You remember the hype that was flowing from the Dallas faithful after the NFL Draft this year? The addition of Caleb Downs fired the fans up and has them anticipating this as the most impactful Cowboys draft class in years.
With the aforementioned Buckeyes star, an extra first-round pick, and a slew of other defensive additions, it is hard to blame fans for their excitement.
My only question is this: will the 2026 draft class be the most impactful of the Cowboys’ recent classes this season? After all, the two that preceded the Downs class have NFL experience and development that this group hasn’t received quite yet.
Here, I’ll go over each of the last three Dallas classes and judge them by their expected on-field impact this coming season.
2024 Cowboys Draft Class: High Hopes For More Production
- Round 1, No. 29: Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma (Expected Starting LT in 2026)
- Round 2, No. 56: Marshawn Kneeland, DE, Western Michigan (Passed Away, Nov. ’25)
- Round 3, No. 73: Cooper Beebe, G/C, Kansas State (Starting C in 2026)
- Round 3, No. 87: Marist Liufau, LB, Notre Dame (Cut Candidate facing Position Change)
- Round 5, No. 174: Caelen Carson, CB, Wake Forest (Cut Candidate After Underperformance)
- Round 6, No. 216: Ryan Flournoy, WR, Southeast Missouri State (Expected Starter at WR3 in 2026)
- Round 7, No. 233: Nathan Thomas, OT, Louisiana (Competition with Guyton for Starting LT Job)
- Round 7, No. 244: Justin Rogers, DT, Auburn (Cut After Draft)
This class is, unfortunately, known for the tragic loss of second-round pick Marshawn Kneeland during the 2025 NFL season. His death is still hard to process today, and Dallas has aimed to remember his memory even as the months have gone by.
One main goal of this class was to fix the offensive line, and this is really the quintessential year to see if that was accomplished.
Tyler Guyton and Nate Thomas are in a battle for the left tackle job, while Cooper Beebe stands firm as the expected starting center come September. The Cowboys need a big year from Guyton, or a sudden emergence from Thomas to replace him.
Other than that, Ryan Flournoy is really the bright spot of this class. He will be the WR3 this year, and I think his ceiling is extraordinarily high.
Marist Liufau and Caelen Carson are not expected to make much of a difference this year, and if camp goes badly, they could even see their Cowboys tenure end after a couple of seasons.
All in all, this class has roughly three expected starters as we come into 2026. Their overall impact is hard to project, but Guyton is definitely the biggest mover of that needle.
2025 Cowboys Draft Class: Later Picks Must Improve From Their Rookie Years
- Round 1, No. 12: Tyler Booker, G, Alabama (Starting RG in 2026)
- Round 2, No. 44: Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College (Starting EDGE in 2026)
- Round 3, No. 76: Shavon Revel Jr., CB, East Carolina (Competing for Starting CB Job in 2026)
- Round 5, No. 149: Jaydon Blue, RB, Texas (Competing RB2 Behind Javonte Williams)
- Round 5, No. 152: Shemar James, LB, Florida (Special Teamer and Defensive Depth)
- Round 6, No. 204: Ajani Cornelius, OL, Oregon (Potential Roster Cut)
- Round 7, No. 217: Jay Toia, DT, UCLA (Competing for Rotational DT Role)
- Round 7, No. 239: Phil Mafah, RB, Clemson (Competing For RB3 Job)
- Round 7, No. 247: Tommy Akingbesote, DT, Maryland (Cut After Draft)
I personally feel confident that Dallas nailed their first two picks in this draft class. Tyler Booker and Donovan Ezeiruaku (even with his offseason hip surgery) are clearly starters on this roster and are poised to have big impacts in their sophomore years.
Elsewhere, it is question mark after question mark after question mark.
Shavon Revel Jr. was an immensely talented draft prospect who fell to the third round because of an ACL tear, and whether it was from that injury or a skill issue, he did not look anything close to a first-rounder in his action last year. He must improve in 2026.
When you really watch his tape last year it was really rough…
Man and zone reps
The question is how much of that was level of competition/ scheme/ injury?
Guys like Jaydon Blue and Shemar James had pretty high expectations, too, and they just weren’t that effective or impactful to me. This is especially true for Blue, who has a very important year ahead.
Ajani Cornelius, Jay Toia, and Phil Mafah are basically all just fighting for their spot on the roster, and I think at least two get cut.
Overall, this class is also going to have two starters, with Revel and James competing for those roles as well. Booker and “EZE” make this class more impactful than the ’24 group.
2026 Cowboys Draft Class: Rookies Coming In With High Expectations
- Round 1, No. 11: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State (Immediate Starter in the Secondary)
- Round 1, No. 23: Malachi Lawrence, EDGE, UCF (Expected to Play Significant Snaps)
- Round 3, No. 92: Jaishawn Barham, LB/EDGE, Michigan (Expected Rotational Role in 2026)
- Round 4, No. 112: Drew Shelton, OT, Penn State (Competing for Swing-Tackle Role)
- Round 4, No. 114: Devin Moore, CB, Florida (Competing for Snaps at Corner)
- Round 4, No. 137: LT Overton, DL, Alabama (Largely Developmental D-Line Role)
- Round 7, No. 218: Anthony Smith, WR, East Carolina (Competing for Roster Spot)
As I’ve said, Downs is the headliner of this class, and his impact may make this class the top of this list alone.
He’s going to play multiple positions, and if he’s healthy, it will be at an elite level. Downs is a special talent who fundamentally reshapes the outlook of the Cowboys’ secondary this season, even as a rookie. It’ll be a big year for this kid.
Elsewhere, I don’t think we see another true starter in the class in their rookie season.
Yes, Malachi Lawrence, the Cowboys’ second first-rounder, should see a lot of snaps, but there is a lot of experienced EDGE depth around him that Dallas may lean on as he develops into a more polished product.
The one guy who could blossom into a starting role would be Jaishawn Barham, but Drew Shelton, Devin Moore, LT Overton, and Anthony Smith are unlikely to see that kind of burn in 2026 (barring injuries that push them up the depth chart).
I’m banking on the 2025 class to be the most impactful, but do not count this crop out because of Downs and the sheer potential of Lawrence and Barham.
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