Cowboys’ Christian Parker To Play ‘Significant’ Role in 2026 NFL Draft Plans – Mike Moraitis, SI.com
How much say will Christian Parker have in the draft?
While it remains to be seen what the Dallas Cowboys will do with their two first-round picks, the consensus is the team should use both of them on defensive picks, assuming one isn’t traded away.
Rumors have swirled for weeks now that the Cowboys will trade up from No. 12, but Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson is leaving the door open for Dallas to stand pat with what he’s hearing.
Whatever the case may be, the expectation continues to be that the Cowboys
are going to go heavy defense, so it makes sense for the team to give defensive coordinator Christian Parker a lot of weight for who the team picks.
That nugget comes from CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, who is reporting that Parker’s influence is “significant” when it comes to who the Cowboys pick in the first round next Thursday.
“The influence new defensive coordinator Christian Parker will have on what the Cowboys do is significant, I’m told,” Jones said. “Jerry Jones believes Parker’s hire is a coup for the team, and they are listening closely to what the first-time DC has to say about these prospects. “
The discussion around trading up for the Cowboys is a hot one – Brian Martin, Blogging the Boys
Will the Cowboys be aggressive, or wait until they get what they want at 12 and 20, or in a trade down?
The 2026 NFL Draft is now only about a week away. There’s been a lot of speculation and rumors the Dallas Cowboys are a team to watch in regards to trading into the Top 10 with either the Arizona Cardinals (3), Cleveland Browns (6), and the Kansas City Chiefs (9). And, true or not, it’s believed the Cowboys are looking to trade up for Texas Tech Edge David Bailey.
David Bailey is expected to be a Top 5 selection, meaning the Cowboys would likely have to trade up to No. 3 with the Cardinals in order to secure his services. To do that, it’s going to cost Dallas both of their first-round picks (12, 20) and maybe even their third-rounder this year as well. That’s a hefty price and three potential starters they’d be giving up for just one player.
Is it worth it?
As good as David Bailey is and is expected to be, giving up so much draft capital to acquire him via trade is a tough pill to swallow. That’s especially true when there’s a player eerily similar to him the Cowboys could draft at No. 20 or in a slight trade down scenario. That player is none other than UCF Edge Malachi Lawrence, someone may have shown an interest in as well.
Let’s take a look at how both David Bailey and Malachi Lawrence are close to a mirror image of one another.
Three-round Cowboys mock draft: Dallas lands two Day 1 starters after trading up with Cleveland Browns – Mauricio Rodriguez, A to Z Sports
The trade up has been popular in recent Cowboys mock drafts.
A week away from the 2026 NFL Draft, it feels like trade up or bust for the Dallas Cowboys.
Rumors are heating up around a potential trade up with Cleveland Browns, who are slated to pick No. 6 overall. If they do, what will that look like? I fired up the A to Z Sports’ draft simulator to game it out.
Round 1, Pick No. 6 overall: LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
(TRADE: Cowboys get No. 6 overall and No. 39 overall, Browns get No. 12 overall, No. 20 overall and a 2027 third-round pick)
If the Cowboys move up in the draft, it makes sense to do so for Styles, who is one of the few blue-chip defenders in the class and who is a fix for the team’s most pressing need. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said earlier in the year some rookies he’d feel comfortable with rocking the green dot.
Based on Styles’ high football IQ, consistent tackling, and his elite change of direction, I’m betting he’s one of them.
Mailbag: Why hasn’t linebacker been the priority? – Tommy Yarish, DallasCowboys.com
The Cowboys not adding a linebacker in free agency or trade is odd, to say the least.
I don’t understand why the Cowboys have had edge, defensive line and cornerback as a priority over linebacker? That clearly seemed to be the biggest need heading into the offseason. What do you think? – Glenn Jerome*/Boonsboro, MD*
Tommy: The Cowboys have admitted that fixing the secondary was a priority in the offseason. How can you blame them? That unit was full of musical chairs with injuries and gave up the most yards through the air in the league. That said, your point is completely valid in the sense that linebacker is still a big need and Dallas has not addressed it. I think part of the equation has simply been the ebbs and flows of free agency, and offers were on the table for certain players and they elected not to take them and go elsewhere. So now, the Cowboys have two options they can pursue: Use the draft to add at linebacker, or make a trade for a player. They very well could do both considering the need at the position. If a trade is to occur, I would expect it to happen after the NFL Draft similar to how Dallas handled filling their need at wide receiver last season by trading for George Pickens following the 2025 NFL Draft.
Malik Benson Details Unique NFL Draft Meetings With Kansas City, Dallas Cowboys – Bri Amaranthus, SI.com
Oregon prospect Malik Benson shares a cool story during formal interview with Cowboys at the combine.
Dallas Cowboys Surprised Malik Benson
Benson shared that one of his most memorable NFL Draft meetings came in a formal meeting with the Dallas Cowboys at the combine. The Cowboys surprised him by bringing up something he never expected: his voluntary community service from years ago in Alabama.
“They watched my film and then they’re just asking me what are my favorite plays. They’re just trying to see who I am as a person. I got to tell my story – I transferred a couple of times. So, once they hear my story and they kind of understand why I transferred, it clears like the little fog that they have. Then once they’re able to, see my football IQ too, then they’re like, oh man, like he’s fast and he’s smart,” Benson told Amaranthus.
“But the most surprising thing was in that meeting with the Cowboys, it was like the end of the meeting. I’m about to walk out and back in 2023, 2024, I did a lot of community service (with the Alabama Crimson Tide)” Benson continued.
Benson said the Cowboys asked about his work visiting elementary schools and helping with turkey drives, a moment that showed him just how much teams know beyond the football field and all the homework the NFL does on their investments.
“People don’t ever bring that up – when you’re doing community service, I don’t want any pats on the back just because I’m doing things for the community… But, once they brought that up, I was like, ‘man, these teams really do their research on everything.’ There is not one thing that they don’t know,” Benson told Amaranthus.
Daily Discussion Question: Who will be a Dallas Cowboys draft pick this time next week?
