The 2026 draft is in the books. The Cowboys started off strong – their trade-up in the first may have been the highlight of this draft – and continued to add a lot of speed, athleticism, and football IQ to the team over the last three days.
The crew at the Dallas Morning News gets to weigh in first on this draft:
- Tim Cowlishaw: A
- Joseph Hoyt: A
- Kevin Sherrington: A-
- Calvin Watkins: B
Cowlishaw explains what the Cowboys tried to achieve in this draft.
The Cowboys drafted five defensive players and traded
for LB Dee Winters in a full-on blitz to retool the unit for new coordinator Christian Parker. Most likely it will be remembered as the Caleb Downs draft if he becomes the Cowboys’ version of Derwin James or perhaps their latest Darren Woodson. There are 31 other teams that think they improved, too, but Dallas’ use of two ones to anchor the defense feels legit.
Sherrington calls it a banner draft but wonders what the addition of a starting MLB could have added to this draft class.
On the whole, though, it was a banner draft. Caleb Downs should be a staple in the secondary for years, and they filled some holes. They got a starter in the secondary (Downs); a rotational pass rusher who could start early (Malachi Lawrence) and versatile talent overall. If they’d gotten a starting MLB, this would have been their best draft in a decade or more. Still pretty good.
The draft grades from the national pundits are largely in line with what we saw from the DMN writers, which just means there’s a take for just about every taste below.
Mel Kiper, ESPN: A
Safety wasn’t a top three need, but [Caleb Downs] will join free agent addition Jalen Thompson to turn a safety room with 2025 questions into one with 2026 promise. It’s tough to get a steal at No. 11, but Dallas might have done it.
Getting Lawrence later in Round 1 made things even better. Edge rusher was my No. 1 need for Dallas, and Lawrence had seven sacks and 14 tackles for loss last season. Jadeveon Clowney led the team with 8.5 sacks last season, but he’s still unsigned. Between trading for Rashan Gary and drafting Lawrence, third-rounder Jaishawn Barham and fourth-rounder LT Overton, the Cowboys are at least building that unit back up after dealing away Micah Parsons before last season. And I thought the Barham and Overton picks were good value.
Matt Verderame, SI.com: A
The Cowboys had a savvy Day 1 by trading up for Downs, a do-it-all playmaker, and later gaining two extra fourth-rounders from the Eagles to trade down and land Lawrence, who offers plenty of upside. Dallas was wise not to get caught up in replacing Micah Parsons with one of the top edge rushers in this draft. Instead, the Cowboys got a leader in the secondary with Downs—the secondary desperately needed help—and they now have depth on the edge with Lawrence, Barham and Overton, veteran Rashan Gary and last year’s second-round pick, Donovan Ezeiruaku.
Dan Wilkins, The Score: A
Dallas is one of the big winners of this draft. Say what you will about positional value, but I can’t believe other teams let Caleb Downs slide all the way to No. 11. The Ohio State safety was my No. 1 player in the class. As I see it, his unmatched instincts and reliable tackling skills significantly upgrade the Cowboys’ defense in both pass coverage and the run game.
Malachi Lawrence wasn’t my favorite pick with Keldric Faulk still on the board at No. 23, but the defensive front got better by adding an explosive athlete with a great motor and polished rush skills off the edge. Don’t overlook Jaishawn Barham, either. The Michigan standout is an incredibly physical linebacker who attacks linemen and ball-carriers alike in the run game. He also has the versatility to rotate down to the edge and get after the quarterback in passing situations.
With this class of rookies joining several key veteran additions, the Cowboys’ defense may have the pieces it needs to complement one of the league’s premier scoring attacks.
Danny Kelly, The Ringer: A
The Cowboys have done exactly what they seemingly set out to do when they traded away superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons, adding a horde of playmakers to what looks to be an ascending defensive core. Coming out of the first round with uber-versatile safety Caleb Downs and explosive pass-rusher Malachi Lawrence gives Dallas two day-one impact players. Downs could be the straw-that-stirs-the-drink type defensive back for the Cowboys for years, bringing instincts and skill to multiple spots in the back end. And Lawrence (who was attained with one of the picks acquired in the Parsons trade) takes some much needed heat off the edge, showing twitchy movement skills and top-tier closing burst. The addition of linebacker Jaishawn Barham could bring immediate return, too: He’s a tenacious, highly physical defender with experience playing off the ball (where he’ll reportedly start for the Cowboys) and off the edge as a situational rusher. Add in a draft-day trade for 49ers linebacker Dee Winters (for this year’s fifth-round pick), and the Cowboys defense could look a whole lot different—and much improved—in 2026 and beyond.
Vinny Iyer, Sporting News: A
The Cowboys had plans to load up on defense with no real offensive concerns except getting some tackle help, which they did. Jerry Jones delivered a lot more pop for the pass defense that needed it with new coordinator Christian Parker. They did a good job trying to emulate the Seahawks’ deep pass rush by committee.
Jared Dubin, CBS Sports: No grade, but Dubin counts the Cowboys among the seven teams that changed the most through the 2026 NFL Draft.
We knew the deal for the Cowboys coming into this weekend: They have an elite offense and a defense that was an epic disaster last season and desperately needed upgrades all over the place.
They lucked out with Caleb Downs falling out of the top 10, then traded up one spot to make sure they landed the versatile defensive back. They added pass rush help in Lawrence, a linebacker/edge hybrid in Barham, a super-sized corner in Moore and another defensive end to add to the mix in Overton.
All of these players give new defensive coordinator Christian Parker a lot of toys to play with on that side of the ball, and along with free-agent signings like Jalen Thompson should lead to a much-improved unit.
Chad Reuter, NFL.com: B+
Dallas had the steal of the first round, trading two fifth-round picks to move up one spot for Downs; he should be a long-time defensive leader able to make plays in the deep half, flat and the box. The ‘Boys moved down from Green Bay’s first-round selection, acquired in the Micah Parsons trade, to pick Lawrence, who has potential because of his length and athleticism but carries risk as a late riser in the evaluation process.
They traded their original Day 2 picks for veterans Quinnen Williams and George Pickens but were still able to select Barham, a versatile second-level defender, in the third round after sending defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa to the 49ers back in March.
Shelton’s 2025 game tape did not scream fourth-round pick to me, but the team can develop him into a swing tackle in time. Dallas received two fourth-round picks from Philadelphia in the teams’ first-round trade. They used one of those selections on the physical but injury-plagued Moore and the other on Overton, who might compete to replace Osa Odighizuwa on the interior. The Cowboys filled a glaring need by trading a fifth-round pick to the 49ers for LB Dee Winters. Look for Smith to fight for a roster spot as a receiver who can stretch the field.
Staff, For The Win: B+
Best pick: Downs. Dallas got one of this year’s top three prospects outside the top 10, and he fits a position of need.
Sleeper pick: EDGE LT Overton. Overton has significant questions to answer about whether his athleticism and consistency will translate on Sundays, but the big lineman spent the last four years haunting SEC offenses and will have a wonderful opportunity to shine in Dallas’ needy pass rush.
Potential reach: Lawrence. He’s got a high ceiling and brings a badly needed pass rush, but his lack of bend could limit his success against experienced tackles.
Nate Davis, USA Today: B-
They traded up in Round 1 (S Caleb Downs, 11th overall). They traded down in Round 1 (OLB Malachi Lawrence, 23rd overall). They spent three additional picks on a defense that gave up the most points in the league in 2025. They used their third-round pick as part of the trade for WR George Pickens last spring – a great move in the short run, but a tenuous situation that will apparently bleed over into 2027. As with most things Cowboys, it can be interpreted a number of ways. But good luck finding anyone who thinks Lawrence, essentially part of the package from Green Pay as part of the 2025 Parsons mega-deal, and others will ultimately be worth the ultimate cost.
And while we are all understandably focused on the seven players the Cowboys drafted, our own Dan Rogers provides a timely reminder that entirety of the 2026 draft capital was used on more than just those seven players.
Over to you: What grade would you give this draft class?
