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FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys will move their operations at The Star this week to a downtown hotel in Indianapolis for the NFL scouting combine.
The Cowboys are primarily there to evaluate and interview players for the 2026 draft, where they hold two first-round picks, but there will be much more going on than that. The Cowboys will meet with agents for their upcoming free agents, including Pro Bowl wide receiver George Pickens. The new defensive staff, led by coordinator Christian Parker, will meet with prospects and also put together its playbook.
“There’s a lot of planning and it’s not just about the combine,” vice president of player personnel Will McClay said. “It’s a ton of work.”
ESPN spoke to McClay about the draft, coaching changes and free agency:
How will Cowboys VP of player personnel Will McClay aim to upgrade Dallas’ roster this offseason? James D. Smith/AP
How do you determine who will be among the 45 formal interviews?
McClay: It’s a combination of all things. You want to see certain players that fit a need. You may have questions on something you want to get answered. It could be a player that is higher rated at any position that you have questions. All of those things come into play.
How does this draft match up with the needs of the roster?
McClay: I think it’ll be a solid draft and as far as what we need, I think we need a lot of things that we’re always trying to improve the roster. There’s good players in it. If the thought is you’ve got to improve on defense, there are some defensive players that that can come in and contribute, and there’s some explosive offensive players that are ball carriers, receivers and probably eight to 10 offensive linemen that can start in some capacity. You go through all the positions, but I think it’s more probably a middle-heavy draft.
That’s been a theme lately — middle heavy — why is that?
McClay: You’ve got players going back to school and you’re used to getting juniors that come out. Now those juniors tend to go back to school, and you don’t have the numbers as high as you’ve had in the past. That’s all part of it. Then you’ve got the transfers, too. There’s a lot of research that has to go into a new environment.
How does four defensive coordinators in four years impact the scouting?
McClay: They’re all schematically doing some of the same things. You may look for certain traits they do a little better, a little higher. But at the end of the day if we’re solely picking players to fit into a specific scheme, we’re not doing our job right. That’s what the combination of scouting staff, coaching staff and then ownership/general manager does. Make sure you don’t get too heavy on one side or the other.
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It comes down to size and length more than anything that you might look for schematically. I don’t think anybody plays the really heavy old-school two-gap defense anymore. You’re always looking for good football players, and you’ve got find traits that fit more. That’s why when you draft some players, they don’t make it on some teams and then they go to another and they fit.
Does production matter more than measurables?
McClay: That’s why you go to the combine. You measure everything, height, weight. You see them run and do all that stuff and get the measurables, but how do they play the game of football? That’s what you’re looking for. It’s a combination of the two, but you don’t want to be too small of a team, you don’t want to also be too big of a team where you’ve got to find guys that fit specific roles.
What type of pressure does having two first-round picks bring?
McClay: I wouldn’t say it’s more pressure. I’d say you have to scrutinize more when you have that. You have to really value the first-round player the right way and make sure you have the right kind guy and right kind of player. If you’re taking a second-round player with that second pick or if there’s not enough depth in the first round, those things tell you a story.
Given where the defense finished in 2025, will this draft have a defensive bent?
McClay: We know what we have to fix. We know the areas on offense and defense we have to fix. And you have to look at how you’re fixing those when and how, either through street free agency, the draft, [unrestricted] free agency or trades.
You look at all of those opportunities and then you go to the cost of it. That’s what this whole beginning of the offseason is about. From there, you have to make the right decisions and value things the right way.
Given owner and general manager Jerry Jones’ talk of ‘busting the budget,’ has the preparation for free agency been altered?
McClay: That typically doesn’t change because what we do — if we’re doing it the right way — you still have to go grade the free agents and know the free agent class. If you’re doing your job, it’s systematic because you do it every year. And you might not go after certain players, but those free agents come up in trades or get cut later or whatever it is. So you still have to go through the process. Even if you don’t have any money or you’re shopping with no budget, you at least have to be ready to window shop.
