IRVING, Texas -- As happy as the Dallas Cowboys were to land Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott, they could have had a more bountiful first round Thursday.
According to sources, the Cowboys had discussions with the Baltimore Ravens about dropping back from the No. 4 pick to No. 6 and had talks with a number of teams later in the first round, notably the Seattle Seahawks at No. 26, in looking to select Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch.
At No. 4, the Cowboys held firm and selected Elliott. But they were thwarted by the Denver Broncos, who traded up with Seattle and took Lynch, in their attempt to get back into the first round.
"We felt really good about this particular player, and it didn't work out," executive vice president Stephen Jones said. "Of course, after that happens, we'll reevaluate and look at where our situation is with the remaining quarterbacks. I wouldn't say we're out, but I wouldn't say we're all-in, either. It's something we'll evaluate as we go, if the right quarterback is hanging in there again."
The Cowboys believed that if they dropped back to No. 6, the Ravens would have selected Elliott and left open the possibility of the Cowboys' not landing Elliott or Jalen Ramsey, their top-rated defensive back.
But the real intrigue came in Dallas' talks with the Seahawks. The Cowboys wanted Lynch, with whom they had a private workout in Orlando, Florida, and whom they hosted for a pre-draft visit at Valley Ranch.
The move shows the Cowboys' clear interest in finding a quarterback in this draft. Lynch would have been Tony Romo's heir apparent. He would have been the Cowboys' first first-round pick at quarterback since Troy Aikman in 1989.
The Cowboys have expressed confidence that Romo, who turned 36 last week, will be their starter for the next three-to-five years. The Cowboys could have had Lynch under contract through 2020, with the fifth-year option available to first-round draft picks. A source close to Lynch told ESPN's Ed Werder that the Cowboys spent more time with him and on him than any other team leading up to the draft.
Instead, the Seahawks made a deal with the Broncos, with the teams swapping first-round picks and Seattle picking up a third-round pick (No. 94). Jerry Jones indicated that the Cowboys offered their second- and third-round picks and were willing to offer more to sweeten the pot, but they did not hear back from Seattle.
In addition to the 34th overall pick, the Cowboys hold the 67th (third round) and 101st (fourth) picks. They hold the 135th pick but cannot trade compensatory selections.
As the Cowboys look to the next two days of the draft, a quarterback could figure prominently, even if the team needs to help its defense.
The Cowboys had quarterbacks Connor Cook, Christian Hackenberg, Jacoby Brissett and Dak Prescott at Valley Ranch for pre-draft visits.