Not that it makes the Micah Parsons trade feel justified, but the Dallas Cowboys have to like their spot now as they head into the 2026 NFL Draft. With the Green Bay Packers tripping over themselves in the Wild Card playoffs against the Bears, that means the pick sent to Dallas from Green Bay is now 20th overall, giving the Cowboys the 12th and 20th overall selections in the first round. For a team that is likely aiming to reshape its defense wholesale this offseason, that's massive.
On one hand, two Top 20 picks gives the Cowboys the chance to land two elite talents in the first round. But given that Dallas also has traded its second- and third-round picks in the 2026 draft, it could also give Jerry and Stephen Jones the opportunity to trade back and bring more defensive help and talent into the fray. That was the goal we tried to accomplish with this three-round 2026 mock draft for the Cowboys.
Round 1, Pick 12: EDGE David Bailey, Texas Tech
Given the Cowboys' primary needs in this year's draft, there's more than one way to go about filling them. However, if David Bailey happens to make it past the Chiefs and Bengals with the ninth and 10th overall picks, respectively, and falls in Dallas' lap, they would be complete fools to not bring the Texas Tech product into the fold.
Bailey is absolutely lethal off of the edge. He has a strong frame already at 6-foot-3, 250 pounds, but has length that suggests he could also put on a bit more muscle. What stands out most, though, is his explosiveness. His get-off when rushing the passer is truly elite, and he has shown high-end development in terms of using his burst in a dominant pass-rush moveset.
Spearheading a ferocious Red Raiders defense this past season, Bailey was borderline unstoppable, registering 15 sacks and a ridiculous 43 QB hurries on the season. He also had one of the best Pass Rush Win Rates in college football at 21.9% as well. Did I mention he's also a plus run defender on top of all of this?
This is a Day 1 starter that we're talking about, and someone who can pair with Donovan Ezeiruaku on the edge to help truly start to alleviate the ill effects of losing Parsons when it comes to this Cowboys defense.
Cowboys trade down with Los Angeles Rams
As mentioned, while having two first-round picks added to the roster would obviously help the Cowboys, going the entirety of Day 2 without a selection is going to be hard to swallow. But with Dallas picking ahead of a team like the Steelers, potential quarterback suitors like the Browns or Rams could come calling to offer a trade up for either Ty Simpson or Trinidad Chambliss. That trade could look something like this.
Yes, the Rams trade their Day 2 picks — but we also know that Les Snead has a "f*** them picks" mentality behind him as well. Furthermore, the Cowboys send a second-rounder next year and a fourth-rounder this year to get something like this across the finish line. Terms could obviously be different, but looking something like this with a QB premium tax does make some sense.
That sets the Cowboys up in a far better position, and the defensive holes start to get filled with a quickness.
Round 1, Pick 29: LB CJ Allen, Georgia
After moving back to the tail end of the first round, the Cowboys could again be fortunate once again if Georgia linebacker CJ Allen fell in their laps. He's played more than 1,500 snaps on defense for the loaded Dawgs over the past three seasons, and has improved with each year as well.
Fittingly for what Dallas direly lacked on defense this past year, Allen is an elite run defender. He's a tremendous athlete with top-end downhill closing speed. His football IQ shines most in these run fits as well, as he's been quick to diagnose and close, and has done so at a high level for most of his career, while still developing.
The biggest weaknesses in Allen's game are that he's still not fully formed as a blitzer, though the physical tools suggest that there is immense potential in that capacity, and his coverage ability. Again, the tools are there for him to succeed in both capacities, he just needs more development in those areas.
Having said that, the prospect of pairing someone of Allen's profile with a hopefully even healthier DeMarvion Overshown could dramatically aid the improvement of the Cowboys linebacker corps.
Round 2, Pick 61: CB Keionte Scott, Miami (FL)
After working in the front seven, if the Cowboys are to trade back and accrue picks on Day 2 of the draft, I suspect that the goal will be completely overhauling the secondary. Outside of Daron Bland and Shavon Revel, I wouldn't be surprised if no one else from the 2025 group returns, especially with Trevon Diggs already gone. And Keionte Scott can have a hand in helping rebuild the defensive back room.
Scott transferred in to Miami from Auburn after an abysmal season for an abysmal team. And that turned out to be a genius decision as he's thrived with the Canes. He's adept both in coverage and in coming down to defend the run, and has shown great promise in both man and zone coverage. Furthermore, he can line up across the formation. He played primarily in the slot for Miami, but he has more versatility than just that.
His frame (6-foot, 194 pounds listed) and age might push him down into the second round. But the goal of the draft is to add good players who help your team, and Scott checks that box emphatically for Dallas.
Round 3, Pick 93: S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo
Sticking with the secondary, the safety position has been a concern for more than just the 2025 season in Dallas. They've made do, but it's time to meaningfully upgrade the position. I'm not ready to call Emmanuel McNeil-Warren a sure thing coming out of Toledo, but you can definitely consider me intrigued in the upside of the MAC product.
McNeil-Warren has graded out as one of the best safeties in the country in each of the past couple years, including registering his second-best PFF grade of the season against the one Power Four team Toledo played this season. He's a beast in coverage with a 44.8 passer rating allowed and a 31.3% forced incompletion rate, one of the best marks in college football. He also has an above-average run defense grade as well, which makes sense with his 6-foot-2, 202-pound frame.
Though he does need to work on his missed tackles after registering a jarring 14 this past season, the coverage ability and overall instincts are too good to pass up, especially with how badly the Cowboys need to upgrade the safety room.