2026 NFL Draft Grades: Dallas Cowboys

You'll notice the only top needs listed here are on defense. The 2025 unit was outrageously bad: 6.1 yards allowed per play (31st), 30.1 points allowed per game (32nd), minus-153 EPA (32nd), 58.4 opponent QBR (29th), 47.3% opponent third-down rate (32nd) ... the list just keeps going. Big plays had an especially big role in the Cowboys' defensive shortcomings, as they allowed a league-high 54 plays of 25 or more yards.

So it's no surprise that the Cowboys' first three picks -- and five of their seven total -- came on that side of the ball. They made splashes in Round 1, trading up for Caleb Downs and trading down for Malachi Lawrence.

Downs fell out of the top 10 despite ranking sixth in my rankings, and Dallas took the opportunity to trade up one spot to get him. Downs' pre-snap instincts are elite, which allow him to play top-down and make plays on the ball in coverage (six career INTs). But he can sniff out run plays and wrap up as a tackler in open space, too. He's just a tremendous football player, and he's going to change everything in that secondary. Safety wasn't a top three need, but he 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.

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.

Best Pick: I love edge rusher Malachi Lawrence, whom they took with their second first-round pick. He is an explosive, high-ceiling player. They needed help there.

Worst Pick: Fourth-round tackle Drew Shelton was a bit of a reach in my book. He's a swing tackle who the team hopes can develop into more.

The Skinny: The Cowboys killed it with their first three picks. Taking safety Caleb Downs, Lawrence and edge Jaishawn Barham will continue the overhaul of the defense. This is a team that improved greatly on that side of the ball.

With two first-round picks to play with following last year's Micah Parsons trade, it was clear the Cowboys had the potential to be active in this draft, but they were even more flexible than expected, aggressively trading up to nab star safety Caleb Downs at No. 11 and recouping picks by dropping back and still getting an explosive edge rusher in Malachi Lawrence at No. 23.

Given where he was selected, I'm similarly excited about the potential of linebacker/rusher Jaishawn Barham, whose experience at both positions and undeniable athleticism makes him an exciting ball of clay for defensive coordinator Christian Parker to develop.

Of Dallas' Day 3 selections, I'm most intrigued by the versatility LT Overton provides as well as the long-term upside of tackle Drew Shelton, who needs to add strength but possesses the length and agility to ultimately be an NFL starter. The Cowboys needed to take advantage of their two first-round selections and did so. The duo will immediately upgrade what was one of the NFL's most porous defenses of a year ago.

Dallas walks out of this draft with stability, speed and explosiveness added to their defense.

Downs is incredibly smart, physical and versatile. He will limit the explosive plays this defense surrenders and triggers furiously downhill against the run and screens.

There is risk in both Lawrence and Barham, but they are incredibly athletic disruptors. Lawrence can simply pin his ears back, get off the ball with a jetpack on and rush without losing momentum. His pursuit and contain speed is high-end.

Barham played off-ball linebacker and as a stand-up rusher in college at two programs. I liked him better when he could get up the field after the quarterback, but Dallas might prefer him in a hybrid role. He has excellent range, but also ran himself out of some plays against the run.

I would have had Devin Moore ranked much higher if he didn't deal with injuries throughout multiple college seasons. He's big, has enough speed and is very disruptive at the catch point. If he can stay on the field, he'll develop into a starter on the outside for Dallas. This was a strong defensive draft.

Here's why: The Caleb Downs selection was a no-brainer and a home run. He's talented and a leader who will solidify the back end of a defense that desperately needs it. I'm a little cooler on Malachi Lawrence, whom I was more comfortable taking later than in the first round. But Lawrence has speed and can get after the quarterback, a skill set that's always valued. Drew Shelton has talent but was inconsistent, so he gives offensive coordinator Klayton Adams an interesting project to work with. LT Overton had a disappointing season, but he's heavy-handed and can move along the defensive line. His inside-outside ability will make him useful.

Most interesting pick: Jaishawn Barham, Edge/LB, Michigan

Barham is a twitchy athlete who is relentless in getting after the ball carrier. He had experience as an edge defender and lining up off-ball in college. While he had flashes at both spots, he can work himself out of plays when aligned off the ball at linebacker and lacks ideal size on the edge. That might not make him a player for everybody. He does both well enough that there's potential if he's able to continue to hone his talent. And he's actually a cleaner fit in Christian Parker's defensive scheme than you'd think if used like how Zack Baun was in Philadelphia, another tweener-type moved off-ball with forays on the edge.

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.

Analysis: 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.