FRISCO, Texas — No matter how you angle the bread, there are more slices this time around than one year ago, when the Dallas Cowboys were mostly quiet throughout the first several waves of NFL free agency. But while they were indeed active, they didn’t walk away with every box checked, and that means there could be some fireworks when the 2026 NFL Draft arrives.
Owners of the 12th- and 20th-overall picks, by way of the Micah Parsons trade to the Green Bay Packers in late August, there’s a solid chance the Cowboys simply stick and pick, and the board could fall favorably enough to land them two top-15 talents if they stay put.
But, having now regained a third-round pick after sending Osa Odighizuwa to the San Francisco 49ers in March, and still needing to check off an aforementioned box or two — e.g., linebacker, EDGE — is Dallas entertaining trading down and acquiring more picks?
Or maybe giving up a pick (current or future) to move up to go and get their bluest chip?
Both options are currently on the table, the front office confirmed.
“I’ve looked at that mirror a lot, about how to go up and down and trade and do those kinds of things,” owner and general manager Jerry Jones said from league meetings in March. “Absolutely. We’ll entertain improving or an in-draft read on what gives us a better chance to get another player, and still have our pick and the red meat of top players. Now that has an on the board aspect to it, but it’s very doable.”
He went on to explain why the Cowboys would be comfortable pulling that trigger.
“You should — when you’ve got the kind of assets or the kind of ammunition we’ve got in this draft, you should look at all machinations,” he said. “It’s one thing to sit here right now, it’s another thing to sit and look at it three hours into the draft and see what you got there. So all of that is a possibility. This is an obvious statement, but nothing — no amount of skill, no amount of knowledge — can beat having a lot of draft capital, having a lot of picks.
“That’ll win most of the time.”
Anyone wondering if the collective braintrust in Dallas that, of course, includes the opinion of executive vice president and director of player personnel Stephen Jones, is in agreement with the the team’s owner also have their answer:
“Draft picks obviously get more and more valuable as people get fired up about the upcoming draft,” he said. “They’re doing their homework. They’re looking at all the guys that are going to be coming in the draft. They get fired up about it and picks become a premium.”
It’s no secret the Cowboys are eyeing certain positions heading into this year’s draft, the front office not playing coy when noting “we’re obviously looking at the linebacker spot” and ensuring “it’s on our radar” in April.
And, at this point, there’s presumably no move they could make in mid-April, barring a blockbuster trade to acquire one, that would preclude them from walking away from Day 1 of the draft with one of the best linebackers in the country — names like Sonny Styles, Jacob Rodriguez, Arvell Reese and CJ Allen being three that immediately come to mind (not necessarily in that order).
This isn’t alleging the Cowboys are willing to pay the exorbitant price to move into the top-5 of the 2026 NFL Draft (internet rumors, and whatnot), but if their golden goose begins to slide a bit, it sounds as if they’ll be ready to make a move to grab him before he flies away.
And that’s just one of many scenarios Dallas is mulling heavily ahead of what will be one of the most pivotal drafts in the history of the franchise.
