The Cowboys don’t have many chances — and that’s exactly the problem.

In this episode of Just Wondering, Norm Hitzges breaks down the Dallas Cowboys’ upcoming draft and explains why the pressure on their two first-round picks couldn’t be higher. With no selections in the second or third rounds, Dallas must hit on picks 12 and 20 to begin fixing a defense that simply wasn’t good enough last season. Norm walks through realistic draft scenarios, evaluates defensive targets like Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs, Harold Baines, and Jermod McCoy, and explains how quarterback movement at the top of the draft could quietly help — or hurt — the Cowboys’ plans.

Norm also explores trade-down possibilities at pick 20, outlining how Dallas might regain badly needed draft capital without sacrificing defensive help. The bottom line is blunt: the Cowboys cannot afford another draft miss. There’s no cushion, no waiting around, and no easy fix if they get this wrong.

Then the conversation turns to college football — and how the transfer portal has pushed the sport into complete chaos. Norm lays out eye-opening transfer numbers, including massive roster migrations following new coaches, and explains why the system has become unsustainable. The episode culminates with the story of Kansas State head coach Chris Kleiman, a wildly successful coach who retired early, citing the lack of guardrails, agent influence, and constant compensation demands as reasons he simply couldn’t continue.

It’s a sobering look at two football worlds — one fighting to rebuild carefully, the other spinning faster than anyone can control.

Chapters

00:00:00 – Today’s questions: the Cowboys draft and college football chaos

00:01:29 – Why the Cowboys must fix the defense through the draft

00:02:10 – The massive pressure on picks 12 and 20

00:03:01 – Why missing on these picks isn’t an option

00:03:53 – Sonny Styles and Caleb Downs: ideal defensive targets

00:04:40 – What happens if top targets are gone

00:05:23 – How quarterback movement could help Dallas

00:06:07 – Dante Moore’s draft uncertainty

00:07:02 – Cornerback options at pick 20

00:07:40 – Jermod McCoy and betting on recovery

00:08:18 – Defensive back depth in the mid-first round

00:09:16 – Trade-down scenarios to regain draft capital

00:10:08 – Why Dallas can’t afford another draft mistake

00:11:05 – Transition to college football’s transfer chaos

00:13:58 – Transfer portal numbers that don’t feel real

00:15:26 – Coaches bringing entire rosters with them

00:16:09 – Oklahoma State and Penn State transfer explosions

00:16:59 – Chris Kleiman’s retirement and warning signs

00:17:47 – Kleiman’s coaching resume and success

00:18:44 – Why the stress finally won

00:20:12 – “No one’s minding the store anymore”

00:21:36 – Agents, money, and the future of the sport

00:22:00 – Sponsors and closing thoughts

Check us out: patreon.com/sunsetloungedfw

Instagram: sunsetloungedfw

Tiktok: sunsetloungedfw

X: SunsetLoungeDFW

FB: Sunset Lounge DFW