The Cowboys are less than two weeks from the 2026 NFL Draft, and they are not locked into staying put. With the 12th and 20th overall picks on Day 1, Dallas is open to moving up or down in the first round as it tries to shape the roster it wants for 2026 and beyond.
Jerry Jones said the Cowboys are “absolutely” open to trading up or down, while Stephen Jones said the team is trying to build “an identity and a culture of being all for this football team.”
That matters because Dallas has said it wants the best player available, even if that player is on offense. In that framing, Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate could fit if he is still there, while Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey could be the kind of player that forces the Cowboys to consider moving up. The club could have roughly 16 to 20 first-round grades on its board, giving it enough options to stay flexible if the board breaks a certain way.
The bigger issue is what the Cowboys are trying to fix. In 2025, Stephen Jones said the team lacked the identity and culture it needed on defense, which is part of why the front office replaced Matt Eberflus with Christian Parker as coordinator. The new coaching staff is being reshaped to improve buy-in, modernize play-calling and adapt in-game, with Brian Schottenheimer putting it bluntly: “the standard is the standard.”
Stephen Jones said the goal is not just a defensive reset, but a team-wide one. He said the Cowboys want a culture and identity for the entire football team that Schottenheimer is trying to develop, and that it should show up in how players work out and how they influence the organization. That leaves Dallas at a crossroads: with two first-round picks and a board that could be crowded with top-tier talent, the Cowboys can attack need, chase value or use their draft capital to keep climbing or sliding until the right fit appears.
