Troy Aikman talks Cowboys NFL Draft needs, if Dallas has let Dak Prescott down

DALLAS - NFL Hall of Famer and 3-time Super Bowl champion Troy Aikman joined FOX 4's Sam Gannon to talk about all things Cowboys ahead of the upcoming NFL Draft.

You can watch the full interview, where Gannon and Aikman also discuss the team's Super Bowl drought and his upcoming philanthropic efforts in Dallas, in the video above.

Advising the Dolphins, not Dallas

Aikman was recently named as a special consultant for the Miami Dolphins, and recently helped the team hire a new general manager and head coach.

"I've thoroughly enjoyed it, Sam. I really felt that when my playing days were winding down, I thought that eventually I would go into the front office, even when I took on broadcasting," Aikman said. 

"I've been asked a lot over the years if being a general manager was ever of interest to me. It has been, but I think my real strength was kinda in this sweet spot that I was in for the Dolphins in helping them identify the right people for those positions. And so I'm excited to see what happens."

So why isn't Aikman helping the team he won three Super Bowl championships with? Has the team ever reached out? 

"I guess the short answer to that is no. I'm not sure, really, that they've reached out to anyone for that matter. Maybe they have a few other people that might be able to assist them in some of their decision-making. But it's just how they've operated. It's how they operated when I was playing, and it has continued."

If Jerry Jones did call, Aikman says he would listen, and doesn't think it would be difficult to work with him.

"Would it be difficult to work with Jerry? I don't think so. I think. Well, let me first say, I don't anticipate a phone call. If I did get a phone, then that would mean that he was receptive to whatever it was he was seeking. And so, from that standpoint, then I would think that it wouldn't be a problem working with him whatsoever."

Cowboys NFL Draft needs

The Cowboys are set to pick No. 12 overall and No. 20 overall in this month's NFL Draft. Is Aikman confident the team will get those picks right?

"I think there's enough good players that will be available that they'll make that decision, and there's enough holes that they have that they'll make that determination at 12 and decide whether they like the best player that they have on their board at that pick or if they trade down and accumulate more picks which wouldn't be bad either."

With the team being historically bad on defense last season, is it a must for them to pick a defensive player at 12, even if it's not the best player available?

"You know, defense is the priority, and we'd all be shocked if they didn't go in that direction. But with that said, you look back, several years ago when they drafted CeeDee Lamb, they were not in the market for a wide receiver," Aikman said.

"I am a believer that you stick to the board, you take the best player available wherever that might land."

Letting Dak down?

The Cowboys' Super Bowl drought dates back to when Aikman was slinging the rock for the team. He's been a big supporter of the team's current quarterback, Dak Prescott, since he became the starter in 2016.

Does Aikman feel that the team has, in any way, let Prescott down by not giving him more during his career?

"It'd be hard for me, from where I sit, to say they've let him down when he's the highest paid player in the NFL at $60 million a year. I would argue that it's hard to imagine that they've let him down in that regard," Aikman said.

He pointed to Tom Brady taking a ‘hometown discount' on his contracts with the New England Patriots when they were winning Super Bowls in the 2000s and 2010s.

"I'm not suggesting that Dak should do that. I'm just saying that when you're paying Dak at the top of the market, you're paying CeeDee near the top of the market and George Pickens with the franchise tag… directing all of your energy and resources on offense, there's going to be some holes," Aikman continued.

Aikman did say every team in the NFL deals with similar issues, but it's hard not to be disappointed that the Cowboys didn't make the playoffs in 2025 when Prescott put up over 4,500 passing yards and 30 passing touchdowns.

"As Dak continues to get older, one, it's hard to stay healthy. So will he make it through a full game season? Will he make it into the postseason healthy and able to play?" Aikman continued. "And then on top of that, you know, how long is he gonna play at the level that he played at last year?" 

"So we saw it a few years ago with Joe Burrow. It's just a quarterback who played at a high level. Typically, when that happens, the team's gonna have a lot of success. And unfortunately for Dallas, that didn't happen."

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