FRISCO, Texas — Even after a playful reminder to open the press conference that the Cowboys weren't about to reveal much on the eve of the NFL Draft, one familiar truth about the franchise quickly resurfaced:
There is never a dull moment with the Cowboys.
That was on display once again Wednesday, when Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones, Will McClay, and Brian Schottenheimer took the stage to answer — or deflect — questions ahead of Thursday's NFL Draft. Armed with two first-round picks, Nos. 12 and 20, the Cowboys are expected to be major players, with options ranging from trading up or down to standing pat and making both selections.
What was never going to happen, however, was the Cowboys giving away their plans.
Sounds boring, right? It might have been — if the 42nd President of the United States hadn't walked in and crashed the press conference.
Bill Clinton arrived for a scheduled visit with Jerry Jones, the two longtime friends dating back decades to their shared Arkansas roots. Clinton, the former governor of Arkansas, entertained the room of phone-holding media members with a story about Jones playing guard for Arkansas in the 1960s while weighing less than 200 pounds.
"It's a different world," Clinton said, referring to today's NFL, where the Cowboys don't have an offensive guard on the roster weighing less than 320 pounds. Clinton joked that Jerry never would have survived the trenches at that position in today's game.
Jones countered with a story of visiting the White House in 1994, fresh off the Cowboys' second straight Super Bowl title, when Clinton — then president — seemed far more interested in Arkansas' men's basketball team, which went on to win the national championship that April.
The exchange underscored a deep friendship, one that ultimately pulled Jones away from the press conference altogether as he exited with Clinton, leaving Stephen Jones, McClay, and Schottenheimer to field the remaining draft questions.
While this annual pre-draft press conference is typically heavy on smoke signals and light on answers, Stephen Jones did offer one noteworthy piece of information: the Cowboys will not negotiate a new contract with wide receiver George Pickens this offseason, and he will play under the franchise tag in 2026.
That revelation may not appear draft-related on the surface, but history suggests otherwise. Both Jerry and Stephen Jones have repeatedly referenced the 2020 draft, when the team initially targeted defensive help but couldn't pass on CeeDee Lamb at No. 17 overall — despite already having Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup on the roster.
The decision paid off. Lamb eventually emerged as the team's No. 1 receiver and now ranks third in franchise history with 571 career receptions.
Which brings us to this year's draft.
Defensive improvement is clearly a priority for a Cowboys team coming off a season riddled with struggles on that side of the ball. Still, when the clock reaches the 12th pick, there's a strong possibility the best player available won't be a defender at all — but another wide receiver.
Given the decision to table long-term talks with Pickens, the idea of selecting a talented receiver in the first round, even amid pressing defensive needs, becomes a legitimate question.
When asked directly, Stephen Jones declined to "get into the weeds" on any position-specific scenarios. That answer, while predictable, doesn't eliminate the possibility.
Wide receivers such as Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson, Ohio State's Carnell Tate, and USC's Makai Lemon have all been linked to the Cowboys in various mock drafts. Some projections have those players coming off the board before Dallas picks, others shortly after, and a few even slot one of them to the Cowboys.
Only time will tell — and fortunately, draft night is almost here.
What's certain is this: when it comes to the Cowboys and the NFL Draft, virtually anything is on the table. And apparently, just about anyone can show up and steal the spotlight.
