FRISCO, Texas — An eventful and extremely productive NFL Draft was had by the Dallas Cowboys in 2026. It began by the decision to trade up one spot to select Caleb Downs, projected to be a generational talent. And with owners of two first-round picks thanks to the trade of Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, they'd use their second pick to bolster their pass rush with impressive UCF talent Malachi Lawrence.
That made for an explosive Day 1, but Day 2 wasn't anything to shake a stick at, either. It included a trade with the San Francisco 49ers to acquire linebacker Dee Winters, doubling down at the position by going to Michigan with their next draft pick — Jaishawn Barham. And then came Day 3, the finale, when the Cowboys had three fourth-round picks to use, using one on offense and two more on defense.
They'd go on to add offensive tackle Drew Shelton (Penn State), cornerback Devin Moore (Florida) and defensive lineman LT Overton (Alabama), respectively, leaving only one final pick to make in the seventh round.
It has now been made: with the 218th-overall pick, and final one of the Cowboys in 2026, they select wide receiver Anthony Smith out of Eastern Carolina.
Round 7 (218): Anthony Smith, WR, ECU
Key things to know:
- 60 games/26 starts in ECU
- 2,140 all-purpose yards with 17 career collegiate TDs
- First Team All-American Conference (2025)
- Go Bowling Military Bowl MVP (2025)
- Second Team All-American (2025)
- 4.43s average 40-yard dash time (Pro Day)
Scouting Report + Fit:
Smith has burners and he isn't afraid to turn them on. He began his collegiate career at North Carolina State where his first four collegiate seasons refining his skills. He'd eventually transfer to East Carolina in 2024, where he put those skills to use in a major way — breaking out for the Pirates. His two seasons at ECU saw Smith explode for a combined 1,852 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns, impressively showing he could produce at a high level in both seasons (versus simply having one explosive year that carried the other).
At 6-foot-2, 185 lbs., Smith isn't the most massive receiver on the field, but he doesn't need to be. His combination of sub-4.45s speed (Pro Day average), length and a 41" vertical was a nightmare for receivers during his days with the Pirates. To that point, he averaged 18 yards per reception over the past two seasons, and he joins a Cowboys' receivers room that, behind CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens and Ryan Flournoy, is wildly unsettled.
Expect him to make some waves this summer and possibly beyond, and his reunion with Shavon Revel in Dallas is an interesting tidbit that's worth mentioning here as well.
In a defense-heavy draft that included only two offensive players, Smith getting the nod as one of them certainly means something — the Cowboys not wanting to risk him to undrafted free agency.
