Cowboys ‘absolutely’ open to trading up, down in 2026 NFL Draft – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com
The Cowboys are not locked into anything at this point.
Owners of the 12th- and 20th-overall picks, by way of the Micah Parsons trade to the Green Bay Packers in late August, there’s a solid chance the Cowboys simply stick and pick, and the board could fall favorably enough to land them two top-15 talents if they stay put.
But, having now regained a third-round pick after sending Osa Odighizuwa to the San Francisco 49ers in March, and still needing to check off an aforementioned box or two — e.g.,
linebacker, EDGE — is Dallas entertaining trading down and acquiring more picks?
Or maybe giving up a pick (current or future) to move up to go and get their bluest chip?
Both options are currently on the table, the front office confirmed.
“I’ve looked at that mirror a lot, about how to go up and down and trade and do those kinds of things,” owner and general manager Jerry Jones said from league meetings in March. “Absolutely. We’ll entertain improving or an in-draft read on what gives us a better chance to get another player, and still have our pick and the red meat of top players. Now that has an on the board aspect to it, but it’s very doable.”
He went on to explain why the Cowboys would be comfortable pulling that trigger.
“You should — when you’ve got the kind of assets or the kind of ammunition we’ve got in this draft, you should look at all machinations,” he said. “It’s one thing to sit here right now, it’s another thing to sit and look at it three hours into the draft and see what you got there. So all of that is a possibility. This is an obvious statement, but nothing — no amount of skill, no amount of knowledge — can beat having a lot of draft capital, having a lot of picks.
Dallas Cowboys host top defensive prospects in Frisco ahead of crucial draft – Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Updates on the Cowboys’ pre-draft visit with players ahead of draft weekend.
Of the draft visits, the Cowboys — just like every other team — were allowed to welcome in an unlimited amount of prospects who either graduated from high school or finished their college ball in the team’s metro area. Obviously for the Cowboys, that includes the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. We detailed those visits last week.
For prospects that do not meet that criteria, teams can host 30 players for facility visits. These are referred to as “30 visits” or “top-30 visits” in the NFL space. The Cowboys hosted their visits over the past two weekends, with the vast majority coming on the defensive side of the ball. Here were some of the previously reported visits that have been confirmed by the Star-Telegram:
Ohio State LB Arvell Reese
Texas Tech DE David Bailey
Ohio State LB Sonny Styles
Ohio State S Caleb Downs
LSU CB Mansoor Delane I
ndiana WR Omar Cooper Jr.
Toledo S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
Arizona DB Treydan Stukes
Miami CB Keionte Scott
Missouri LB Josiah Trotter
USC S Kamari Ramsey
Texas Tech DE Romello Height
Central Florida DE Nyjalik Kelly
Louisville DT Rene Konga
In addition to those visits, the Star-Telegram can report that South Carolina cornerback Brandon Cisse and Texas A&M defensive end Cashius Howell were also among the visitors. Of note, a player who has been commonly mocked to the Cowboys, cornerback Jermod McCoy, was not among the 30 visitors. The Star-Telegram reported after the NFL Combine that he is not expected to be in play for the Cowboys because of his injury history, and that remains the expectation following his Pro Day.
On the visits, the prospects have dinner with coaches, scouts and front office personnel before staying at the nearby Omni Hotel in Frisco. The next day, they go through stations that include meetings with vice president of player personnel Will McClay, their regional scout, their position coach, head coach Brian Schottenheimer and more before finishing with a meeting with owner Jerry Jones.
Of the 17 reported visitors, just one is on the offensive side of the ball, signaling a long-known strategy for the Cowboys that they will be prioritizing defensive players with their eight selections — especially with the premium picks in the top 100.
2026 NFL draft: Latest Dallas Cowboys updates, intel, buzz – Todd Archer, ESPN
Everything seems to mean something during draft season.
he 2026 NFL draft begins on April 23 in Pittsburgh, when the Dallas Cowboys are set to pick 12th and 20th in Round 1. The draft continues with Rounds 2-3 on April 24 and Rounds 4-7 on April 25 (ESPN, ABC and ESPN the app).
The Cowboys have eight total picks: Nos. 12, 20, 92, 112, 152, 177, 180 and 218. But how will they use them? Which positions need to be addressed? Which prospects are coming in for visits and getting buzz with the Dallas front office and coaching staff?
Cowboys reporter Todd Archer has the latest intel on the team’s draft plans, potential targets and more in the lead-up to the 2026 draft. We will update this page right up until Round 1 begins.
Cowboys talk edge rushers
Tuesday, April 7: The Cowboys opened up their draft meetings on Monday with the scouts, coaches, owner and general manager Jerry Jones, co-owner Stephen Jones, vice president of player personnel Will McClay and coach Brian Schottenheimer.
The first position discussed was edge players. Maybe this means nothing, maybe it means a little, but it seems fitting for a team in need of pass-rush help.
The Cowboys made a trade last month for Rashan Gary and have Donovan Ezeiruaku, last year’s second-round pick, but they need more. Ezeiruaku will be limited in the offseason because of hip surgery, although Schottenheimer said he expects him to be 100% for training camp.
The Cowboys have had meetings with Texas Tech’s David Bailey and Ohio State’s Arvell Reese. They were also at Miami’s pro day with Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor.
3 Free Agency Signings Dallas Cowboys Can Still Make Under Salary Cap – Zach Dimmitt, Cowboys on SI
If things don’t play out for Dallas during the draft at certain positions, they might be calling a few free agents.
The Cowboys brought in a new potential backup quarterback in Sam Howell while also adding two former Los Angeles Rams cornerbacks in Cobie Durant and Derion Kendrick. Not to mention securing starters in safety Jalen Thompson and defensive lineman Rashan Gary, Dallas will have some important new faces on the roster next season.However, the Cowboys still need to make some other signings to help address depth or just fill a massive hole, like at linebacker.
Here are a few players the Cowboys should target while staying within budget:
Bobby Wagner, LB
A Super Bowl champion and future Hall of Famer, Wagner is still productive at the age of 35. He had 162 tackles, 4.5 sacks and two interceptions with the Washington Commanders this past season.
Dallas has yet to sign an off-ball linebacker and a veteran like Wagner could be a solid late addition in free agency.
He signed a one-year, $9 million deal with the Commanders last offseason, but the Cowboys would need to get him to agree to much less than that.
Per Spotrac, Wagner currently has about a $7.6 million market value in free agency.
Derek Barnett, EDGE
A Super Bowl champion with the Philadelphia Eagles, Barnett had a solid season with the Houston Texans in 2025. Playing on an elite defense, he had five sacks. In his first year with Houston in 2024, he also had five sacks while returning two fumbles for touchdowns.
If the Cowboys don’t re-sign Jadeveon Clowney, adding Barnett to the fold would help add talent and experience to the team’s edge rusher room.
His estimated market value on Spotrac is at $4.4 million. A bit pricey, but if the Cowboys can get that number to drop, Barnett would make a nice addition.
Daily Discussion Question: What is the most under-the-radar need for the Cowboys going into the draft? The need we aren’t talking enough about?
