Dallas Cowboys NFL Mock Draft Roundup 4.0

The Cowboys traded for veteran Packers edge Rashan Gary, and 2025 second-round pick Donovan Ezeiruaku has a year under his belt, but Parker would give Dallas a major boost in playmaking off the edge. He had 16 sacks and six forced fumbles over his last two seasons for the Tigers.

After taking Clemson edge T.J. Parker with their top pick, the Cowboys aren't finished addressing their defense. At No. 20, they take Parker's college teammate, Terrell, who had nine pass breakups and five forced fumbles en route to second-team AP All-American honors in 2025. Dallas needs more playmaking at corner around DaRon Bland.

One of the true wild cards in this draft is McCoy, as he's a top-10 talent but has not played or worked out for scouts since an ACL tear in January 2025. He is expected to participate in Tennessee's pro day March 31, which will help solidify this ceiling if he's healthy.

At his best, McCoy is the top coverage cornerback in this class, with exceptional length (77-inch wingspan), ball skills, patience and timing to disrupt wideouts. In a full 2024 season, he had four interceptions and seven passes defensed. The Cowboys need all the cornerback help they can get after finishing last in yards per dropback allowed (7.3) and total pass breakups (30).

Thomas is my type of football player as an explosive, powerful and relentless pass rusher. Plus, he has heavy hands and a nasty attitude when defending the run (21 run stops over the past two seasons). Thomas dealt with an injury for part of the 2025 season, but he still finished with 6.5 sacks and 23 pressures in nine games.

The Cowboys must keep hammering away at their pass rush to find some semblance of what they had with Micah Parsons. Dallas traded for edge rusher Rashan Gary to boost this same initiative.

The Cowboys have to get some twitchy help on the edge. Thomas can do that. He isn't big at 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, but he would fit the new defense. This would seem high for him, but watch his tape.

They can use some linebacker help, and this kid can do it all. He is good against the run and the pass.

In just about any other year, the Cowboys would not pass on Love in this situation. They were faced with something similar in 2020 when edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson would have filled a bigger need, but wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was higher on their board. They made the right decision. But the Cowboys need defensive help even more this year, so it's highly unlikely they'd go with Love here. Delane fits a major area of need, giving Dallas a Day 1 starting cornerback to pair with DaRon Bland, Shavon Revel and recently signed Cobie Durant. Had Delane been gone, this would've been an ideal trade-back situation. — Jon Machota

There were several top edge rushers to pick from, making for a great trade-back scenario if things fall this way next month. But inside linebacker is clearly the Cowboys' biggest need right now. Allen would step in immediately as the green-dot quarterback of the defense. Dallas had interest in free agents Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker but lost out on both. Here, the Cowboys could get a different former Georgia standout to lead things in the middle. Whether they stay put or trade back, addressing the defense has to be the target with multiple Day 1 and Day 2 picks. The offense is a playoff-caliber group. It's all about closing the gap from having arguably the NFL's worst defense. — Machota

I liked the Jalen Thompson and Cobie Durant signings for the Cowboys to help shore up their defensive backfield, but they need to continue to add talent on that side of the ball. Caught in between tiers with cornerback and linebacker prospects, the Cowboys add the intriguing Faulk to their defensive line. He is still a work in progress rushing the passer, but he's young, has high-end traits, plays hard and will enter the league already as a plus run defender. He would complement what the Cowboys already have and his pocket-pushing rush style would actually fit perfectly with the mauling ability of Quinnen Williams on the inside. Faulk could play several spots in Christian Parker's Fangio scheme, something he already did at Auburn. It's a fit I like more as I've marinated on it.

This might be a reach but this point of the first round is going to be wide open with the lack of consensus with this class. I was high on Hill to start the season (he was my LB1), cooled on him slightly, and now have warmed back up. He's a good athlete with sideline-to-sideline range. He shows off good awareness and play recognition, and would fit the Cowboys' new defensive scheme well because of his dynamic blitzing ability. The Cowboys have done a fine job of rebuilding their defense, and Hill would give Dallas its most talented man in the middle since Leighton Vander Esch.

A torn ACL cost him the entire 2025 season, but McCoy was practicing by the end of it and will be 20 months removed from the injury by the time Week 1 rolls around. DaRon Bland is the only corner with a long-term future on what will be a reimagined Dallas D in 2026 — Cobie Durant signing for just one year. McCoy would be a welcome addition, and Durant's presence could allow him more time to ease into the pros if needed.

A gifted lineman who has yet to approach his maximum potential, the All-ACC performer might be an ideal fit in Dallas, where the Cowboys are switching to a three-man front but just traded Osa Odighizuwa. Woods could settle in alongside Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark, and his short arms might not be such an issue while matched up more often against interior blockers.

McCoy's draft range is somewhat difficult to predict, considering he missed all of last season with an ACL tear and we have yet to see him work out for scouts. His 2024 game film is excellent, though.

Parker is a polarizing player this year after his production dipped in 2025. But he had a strong finish to the season, and he followed that up with an impressive performance at the Senior Bowl.

Dallas gave up a league-worst 7.3 yards per dropback last season, and the secondary was gashed for a league-high 46 passing plays of 25 or more yards. I liked the Jalen Thompson signing at safety, and Cobie Durant will chip in at cornerback alongside DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel Jr., but the Cowboys are still looking for their No. 1 cornerback.

McCoy doesn't come without questions; he tore an ACL in January 2025, sat out the season and then didn't work out at the combine. But he can flat-out play when he's on the field. McCoy had four interceptions in 2024. If Dallas likes what it sees at his March 31 pro day, this could be a smart pick.

It'd be wise for the Cowboys to double-dip on defense (Jermod McCoy at No. 12). They gave up 6.1 yards per play in 2025, 31st in the NFL and third worst for any team in any of the past five seasons. Allen can play all three downs, as he can drop in coverage, run down ball carriers and even blitz. He had 97 tackles last season for the Bulldogs, showcasing tremendous read-and-react skills.

This is exactly what I had the Cowboys doing in my first mock draft. I think Downs is good enough to be drafted earlier than this, but he might get hurt by positional value. Still, Downs is sensational and could elevate a Dallas defense that was the worst in scoring this past season. Ohio State's entire defense was built around Downs, winning a national championship as a result. Jerry Jones, don't overthink it.

Even though I have them taking Downs with their first pick, the Cowboys still need some defensive help. If McCoy wasn't hurt, he might have been in the conversation with Mansoor Delane to be the top cornerback in this draft. He could still take that honor if he performs well at his pro day, but watch out for the Cowboys if they're able to land the players who I think are the best defenders in this draft.