Cowboys Draft Superstar Safety, Ascending Defensive End in First Round

ARLINGTON, TX — The Dallas Cowboys entered the 2026 NFL Draft with two first-round picks and selected two quality defenders, including a player considered one of the best in the nation.

The Cowboys entered the draft with a ton of holes to fill on the defense side of the ball. With a new defensive coordinator in Christian Parker and a hope and a prayer, they selected their new defensive mind two players who can hopefully step in right away and help the team get back to winning.

The Cowboys originally picked at 12th before trading up one spot with the Miami Dolphins to select Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.

But why move up one pick? Well, another team was obviously trying to trade up with the Dolphins. At this point in the draft, there were really two options on defense. Those were Downs and Miami linebacker Reuben Bain Jr.

Fans probably would have been ecstatic with either Bain or Downs, but the Cowboys felt it was necessary, and it was, to grab one of the best defenders in the draft.

Even with the trade up, the Cowboys retained the 20th overall pick. They gave up Nos. 12, 177 and 180.

Safety has been a need in Dallas for a long, long time. The last time Dallas used a first-round pick on a safety was on Roy Williams in 2002. Since Williams has been gone, the Cowboys have really had nothing at safety.

At No. 20, there were still quite a few names left, and the Cowboys ended up trading down a few spots (picking up No2. 114 and 137) with the Philadelphia Eagles (they also acquired the Cowboys' 2027 seventh-round pick), who took USC wide receiver Makai Lemon.

In the trade down, the Cowboys selected an ascending edge rusher in Central Florida's Malachi Lawrence.

Lawrence is explosive and needs work against the run, but the Cowboys needed a guy who can harass quarterbacks. Not a bad pick by any means, and they also got two fourth-round picks in the process. 

The Cowboys did not address the linebacker position and, while this class was not top heavy at all in that department, names like Texas’s Anthony Hill Jr., Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez, Cincinnati’s Jake Golday, and Georgia’s CJ Allen still out there, the Cowboys might package wide receiver George Pickens with some picks or just use picks to move up into the second round to select a field general on the defensive side of the ball.

Last offseason, the Cowboys revamped their running game with the coaching staff and the draft by selecting Tyler Booker, Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah while adding Klayton Adams and Konor Riley to the coaching staff.

This offseason, the Cowboys have a brand-new defensive staff and added two really solid players in Downs and Lawrence.

Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft (along with trades made during the draft)

1. Las Vegas Raiders- Fernando Mendoza- QB- Indiana
2. New York Jets- David Bailey- DE- Texas Tech
3. Arizona Cardinals- Jeremiyah Love- RB- Notre Dame
4. Tennessee Titans- Carnell Tate- WR- Ohio State
5. New York Giants- Arvell Reese- DE- Ohio State
6. Cleveland Browns (TRADE- Kansas City)- Mansoor Delane- CB- LSU
7. Washington Commanders- Sonny Styles- LB- Ohio State
8. New Orleans Saints- Jordyn Tyson- WR- Arizona State
9. Cleveland Browns (KC PICK)- Spencer Fano- OT- Utah
10. New York Giants- Francis Mauigoa- OT- Miami
11. Miami Dolphins (TRADE- Dallas Cowboys)- Caleb Downs- S- Ohio State
12. Miami Dolphins (DAL PICK)- Kadyn Proctor- OT- Alabama
13. Los Angeles Rams- Ty Simpson- QB- Alabama
14. Baltimore Ravens- Olaivavega Ioane- OG- Penn State
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Rueben Bain Jr.- DE- Miami
16. New York Jets- Kenyon Sadiq- TE- Oregon
17. Detroit Lions- Blake Miller- OT- Clemson
18. Minnesota Vikings- Caleb Banks- DT- Florida
19. Carolina Panthers-Monroe Freeling- OT- Georgia
20. Dallas Cowboys (TRADE- Philadelphia Eagles)- Makai Lemon- WR- USC
21. Pittsburgh Steelers- Max Iheanachor- OT- Arizona State
22. Los Angeles Chargers- Akheem Mesidor- DE- Miami
23. Dallas Cowboys (PHL PICK)- Malachi Lawrence- DE- UCF
24. Cleveland Browns- KC Concepcion- WR- Texas A&M
25. Chicago Bears- Dillon Thieneman- S- Oregon
26. Buffalo Bills (TRADE- Houston Texans)- Keylan Rutledge- OG- Georgia Tech
27. San Francisco 49ers (TRADE- Miami Dolphins)- Chris Johnson- CB- San Diego State
28. New England Patriots via Buffalo Bills (HOU PICK)- Caleb Lomu- OT0 Utah
29. Kansas City Chiefs- Peter Woods- DT- Clemson
30. New York Jets via San Francisco 49ers (MIA PICK)- Omar Cooper Jr.- WR- Indiana
31. Tennessee Titans via Buffalo Bills (NE PICK)- Keldrick Faulk- DE- Auburn
32. Seattle Seahawks- Jadarian Price- RB- Notre Dame

Players still available heading into Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft (NFL Draft Tracker):

• Denzel Boston- WR- Washington
• Jermod McCoy- CB- Tennessee
• Zion Young- DE- Missouri
• Anthony Hill Jr.- LB- Texas
• Avieon Terrell- CB- Clemson
• Emmanuel McNiel-Warren- S- Toledo
• Kayden McDonald- DT- Ohio State
• Cashius Howell- DE- Texas A&M
• Colton Hood- CB- Tennessee
• Chris Brazzell Jr.- WR- Tennessee
• Emmanuel Pregnon- OG- Oregon
• Chase Bisontis- OG- Texas A&M
• Christen Miller- DT- Georgia
• Jacob Rodriguez- LB- Texas Tech
• Gabe Jacas- LB- Illinois
• Jake Golday- LB- Cincinnati
• Jalon Kilgore- S- South Carolina
• Zachariah Branch- WR- Georgia
• Skyler Bell- WR- Connecticut
• Derrick Moore- DE- Michigan
• Kyle Louis- LB- Pittsburgh

Rounds 2 and 3 of the draft continue at 6 p.m. Friday.