DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys have the No. 10 pick in the 2021 NFL draft, but they don't necessarily have the pressing needs worthy of such a high draft choice.
In a quarterback-heavy draft where five young signal-callers are expected to go in the first round, No. 10 overall appears to be a prime position for the Cowboys to go with a trade down.
Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones joined "The K&C Masterpiece" on 105.3 "The Fan" [KRLD-FM] on Monday and said teams are already starting to call them about the possibility of taking No. 10 overall off Dallas' hands.
"Probably where we sit it's we're starting to get a few calls, and I think it will only pick up as we get closer to next Thursday," Jones said. "They finally give you the call, 'hey, if our guy's there, we'd be interested in moving up to the pick' and maybe even want to fill out a few things like what would it take and those type of things."
According to Jones, because of the calls, the Cowboys then start to get prepared for particular teams to call when particular players become available at No. 10 overall, and it doesn't necessarily have to be a quarterback.
"They won't divulge that usually, which shouldn't surprise you," said Jones. "But they do say, 'hey, we got a player, two, or three, that if they're there, we might be willing to be aggressive and give you something to move up to that pick.'"
The last time the Cowboys traded back in the first round was in 2013 when they had the No. 18 overall pick. Dallas dealt with the San Francisco 49ers, who then used the selection to take LSU safety Eric Reid. Dallas moved back to No. 31 overall and picked up the 49ers' third-round pick in the process.
The Cowboys selected All-Pro center Travis Frederick and then used the San Francisco pick in the third round to take Baylor receiver, Terrance Williams, at No. 74 overall. With one maneuver, Dallas managed to find two solid starters on offense for the next five seasons.
The only hiccup in the operation could come from owner, president, and general manager Jerry Jones, who reportedly is impressed with Florida tight end Kyle Pitts. If the elder Jones has his way, the Cowboys could take an athletic tight end to add yet another dynamic weapon to their already potent passing attack.
"He's a unique matchup player and certainly if you look at the Chiefs and the 49ers and the way New England has utilized them over the years, these mismatched tight end players can certainly make a difference in offensive football," Stephen said. "I think you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who knows football personnel in the NFL, coaches, that can't see the vision for what problems a player like Kyle Pitts could present. I think he's a unique player that doesn't come around every year.
"Certainly Jerry was just acknowledging that."
The 10th overall pick gives Dallas a chance to either complete their team with a missing piece or add more resources to reload in the future. With a little over a week to go until the NFL draft, the Cowboys are all ears.
Do you think the Cowboys should hang onto the No. 10 pick or do you think they should trade it for more draft capital? Share your thoughts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.