Despite being the NFL’s biggest brand, the Cowboys haven’t made much of a dent on the league standings in recent years.
Dallas missed the postseason for the second straight year in 2025, seeing its playoff hopes crumble as injuries, poor performance and a husk-like defense reared their ugly heads.
The Cowboys found some answers at some key positions during head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s first season in charge. Dak Prescott re-established himself as one of the league’s best passers after an injury-plagued 2024 season, while George Pickens made himself indispensable, tallying more than 1,400 receiving yards.
Still, that defense was dire, taking the ignominious title of football’s worst. Reinforcements could be on the way — the Cowboys hold two first-round selections in the 2026 draft. Only time will tell if they’ll stop the rot, however.
The Jugo Mobile is tracking every Cowboys selection in the 2026 NFL draft, from the first round to the seventh. Follow along below as Dallas makes its picks.
2026 NFL DRAFT HQ: Live tracker | Pick-by-pick grades | Best players still available
Who did the Cowboys draft?
Dallas entered the 2026 NFL Draft with nine selections. The Cowboys surrendered three picks to move up to No. 11 on Thursday. They acquired another two after sending the No. 20 pick to the Eagles.
- Round 1, Pick No. 11: S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
- Round 1, Pick No. 23: EDGE Malachi Lawrence, UCF
- Round 3, Pick No. 95:
- Round 4, Pick No. 112:
- Round 4, Pick No. 114:
- Round 5, Pick No. 137:
- Round 5, Pick No. 152:
- Round 6, Pick No. 193:
- Round 7, Pick No. 218:
Cowboys NFL Draft needs
- Defensive back: The Cowboys were football’s worst defense in 2025, conceding more points, yards and third down conversions than any other side in the land. Dallas has a lot of holes across its defense. Few loom as large as in the secondary, however — the Cowboys routinely gave up big plays at untimely moments.
- EDGE: Despite posting an above-average pressure rate, Dallas’ pass rush proved fairly toothless after trading Micah Parsons, recording just 35 sacks in 2025 — the joint-seventh-worst mark in football. The Cowboys will seek a remedy for its impotence in the pocket.
- Linebacker: Dallas’ defense was lackluster in all aspects. Adding a quality reinforcement in the linebacker spot could go a long way in pushing the front seven forward under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
Cowboys mock draft 2026
Here’s a look at how the Cowboys’ draft board could shake out, based on the seven-round mock draft from SN’s Vinnie Iyer.
| Round | Pick | Selection | Position | College |
| 1 | 12 | Akheem Mesidor | EDGE | Miami (FL) |
| 1 | 20 | Avieon Terrell | CB | Clemson |
| 4 | 112 | Taurean York | LB | Texas A&M |
| 5 | 152 | Eric Rivers | WR | Georgia Tech |
| 5 | 177 | Aiden Fisher | LB | Indiana |
| 5 | 180 | Ar’maj Reed-Adams | G/C | Texas A&M |
| 6 | 193 | Kendrick Law | WR | Kentucky |
| 7 | 218 | Tanner Koziol | TE | Houston |
The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft is on Thursday, April 23, from Pittsburgh.
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