The 2020 NFL draft will be unique in many ways, but one thing that should remain the same is the frequency of trades. The chaos created by the coronavirus pandemic could conceivably mean more trades, as teams could be more assertive in targeting their “pet cats” in a year in which they weren’t able to compile the same amount of pre-draft information as they had in the past.

Although Jerry Jones has earned the “Trader Jerry” moniker, the Cowboys have been surprisingly quiet on the trade front early in the draft. Dallas has done most of its wheeling and dealing on Day 3, like it did last year when it sent pick No. 136 to the Bengals for picks Nos. 149 and 213 before sending the 149th pick to the Raiders for the 158th and 218th selections.

Nevertheless, this year could be shaping up as one that makes Trader Jerry’s trigger finger itchy early in the draft.

Let’s look at a few trades the Cowboys could make in the 2020 draft:

Trade down in Round 1

As we creep closer and closer to April 23, a scenario in which the Cowboys trade down in the first round becomes more and more appetizing.

Because there’s a decent chance all the blue-chip prospects are gone by the time Dallas goes on the clock, trading down would be the ideal scenario because they would gain extra picks without sacrificing much in terms of the caliber of prospect. This draft class is a little thin at the top but filled with a ton of depth at key positions throughout, so the Cowboys would be wise to accumulate picks, thus getting more opportunities to strike gold.

Is picking LSU’s K’Lavon Chaisson at No. 17 better than selecting (hypothetically) Clemson’s A.J. Terrell and Notre Dame’s Julian Okwara, which happened to be the case in one of our previous mock drafts?

I don’t know about you, but give me the latter.

According to Drafttek’s trade value chart, if the Cowboys traded down to the early- to mid-20s, they could potentially net extra third- and fifth-round picks. If they trade down to the late 20s, they could potentially gain an extra second-rounder, especially if they throw in their fifth-round compensatory pick.

While a trade down certainly sounds nice in theory, it won’t happen unless the Cowboys can find a team that is willing to trade up. With analytics revealing the inefficiencies in trading up in Round 1 for any position outside of quarterback, it may be difficult to find a dance partner for this scenario. But there are a few teams picking in the 20s that could look to trade up with a team selecting in Dallas’ range.

We previously discussed why the Ravens could be a partner in a potential trade-down scenario.

The Patriots, picking at No. 23, are one team that could potentially partner with the Cowboys. New England didn’t find or really even look for a Tom Brady replacement in free agency, which could mean they’re waiting until the draft to do so. If Utah State’s Jordan Love or Oregon’s Justin Herbert falls to Dallas’ pick (Tua Tagovailoa’s durability concerns could also cause him to drop, though a fall to 17 is very unlikely), there’s a decent chance Bill Belichick would be ready to make a deal.

Another team of interest is the Saints, who own the 24th overall pick. They’re no strangers to trading up, having done so at some point in every draft since 2007 except for 2012 (the “Bountygate” year). The Saints recently traded up in the first round for Marcus Davenport, and there’s definitely a chance they do it again. New Orleans could look to trade up for a defensive tackle like South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw to shore up their interior defense, a linebacker like LSU’s Patrick Queen to pair with Demario Davis, or a receiver like LSU’s Justin Jefferson to join with Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders.

Don’t be surprised if the Cowboys trade down to net a future pick, either. Limitations placed on this year’s pre-draft process has made some in the NFL concerned about the thoroughness of their evaluations, so they could look to stockpile picks for the 2021 draft, when the pre-draft process should be a little more traditional.

In a perfect world, the Cowboys would have a blue-chip prospect waiting for them at No. 17, but in the likely event that doesn’t happen, trading down to the mid-20s should be a major consideration.

Trade up for a corner in Round 2

While many wonder if Dallas should trade up for a blue-chip prospect in the first round (newsflash: they shouldn’t), a trade up in the second round is much more palpable.

According to Drafttek’s trade value chart, the Cowboys could potentially trade up from No. 51 and into the 40s by throwing in their fourth-round pick (No. 123). Unlike trading down, it’s usually pretty easy to find a partner somewhere in your target area when you’re the team trading up. A team like the Bears, who own two second-round picks (Nos. 43 and 50) but don’t have any third- or fourth-rounders, would be an ideal trading partner in this situation.

Given the holes on the roster, this type of trade makes sense only if the Cowboys believe all of the starting-caliber prospects at a position of need (like cornerback) will be gone by the time pick No. 51 rolls around.

If the Cowboys don’t draft a corner in Round 1, it puts a lot of pressure on them to draft one in Round 2. They desperately need starting-caliber talent to A) compete with Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis and Anthony Brown, and B) protect themselves in case Awuzie and Lewis depart in free agency next year. While the Cowboys could use more depth at corner, someone who can vie for a starting job in Years 1 or 2 should be the priority.

So if there’s a run on corners in the early second round, Dallas would be wise to consider trading up to get its guy like it did with DeMarcus Lawrence in 2014. After Ohio State’s Jeffrey Okudah and Florida’s CJ Henderson -- both first-round locks -- Grinding the Mocks has five other corners trending as late first- or early second-round picks (LSU’s Kristian Fulton, Clemson’s A.J. Terrell, Alabama’s Trevon Diggs, Utah’s Jaylon Johnson and Auburn’s Noah Igbinoghene), so there’s a non-zero chance Dallas will need to trade up in Round 2 to secure a starting-caliber corner.

While Dallas’ previous success trading up in the second round doesn’t guarantee success in future scenarios, it is the kind of historical backing that could convince Jerry Jones to pull the trigger this year.

Trade their first-rounder for Jamal Adams

While trading a first-round pick for Jamal Adams is the most unlikely of the three scenarios, it is certainly the most fun. Just imagine what a bone-crushing and ball-hawking safety like Adams could do on the Cowboys’ defense (we already did).

With Byron Jones gone, Adams would be the new face of the secondary, leading Dallas’ new-look defense into the future. His presence would be felt both in defending the run and pass, as he is truly one of the best and most well-rounded safeties in the league. Sure, the Cowboys just signed Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, but a one-year, $4 million deal shouldn’t prevent them from acquiring one of the most dynamic defensive playmakers in the NFL.

The Cowboys tried to trade a first-rounder for Adams at last season’s trade deadline, according to The Dallas Morning News’ David Moore, so it would make sense if they called the Jets again to feel out their interest in a potential deal.

When the NFL’s voluntary virtual off-season program opens this month, Jets’ All-Pro safety Jamal Adams is not expected to participate, per league sources. The Jets have not expressed any official interest in extending Adams thus far in the off-season, per source. — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 17, 2020

While it may have been easy for New York to turn down a first-rounder in October, picks are never more valuable than in the buildup to and during the draft. It wouldn’t be crazy if the same offer piqued the Jets’ interest now, especially if a player they really value falls to No. 17.

It’s certainly not likely, but we live in a world in which DeAndre Hopkins -- one of the three best receivers in the NFL -- and a 2020 fourth-round pick were traded for David Johnson, who hasn’t had a 1,000-yard rushing season since 2016, a 2020 second-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round pick. So in the infamous words of Kevin Garnett: “Anything is possible!”

Find more Cowboys stories from The Dallas Morning News here.