where Dallas - sporting Tyron Smith and Terence Steele at the tackles - need the immediate help?

Penning might be a combination of the best of Green and Johnson, in that he is both nasty and athletic. For now, anyway, the best fit for the idea is a philosophical one: Dallas - history be damned - will trade up for a guy viewed as special. Penning might just qualify.