Dallas Cowboys Must Avoid Offense with First 2 Picks in 2026 NFL Draft

On Sunday, the 2025 NFL season will officially come to an end with either the Seahawks or Patriots crowned as Super Bowl Champions. On Monday, you will see a flood of mock drafts like never before.

The NFL Draft seems to get bigger every single season, and with stars like Fernando Mendoza, Jeremiyah Love, and Caleb Downs set to be picked, that trend won’t be breaking in 2026.

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Similarly, the draft has risen in importance for the Dallas Cowboys over the past few years, mainly because of two factors: Dak Prescott’s age and their lack of activity in free agency.

This front office is constantly needing to hit on their draft picks, since they refuse to bring in established players at positions of need, and with Prescott nearing his mid-30s, the importance of those picks is greater than ever before.

As you all know, they will make two selections in the first round in April, thanks to the Micah Parsons trade, and if you see any mock drafters using those picks on offense, you should take it with a grain of salt.

No To Offensive Stars: Cowboys Can’t Fall In Love With Love & Co.

If you take a brief look at the Cowboys’ 2025 depth chart on offense, you will see how attainable a full re-run with their starters is.

CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Ryan Flournoy are highly likely to lead Dallas’s wide receiver room in 2026; the offensive line, barring the release of Terence Steele, should remain the same; and I expect Javonte Williams to return to the team as RB1.

Can you make the argument that they could upgrade at running back with a guy like Love, or replace Pickens with a cheaper, younger first-round wide receiver, or draft a new tackle to remove Steele from the picture?

Sure, but that doesn’t solve Dallas’s biggest problem, and it likely won’t move the needle toward winning any additional games they would otherwise lose.

Love, Arizona State wide receiver Jordan Tyson, or one of those big monster offensive tackles, will entice a Cowboys front office that is offense-centric, but they can not get hypnotized by the spectacle of those possibilities.

Dallas needs to stay focused and lock in on the two best defensive options available; after all, there will be a plethora of prospects on that side of the ball to choose from.

Defensive Options Galore: Cowboys Should Have Their Choice Of Multiple “Blue Chips”

The Cowboys’ 2025 defensive depth chart is an equally strong part of the greater point here. While the offense can reasonably retain every starter from this past season and have great success, the defense is about to undergo a complete overhaul.

We know Dallas wants to get Jadeveon Clowney, an impending free agent, back, but the only near-certain returnees on the defensive line are Donovan Ezeriuaku, James Houston, Quinnen Williams, and Osa Odighizuwa.

There are even real questions about Kenny Clark’s return, considering the $20m+ the Cowboys would save by cutting him.

The linebacking corps should see DeMarvion Overshown, Marist Liufau, and Shemar James in 2026, but I am hoping Dallas brings in at least two new faces to what was clearly their worst unit in 2025.

Kenneth Murray and Jack Sanborn lined up together again. Sanborn missed last week with a concussion. pic.twitter.com/gnAFRkBmyS

— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) October 15, 2025

Don’t even get me started on the secondary: DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel Jr. are the only two I am confident will be back next season.

This is all to say that Dallas needs new bodies on defense virtually everywhere, and they have a new defensive coordinator who is likely going to want the same thing. Again, with the Jones’ free agency habits, the bulk of that has to come in the draft.

Whether it’s a star like Downs at safety, or the consistently-mocked CB + LB/EDGE duo, the Cowboys’ first two picks absolutely have to come on the defensive side of the ball.