The Dallas Cowboys ended up coming out of the 2026 NFL Draft with two high-impact rookie defenders in the first round. Both Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence were selected by Jerry Jones and company.
After entering the draft with the No. 12 and No. 20 overall picks, the Cowboys ended up making neither of those selections.
Dallas traded up with the Miami Dolphins to the No. 11 pick in order to land Downs. Jones traded back from No. 20 and selected Lawrence at No. 23.
Clearly, the Cowboys were looking to be aggressive. However, a new report has shared that the team tried to pull off an even bigger blockbuster trade in the first round.
Cowboys Reportedly Attempted to Trade Into Top 10
According to a report from Dallas insider Jon Machota of The Athletic, the Cowboys attempted to pull off a trade with the Cleveland Browns for the No. 9 overall pick.
“When the Browns were on the clock at Pick 9 in this year’s NFL Draft, the Cowboys offered picks 12 and 20 and a fifth-rounder for Picks 9 and 24,” Machota wrote. “Cleveland was not interested.”
While the deal was worth offering, it would have been surprising for the Browns to accept it. Moving down three picks from No. 9 and only moving up four picks in the later stage of the first round simply doesn’t add up.
Despite Cleveland not accepting the trade, Dallas seems to have gotten its guy in Downs. Whether or not the trade up would have been for Downs remains to be seen.
What Grades Has Dallas Received for Its Two First-Round Picks?
NFL.com analyst Carter Bahns has revealed his grades for the Cowboys’ two first-round selections.
Downs was clearly a big win for Dallas. He was widely expected to be a top-10 pick, with many mock drafts having him being a top-six or seven selection.
Bahns gave the Cowboys an “A” grade for the Downs pick. He was not quite as friendly with the Lawrence pick, only giving Dallas a “C” Grade for that selection.
Later in the draft, he gave the Cowboys an “A” grade for the Jaishawn Barham pick in round three, an “A-” grade for the Drew Shelton pick in round four, and “B+” grades for both the Devin Moore and LT Overton picks in round four.
At the end of the day, Dallas had an excellent draft. Even though Super Bowls are not won during the draft for the following season, the Cowboys’ roster improved nicely.
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