You know the drill. The 2026 NFL Draft is almost upon us, and soon we’ll learn what the Dallas Cowboys will be doing to improve their football team. It’s that magical time of year when we hold our breath that the front office will turn in the cards of the players we love, so we can once again get excited for a new group of guys for the upcoming season.
To make sense of the madness, we decided to break the draft down into phases, starting with the high-stakes fireworks of Day 1, followed by the possible trade-back scenarios livening up Day 2, and then finally some of the later round stuff.
In each section, we’ll customize the targets toward what suits the Cowboys best. While defensive needs will dominate this draft wish-list, we’ll eventually meander into some offensive prospects who could be of interest later on. Let’s get started.
This is the team’s most valuable draft capital. What they do here will go a long way in determining if they’ve had a successful draft. There has been a lot of talk about moving around, which is certainly possible, but in case they stand pat and pick, there should be some popular names on our list at these spots in the draft. If the Cowboys were to trade up, it would still include a player from this list.
DE, David Bailey, Texas Tech – An explosive, speed-to-power disruptor who has elite closing burst to transfer his college production to the pro level.
LB, Sonny Styles, Ohio State – A historically rare size-speed specimen who uses safety-like range and coverage instincts to eliminate space as an interchangeable, every-down defensive centerpiece.
S, Caleb Downs, Ohio State – A generational, high-IQ defensive weapon with elite ball skills and tackling reliability who can dictate coverage schemes from the deep half, nickel, or box.
DE, Rueben Bain Jr., Miami – A powerful, leverage-winning technician with a relentless motor and versatile get-off who overwhelms tackles through pure strength and refined hand usage.
CB, Mansoor Delane, LSU – A sticky, instinctive cover man with high-end ball tracking and the fluid athleticism required to shadow top perimeter targets at the next level.
Whether it comes in the form of a trade-up or patience, the hope is that the Cowboys can land one of these defensive studs.
CB, Jermod McCoy, Tennessee – A smooth, technically refined boundary corner who pairs elite man-coverage mechanics with rare recovery speed to eliminate separation against top-tier vertical threats.
DE, Keldric Faulk, Auburn – A massive, 285-pound physical specimen with a rare combination of elite play strength and run-defense dominance who can anchor any defensive front.
S, Dillon Thieneman, Oregon – A cerebral, ball-hawking centerfielder with elite range and 4.35 speed who utilizes top-shelf coverage instincts to dictate terms from the deep third.
CB, Colton Hood, Tennessee – A physical, press-man specialist with explosive lower-body traits and a competitive motor who excels at disrupting receiver timing at the line of scrimmage.
CB, Chris Johnson, San Diego State – A technically refined, scheme-versatile ballhawk who pairs elite 4.40 speed with superior processing to consistently disrupt catch windows and generate turnovers.
I'm convinced it's going to go down like this for the Dallas Cowboys…Pick 12: Caleb Downs or Mansoor DelanePick 20: Keldric Faulk or Colton Hood pic.twitter.com/iVEMWkUTM0
The Cowboys don’t have either of their own Day 2 picks due to trading away their second-round pick for Quinnen Williams and their third-round pick for George Pickens. While we could easily just pile up our wish list centered around picks 12 and 20, it would be wise to at least entertain some Friday options in case they make a trade into this part of the draft.
We’ve chosen pick 39 in round two, and pick 66 in round three as possible landing spots because Cleveland and Tennessee have come up as potential trade partners, both in trade-up and trade-down scenarios. If the Cowboys get thrown into some Day 2 action, here are some potential targets.
LB, Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech – A cerebral and high-impact field general who combines elite diagnostic skills with a downhill attacking style to consistently shut down rushing lanes and command the middle of the defense.
DE, Malachi Lawrence, UCF – A relentless edge rusher with a lightning-fast first step and natural flexibility who wins with an array of refined pass-rush moves to live in the opponent’s backfield.