Dallas piles depth with eight draft picks
- The Dallas Cowboys closed the 2026 NFL draft with seven picks, led by a trade-up to No. 11 for Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and a second first-round swing at UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence. - Dallas gave Miami picks No. 12, No. 177 and No. 180 to move up one spot for Downs, then used its other first-rounder at No. 23 on Lawrence after moving back from No. 20. - The class followed a 7-9-1 season and a defense that ranked 30th in yards and 32nd in points allowed, pushing Dallas toward a defense-first reset. (espn.com)
Dallas finished the 2026 NFL draft with a defense-first class built around Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence. (espn.com) The Cowboys traded picks No. 12, No. 177 and No. 180 to the Miami Dolphins to move up one spot and take Downs at No. 11 overall on Thursday night. (nfl.com) Dallas then used its other first-round pick on UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence at No. 23 after moving down from No. 20 in a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. (espn.com) ESPN reported Dallas entered the draft after a 7-9-1 season, with a defense that finished 30th in yards allowed and 32nd in points allowed in 2025. (espn.com) That helps explain why the club spent premium capital on a safety some evaluators viewed as one of the best players in the class, even at a non-premium position. (espn.com) Downs arrives after starring at both Alabama and Ohio State, and ESPN said Dallas viewed nickel defender as a major need in Brian Schottenheimer’s first offseason as head coach. (espn.com) NFL.com said owner Jerry Jones called Downs “a prize for us,” underscoring how aggressively Dallas treated the top of the board. (nfl.com) The draft also unfolded in a year with heavy leaguewide movement: ESPN counted eight trades on Day 1, and 41 deals across all three days. (espn.com) For Dallas, the clearest takeaway is simple: after a losing season and a collapsing defense, the front office spent its best picks trying to repair the back end and pass rush immediately. (espn.com)
