The Dallas Cowboys have wrapped up their 2026 NFL draft, and if the goal was to bolster the defense, there is no question that has been accomplished. The Cowboys were able to slide up a spot on Day 1 to get a player who has face-of-the-franchise ability, Caleb Downs, and proceeded to hammer on defensive depth from there.
The team is adding seven new players to the mix, and five are defensive additions. Here’s the whole crew of new guys:
- 1 (11): Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
- 1 (23): Malachi Lawrence, EDGE, UCF
- 3 (92): Jaishawn Barham, LB/EDGE, Michigan
- 4 (112): Drew Shelton, OT, Penn State
- 4 (114): Devin Moore, CB, Florida
- 4 (137): LT Overton, DL, Alabama
- 7 (218): Anthony Smith, WR, East Carolina
So, how did they do? Well, opinions vary somewhat, but it should be pointed out that no one has the Cowboys lower than a B-minus for the three-day draft.
ESPN Gives Cowboys an A for NFL Draft
Let’s start with the really positive outlooks, which comes from ESPN, who graded the Cowboys higher than anyone else for the weekend.
From ESPN, an A: “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.”
Cowboys Get a Spate of Bs
Some sights were less enthusiastic about the Cowboys’ haul, but there is no question that the view was positive–no one had them dipping out of the B-range.
From NFL.com, a B-plus on Days 1 and 3, B on Day 2: “Dallas had the steal of the first round, trading two fifth-round picks to move up one spot for Downs; he should be a long-time defensive leader able to make plays in the deep half, flat and the box. The ‘Boys moved down from Green Bay’s first-round selection, acquired in the Micah Parsons trade, to pick Lawrence, who has potential because of his length and athleticism but carries risk as a late riser in the evaluation process.”
From CBS Sports, a B: “The talk of draft season was that the Cowboys would trade up if one of their favorite defensive prospects was there for the taking. They were also identified as a trade-down candidate with their No. 20 pick. Jerry Jones made both of those predictions come to life — all while securing a couple of terrific defensive prospects to fill his team’s glaring needs.”
From USA Today, a B-minus: “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.”
Jerry Jones Feels Defense Rebuilt After NFL Draft
Maybe the most important review, though, was from the team owner himself. Cowboys honcho Jerry Jones said that the task has been to rebuild the defense, and he felt that was accomplished this weekend.
“We have been able to, as of right now, rebuild this defense,” Jones said. “We’ve put a newness to the system, a newness to the coaching staff. … We’ve changed this defense. If it were just last year the way we played on defense, then that might not have called for this. But this is a product of three, four, five years, maybe more, of not getting where we’re trying to go and be a contender.
“In general, when I lay my head down tonight, I’m going to say, ‘We’re doing something about (fixing) the defense on this team.’”
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