Dallas Cowboys fans woke up to a surprising new addition to the roster during their Thursday morning cup of "joe".
The New England Patriots have traded quarterback Joe Milton III and a seventh-round pick to the Cowboys in exchange for a compensatory fifth round pick.
Milton is a much-needed insurance investment for Dallas, who was searching for a Dak Prescott backup after Cooper Rush signed elsewhere in free agency and Trey Lance is all but out the door.
Many thought the NFL Draft would be the place where the Cowboys find a QB2, but CowboysCountry.com had reported a Milton trade was gaining traction. Now here we are.
Although Milton shows flashes of freakish talent, he is still raw in many facets of the position. He also lacks reps in quality game environments.
This could encourage the Cowboys to still pursue a quarterback in the Draft, but they now have the luxury of being able to wait until Day 3 ... if they choose to pick one at all.
These prospects have received late-round projections and could be suitable in Dallas if the Cowboys aren't satisfied with their group of just Prescott and Milton.
Kyle McCord
The Syracuse graduate is a college football veteran after spending his first three seasons with Ohio State. In 2024, McCord had his best season yet totaling career highs in passing yards (4,779) and touchdowns (34) - albeit with a much larger role on the team.
Where McCord excels most is his football IQ, but his arm talent is average compared to the rest of the class. He may not always have the arm strength to change a game down field, but he is wired with a relentless mentality that you can always count on to make a big play.
He's an early Day 3 option, and some mock drafts have shown Dallas pulling the trigger - even from before the Milton trade.
Riley Leonard
The former Notre Dame signal-caller has a dual threat skillset, but most of his potential at the next level lies with his running ability over his passing.
Leonard's inconsistency throwing the ball at all levels is a red flag that would likely make him a developmental stash if he's drafted in the sixth or seventh round.
There's potential for growth with his plus value as a runner and natural toughness, but the arm doesn't give scouts a whole lot of confidence quite yet.
Tyler Shough
Speaking of journeyman, Shough has almost seen it all across the college football landscape. He just finished his seventh season, most recently with Louisville after spending time at Oregon and Texas Tech.
Shough is a high-risk, medium-reward type of guy. He does have a lively arm and solid athleticism ... but it depends on his health.
He dealt with multiple major injuries throughout his college career. Couple that with his age and many believe his history could be a cause for concern and hesitate on Draft night.
This late in the Draft, there aren't a ton of options that you would be too confident in being a reliable second string.
A draftee would likely not get any actual consideration for playing time until the post-Dak era if he stays the course.
But thankfully for the Cowboys, they have the backup position covered now.
If they still want to flirt with the possibility of drafting a quarterback next month, it would almost certainly be a developmental investment.
However, in some ways that investment was already made in Milton.
Related: BREAKING: Dak Prescott's Cowboys Trade For 6-5 QB Joe Milton
Related: Cowboys Announce Dak Backup NFL Draft Plans
Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published April 3, 2025 at 10:47 AM.
Sports Pass is your ticket to Kansas City sports
#ReadLocal