McCoy missed all of last season after suffering an ACL tear, so his draft slotting could come down to how teams assess his medical evaluation. If he's healthy, McCoy might be the best cover corner available.

The Cowboys seem to never take a true safety in the first round (SEE: Roy Williams in 2002). Could this year be different? Longtime starter Donovan Wilson is headed for free agency.

As the picks were coming off the board, the Cowboys appeared to have a good chance at Sonny Styles or Mansoor Delane. There had been conversations with the Pittsburgh Steelers about trading back to 21. With Styles and Delane going right before Dallas, trade talks heated up. But the Steelers' best offer was No. 21, No. 76 (third round) and No. 159 (fifth round). The Cowboys needed both of Pittsburgh's third-round picks or, at the very least, a third and a fourth. With that deal off the table, the Cowboys went with the best player available at a position of need. There are some concerns about McCoy missing all of last season with a torn ACL. But if everything checks out medically, McCoy should start immediately, likely alongside DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel. On paper, that would be an upgraded secondary for first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker.

There was a lot to consider at this pick, including a possible trade back with the Philadelphia Eagles at 23 that fell through after the Panthers' pick. Dallas' options were then one of the best remaining pass rushers (Keldric Faulk, Cashius Howell, T.J. Parker or Zion Young), a top safety (Dillon Thieneman or Emmanuel McNeil-Warren) or a top off-ball linebacker. The Cowboys' linebacker play was probably the worst in the league last year. Allen would instantly upgrade the group as their starting middle linebacker, potentially forming a great duo if DeMarvion Overshown can stay healthy.

That's four Ohio State players in the top 12, and the third member of the Buckeyes defense. Sonny Styles didn't receive the same kind of attention as Caleb Downs or Arvell Reese, but he's another versatile chess piece who began his college career at safety before moving to linebacker.

With two first-round picks, I wouldn't be shocked if the Cowboys trade up into the top 10 for somebody on draft day, but in this mock, I have them sitting pat and using both picks. After getting Sonny Styles with their first, they address the pass rush with their second.

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.