Cowboys draft picks 2026: Tracker, grades, analysis as Dallas lands Caleb Downs

FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys’ 2026 offseason brought change at key spots.

After a 7-9-1 campaign in 2025, the Cowboys fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus after Dallas allowed an NFL-worst 30.1 points per game. They replaced him with Eagles defensive passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Christian Parker. Dallas also traded for Packers Pro Bowl edge rusher Rashan Gary and re-signed running back Javonte Williams and kicker Brandon Aubrey in free agency. The Cowboys’ splash move came when they signed Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson to a three-year, $33 million deal with $22 million guaranteed.

Other moves included one-year deals for cornerback Cobie Durant and safety P.J. Locke, and a trade that sent defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to the 49ers for a third-round pick. It felt more like depth-chart backfilling than upgrades, but that may have been necessary before giving young players more legitimate snaps again after another draft-heavy roster build in 2025.

Cowboys COO/EVP Stephen Jones said Wednesday Dallas ended long-term contract negotiations with Pro Bowl wide receiver George Pickens and will have him play out 2026 on the franchise tag. That comes despite Pickens totaling 1,429 receiving yards — third-most in the NFL in 2025 — in his first season alongside quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.

“We’ve made a decision that we’re going to have George play under the franchise tag, which won’t be a first for us. So there won’t be negotiations on a long-term deal,” Jones said Wednesday. “But that’s certainly not a first for this organization and certainly won’t be a first in the league in terms of this decision as we move forward. Whether it’s Dak Prescott, who played under one and got tagged a second time, whether it’s D-Law, whether it’s Tony Pollard — we’ve certainly had those situations.”

So how will the Cowboys continue to bolster their roster in the 2026 NFL Draft with hopes of returning to the playoffs? Let’s take a look at the picks Dallas has to work with. After each selection, we’ll provide updated grades and analysis. With the Cowboys selecting Ohio State safety Caleb Downs 11th overall and UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence 23rd overall, they have picked two defensive players in the first round for the first time since 2005. That’s when they selected Pro Football Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware and edge rusher Marcus Spears. 

Cowboys offseason recap

• Notable additions: DE Rashan Gary, S Jalen Thompson, CB Cobie Durant, S P.J. Locke, DT Otito Ogbonnia, QB Sam Howell
• Notable re-signings: RB Javonte Williams, K Brandon Aubrey, WR George Pickens (franchise tag), DE Sam Williams 
• Notable losses: DT Osa Odighizuwa, DT Solomon Thomas, WR Jalen Tolbert, LB Logan Wilson (retirement), 

Cowboys 2026 draft picks 

Round 1, pick 11: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

The NFL’s worst defense now has the 2026 NFL Draft’s No. 1 safety prospect and eighth overall prospect, according to CBS Sports prospect rankings. Dallas had to trade up one spot with Miami to land him, sending their 12th overall pick and two fifth-round compensatory picks, No. 177 and No. 180 to the Dolphins. Now, the Cowboys have the defensive difference maker they were desperate to select. At his top-30 visit with Dallas, Downs beat coach Brian Schottenheimer in both a putting contest and a basketball shooting contest. 

“Yeah, I had a great sense about that. We kind of knew there was a good opportunity there, and a good relationship that was formed through the 30 visit and everything like that,” Downs said. “They had real interest, so I was excited about it. 

The Ohio State All-America safety can line up anywhere: strong safety, nickel or even in sub-packages as a linebacker. Cowboys defenders often cited miscommunication in coverage as the primary reason for their porous pass coverage, and now it should not be nearly as big of an issue. On tape, Downs is routinely seen lining up his Buckeyes teammates in the right spots just before the snap. When asked about his football IQ on a draft-day conference call, Downs claimed he’s had that ability since birth, and he described his game as “very instinctual” with a “quick trigger whenever he sees the ball.”

The new defensive regime in Dallas will love Downs’ versatility as he toggles between the nickel and safety spots. Downs was the only defensive back in college football with 250-plus tackles (257), 15-plus tackles for loss (16) and five-plus interceptions (six) in the last three seasons, the span of his collegiate career. 

“I think it’s just being able to make plays in all facets of the game,” Downs said. “So whether that’s near the line of scrimmage or in the deep part of the field, I feel like I can do it all. It’ll be a great relationship to be able to do that with the Cowboys.”

* Only FBS defensive back with 250-plus tackles, 15-plusTFL, 5-plus INT in past three seasons

Round 1, pick 23: Malachi Lawrence, DE, UCF

Dallas traded down from 20th overall to 23rd overall with the Philadelphia Eagles to select UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence. The Cowboys acquired the 23rd overall pick, the 114th overall pick and the 137th overall pick in exchange for the 20th overall pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick. Dallas’ front office had plenty of information on Lawrence since new Cowboys assistant defensive line coach Demeitre Brim worked as a defensive analyst at UCF in 2025 before being hired to join new defensive coordinator Christian Parker’s defensive staff in 2026. 

“I had a few good contracts [with Dallas in the pre draft process]. I had a formal visit with them at the combine, and I talked to them also at the East-West Shrine Bowl game,” Lawrence said on a conference call with local media. “Also, my former coach at UCF Demeitre Brim, he’s the assistant defensive line coach on the Cowboys, so we talked some too as well.”

Lawrence was a 2025 first team All-Big 12 selection with 7.0 sacks (tied for the fifth most in the Big 12) and 11.0 tackles for loss (tied for the eighth most in the Big 12) for the Golden Knights. He shined at the NFL Scouting Combine with a 4.52-second 40-yard dash, the third fastest among edge rushers, and a 40-inch vertical jump, the second-highest among edge rushers. Lawrence also produced on the field throughout his last three collegiate seasons with 19.5 sacks, tied for the 13th most in college football in that span. He said he tries to model his game off of the way Pro Bowl edge rusher Chandler Jones used his length, Pro Bowl edge rusher Danielle Hunter for his unorthodox moves and All-Pro edge rusher Will Anderson Jr.’s relentlessness. 

The Cowboys definitely bet on Lawrence’s explosiveness and pass rush ability, but he’ll need to evolve as a run defender at the NFL level. He’s an older prospect as well as he is set to turn 23-years-old on July 21. However, there’s upside here with Lawrence having the chance to expand his pass-rush move toolbox and improve upon his ability to set the edge in the run game.