For Isaiah Bond, a wide receiver out of Texas, the Cowboys might be the best fit. One of the best wide receivers available in the 2019 NFL Draft may be selected by the Dallas Cowboys.
In his 2025 NFL Mock Draft, Justin Melo of The Draft Network projects that the Cowboys will choose Texas Longhorns wide receiver Isaiah Bond with the 25th overall choice.
With Brandin Cooks set to become a free agency the following offseason and CeeDee Lamb’s impending extension, Melo reports that Dallas will try to get a wider receiver for less money.
Melo reports, “Aging wideout Brandin Cooks is about to start a contract year.” The Cowboys will look to save costs at WR2 in the wake of CeeDee Lamb’s historic and unavoidable deal. The next dynamic vertical receiver to emerge from Texas is Isaiah Bond.
Isaiah Bond Could Be Cowboys’ Next Deep Threat WR
Following two seasons as a top player for the Alabama Crimson Tide, 20-year-old Bond just transferred to Texas.In his second year as a Crimson Tide player, Bond caught 48 passes for 668 receiving yards and four touchdowns in the previous season.
In his scouting report, Keith Sanchez of The Draft Network describes Bond as a 5-foot-11 receiver with deep threat ability who can outrun defenders. Sanchez describes Bond as an explosive vertical threat with strong acceleration who can put distance between himself and defenders.
“Bond can set up other elements of his game by working the short and intermediate portions of the field with his effortless speed to stride past defenders.”
Why Cowboys Could Replace Brandin Cooks With Isaiah Bond
Bond might be a better option than Cooks, who at this point in his career is more of a possession receiver than a deep threat. With a long of just 37 yards, the 31-year-old Cooks averaged 12.2 yards per reception in 2023. That represents a drop from his career average of 13.5 yards per reception and his previous high of 16.6 yards per reception from his time in the 2017 New England Patriots. In contrast, during the 2023 season, Bond averaged 13.9 yards per reception.
During one game, against the Auburn Tigers, on a fourth-and-goal conversion, he scored the game-winning touchdown reception, which put the Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship Game.
The Cowboys could use a specialty deep receiver like Bond, especially with Lamb’s output increasing. In 2023, he led the league with 135 receptions, a significant increase from his 2022 total of 107 receptions.
The salary cap considerations are a big reason why the Cowboys decided to replace Cooks with Bond. In the NFL draft of 2024, for instance, Jordan Morgan was chosen by the Green Bay Packers with the 25th overall choice.
They will provide him slightly more than $14 million for the course of his rookie contract, with an average yearly salary of only $3.5 million.
Lamb’s estimated deal value, according to Spotrac, is $34.0 million each season for a total of slightly over $136 million spread over four years. Except for Dak Prescott (who presently makes up 21.6% of the team’s salary cap), the sum would equal 13% of the cap.
Despite Cooks’ continued productivity at this point in his career (54 receptions for 657 receiving yards and eight touchdowns), the Cowboys’ salary cap constraints make it difficult to see them re-signing Cooks for a further campaign.
The Cowboys may select a player like Bond with a high draft pick next year, and it wouldn’t be shocking if they did. Lamb, Prescott, and Micah Parsons all have large contracts coming up.
DJ Siddiqi covers the NFL for Heavy.com, concentrating on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and Seattle Seahawks. Prior to joining Heavy, he covered the NFL and NBA for Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, ClutchPoints, Forbes, and 24/7 Sports.
