The Dallas Cowboys were busy over the weekend, making seven picks to bolster their roster for the upcoming season. In a move that predictably shows where their focus was, five of those seven selections were on the defensive side of the ball. They also sent a fifth-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers to acquire Dee Winters, giving them some instant veteran experience at the linebacker position.
What did the Cowboys get for all their hard work? Today, we’ll run through each draft pick and identify
the skills they bring to the team as well as where they might fit into the mix of their respective positions, and we’ll throw in one fun fact for good measure. Grab some coffee and enjoy your one-stop rundown of each of the Cowboys’ 2026 draft picks.
Caleb Downs
The Ohio State safety is the kind of rare, high-intelligence defender that coaches dream about. He is a truly special defensive weapon who reads the game at an elite level and rarely ever misses a tackle. He can control the field whether he is playing deep, covering the slot, or making plays up near the line of scrimmage. Downs will immediately slide right into the starting strong safety position. Malik Hooker was the team’s free safety, but they also added free agent Jalen Thompson, who isn’t getting $10 million a year to just sit on the bench. Look for all three to see plenty of action with their other free agent signing, P.J. Locke, pushed to a depth/special teams role.
Fun fact: Downs showed off his pattern-matching skills by effortlessly solving a Rubik’s Cube while being interviewed on the red carpet during draft night.
Malachi Lawrence
Lawrence brings an incredibly fast first step and long arms to the defensive line. He has a great variety of pass rush moves that allow him to get around the edge, and he plays with a non-stop motor that keeps offensive tackles on their toes all game long. While he is a first-round investment, edge rushers typically take a little time to marinate before offering their zesty flavor. He will likely start out as a situational pass rusher and rotational backup, working in with other pass-rushing specialists – Donovan Ezeiruaku and Sam Williams. How quickly he progresses will dictate how much time he sees in his rookie season.
Fun fact: Malachi is an anagram of La Micah, and was acquired using the draft capital gained from the Micah Parsons trade.
Jaishawn Barham
Barham is an aggressive disruptor who plays with heavy, powerful hands. He has fantastic closing speed that makes him a nightmare for quarterbacks when he is used in blitz packages and aggressive pressure schemes. He projects as a versatile linebacker who can play multiple roles. While he transitioned to pass rusher in his last season at Michigan, he will likely be thrown into the off-ball linebacker mix as the team needs a young speed demon to spruce up the position. The team has DeMarvion Overshown, who should be the team’s biggest playmaker assuming he stays healthy, and they just added the aforementioned Winters, so they are sitting in much better shape at the position. The addition of Barham will likely throw a wrench into the team’s previous plans of using Marist Liufau as a pass rusher, as well as eat into the developmental reps of second-year linebacker Shemar James.
Fun fact: Barham is known among his teammates for being an incredibly talented chef who loves to cook large meals for his friends.
Drew Shelton
This Nittany Lion is a smooth-moving offensive tackle with quick feet and great natural length. He gets out of his stance in a flash and is excellent at moving up to block linebackers at the second level with ease. Shelton will likely serve as a developmental swing tackle and primary backup on the offensive line, replacing a role previously occupied by Asim Richards. He can play both left side/right side, so any health issues or performance slip-ups by Tyler Guyton or Terence Steele could open a door for more playing time, but fingers crossed that doesn’t happen. Sitting on the side, developing his craft is the ideal situation for him this season.
Fun fact: Shelton is an avid fisherman who spends almost all of his offseason free time out on the water.
Devin Moore
This graceful Gator is a tall, physical cornerback who excels at pressing receivers at the line of scrimmage. He uses his exceptional arm length and natural ability to track the ball in the air to win contested catches and shut down passing lanes. He has a strong understanding of multi-level route concepts in zone coverage and is sneaky good at sinking into throwing lanes. With the new safety adds, the team is overflowing with slot coverage capability, meaning the top dog, DaRon Bland, should continue to make a permanent home on the outside. With Bland, Cobie Durant, and second-year corner Shavon Revel Jr., there will be plenty of competition for playing time on the outside.
Fun fact: Moore is a massive fan of classic cinema and can quote almost any movie from the ’80s.
LT Overton
Lebbeus Thomas Overton is a powerful and unselfish edge setter who can play multiple positions across the defensive line. He has the violent play strength needed to collapse the pocket, whether he is lining up on the outside or pushing from the interior. Overton will likely be a heavy situational player who can be deployed as an early-down run stopper as a backup to Rashan Gary. Jerry Jones suggested he’s like a poor man’s Osa Odighizuwa, so expect him to also slide inside as a backup 3-tech on passing downs as well. There are a lot of variables with the team’s new defensive line group, so we’ll have to wait and see how he fits into the mold.
Fun fact: Overton is one smart cookie. He had a 4.0 GPA, taking AP-level classes, and graduated early, reclassifying in high school to enter the college ranks a full year early because of his advanced skill set.
Anthony Smith
This East Carolina wide receiver is a tall vertical threat with blazing track speed that can absolutely destroy deep coverages. He is a good ball tracker and has the length to haul in passes that most receivers cannot reach, making him a quarterback-friendly target. Smith will attempt to work his way on the roster as one of the final depth pieces at receiver, with his biggest competition being Jonathan Mingo, who the team supposedly loved at one point, but he never seems to be able to get on the field much. Smith’s big play ability as well as potential return skills, could be the factor that punches his ticket onto the roster.
Fun fact: Smith didn’t play football his freshman and sophomore years in high school. When he finally played his junior year, he served as the team’s punter.
The Cowboys have brought in an exciting group of new rookies to play with this year, and the energy in Dallas is pretty high. It will be interesting to see how these young players perform when training camp kicks off in the summer. If these rookies can translate their skills to the pro level quickly, they should make a solid contribution to the roster and help push the team to greater heights this season, and hopefully provide the defense with a much-needed boost.
