Cowboys bet on potential, trade 4th-round pick for Panthers WR ...

The Cowboys are betting on Jonathan Mingo's potential, as the receiver did not produce with the Panthers.

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The Dallas Cowboys announced Tuesday morning they are trading a fourth-round pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for wide receiver Jonathan Mingo and a seventh-round pick.

Cowboys owner and GM Jerry Jones teased the move on the radio earlier Tuesday, saying they were trading for a receiver they had considered drafting. Mingo, an Ole Miss product, has 539 yards on 55 receptions through 24 NFL games and has never scored a touchdown.

In 2024, he has 121 yards and 12 catches through nine games.

Related: Dallas Cowboys trade candidates at 2024 NFL trade deadline

Why did the Cowboys trade for Jonathan Mingo?

The trade is a bet on potential, as Mingo was drafted in the second round at pick 39 of the 2023 NFL draft. During his final year at Ole Miss, Mingo caught 51 balls for 861 yards and five touchdowns. The receiver is also still on his rookie deal, making this a trade for hypothetical talent at a cheap price.

More: 2025 NFL mock draft: 3 Texas Longhorns, 2 A&M Aggies land in first round

That being said, Mingo's NFL production does not warrant the price of a fourth-round pick. Diontae Johnson, another former Panthers receiver, was traded to the Ravens for a fifth-round pick. Johnson has 4,720 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns in his five-year NFL career.

The Kansas City Chiefs traded a fifth-round pick to the Tennessee Titans for former All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Both receivers are headed into free agency this offseason, so that's likely used to justify the price tag compared to Mingo.

With Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott out for at least a few weeks, Mingo is not a win-now piece. But he is a talented player on a cheap contract. Whether or not that talent can blossom with the Cowboys remains to be seen.

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