FRISCO, Texas – So know better. Been doing this long enough to absolutely know better than trying to get ahead writing the day before my Shots will be published on Wednesday, the day before the 2026 NFL Draft. And that was reinforced Wednesday out here at The Star, since now my first Shot has been turned into my third Shot.
That's what happens when 25 minutes into the Cowboys' annual pre-draft press conference scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m., the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, walks into the front entrance of The Star while questions are being thrown at Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, co-owner Stephen Jones, head coach Brian Schottenheimer and vice president of player personnel Will McClay.
Say what?
You heard me straight. And not only does President Clinton walk into The Star, he also walks through the side door into the press conference room to meet an expected Jerry Jones, upstaging anything taking place in there for a good five minutes. Only the Cowboys, right? Bet not any one of the other 31 teams staging a pre-draft press conference this week had the honor of a former President of the United States walking in and saying with a big grin, "I'm negotiating a draft."
Beats the hell out of ending a war.
Can't beat that for a Mick Shot!
Then just less than 10 minutes later comes Shot No. 2: Stephen Jones, when asked about how negotiations with franchised wide receiver George Pickens are going, drops what I had just suggested during a radio interview on Tuesday that the Cowboys are making the decision to have "George play on the franchise tag" for 2026.
Just felt like that's what they have wanted to do all along, first of all realizing they likely could not pay two wide receivers (Pickens and CeeDee Lamb) top position dollars, and two, realize they only have one year of evidence with Pickens to go on, hesitant to make a long-term commitment on just that one season.
Like, let's first see more of the same: 93 catches for 1,429 yards, 15.4 yards a catch and nine receiving touchdowns to lead the team, all career highs for the four-year veteran. Let's see if Pickens indeed is indebted to the team. Hey, they did the same with Dak Prescott, with DeMarcus Lawrence, Tony Pollard, Flozell Adams and twice with Anthony Spencer, seeking further evidence and delaying future financial commitments.
And truth be anticipated, me thinks that's exactly what the Cowboys all along intended last year with Micah Parsons, having him play on his fifth-year option to further judge if he really is worth that long term deal with probably $50 million of guaranteed money that comes with team leadership qualities. That, me thinks, was the intent all along during the supposed protracted negotiations until the Packers presented a deal they couldn't refuse, and exactly why the Cowboys will be drafting starting Thursday with two first-round draft choices.
Which leads me to my previously intended first Shot.
- Sweet Seventeen: Unbeknownst to that prevailing perception the Cowboys consistently struggle in the first round of drafts, just chill. When they are drafting in the first round on the Edge of Seventeen, with regards to Stevie Nicks' 1982 solo hit, the Cowboys have basically experienced a sweet spot selecting between the first pick in the first round and the 17th And this year they are slated to go at No. 12, where they have hit on the likes of Tyler Booker, Micah Parsons and Alvin Harper, but in close proximity to DeMarcus Ware (11), Michael Irvin (11), Tyron Smith (9) and a long time ago with what was then the next to last pick in the then 14-team draft, Bob Lilly (13). That right there is three Hall of Fame players and another on the way (Smith). Then there is this since 17 is not that far from the 20th they currently have, compensation for trading Parsons to the Packers last year. Seventeen includes the finds of Emmitt Smith (1990), Kevin Smith (1992) and CeeDee Lamb (2000), and this might be a stretch but give me some leeway, some guy named Mel Renfro in 1964, when the 17th pick in the draft came third in the second round. So look, here is what my quick study has found. The Cowboys have selected 26 players when drafting between the first pick in the draft and the 17th, and while figuring all this out, will drop that to 25 choices since Booker has been in the league but one season, yet selected to the All-Rookie Team. Now then, those 25 players have produced a grand total of 102 Pro Bowls. That includes seven Pro Football Hall of Famers and eight members of the Ring of Honor with 19 Pro Bowl players, meaning only six did not make that grade. Yet all 25 were starters in their careers. On top of that, chances are Tyron Smith (2011)) and Zack Martin (16 in 2014) are on their way to the Hall of Fame when becoming eligible. So for the worry warts, if history tells us anything, the Cowboys have drafted well when sitting in their own first-round sweet spot, from No. 1 to the edge of 17.
- Speaking Of Sweet: That would be butter, as in Brandon "Butter" Aubrey, their second-round tendered restricted free agent kicker who on Monday signed a four-year extension worth $28 million, including an $8.3 million signing bonus and $20 million guaranteed. So many began asking what took the Cowboys so long to make Aubrey the highest paid kicker in the NFL with an average $7 million a year extension. It wasn't the Cowboys. It was Aubrey and his agent fishing for a higher payout from another team possibly offering the best kicker in the NFL a tender that maybe the Cowboys wouldn't match. Here, listen up to the much appreciative Aubrey, because it's no mere coincidence the restricted tender offer period expired on Friday and Aubrey signed what the Cowboys had been offering on Monday: "The nature of contracts in the NFL being an undrafted guy, even though my contract is up, the Cowboys still have full control over my destiny. They decided to put the second-round tender on me, which for a kicker puts you in the top three or five, I'm not sure which, one of highest paid kickers, which is a big honor. And teams have the ability to give up a second-round draft pick to negotiate a contract with you. And never having been through this process before, you need to explore all avenues. And the idea is to use another team to negotiate for the Cowboys since the Cowboys aren't really incentivized to go crazy and spend money since they own my rights for at least one more year and have the ability to franchise tag you going into the future. So obviously you start really high with the Cowboys before that window opens, and if they are willing to give you whatever super-high contract you think it is, then you take it. If not, then you explore your options and go from there." In other words, you go fishing for a tuna and happily settle for a 20-pound salmon. And in the end, the Cowboys lower Aubrey's 2026 cap hit from the $5.76 million tender to $3.4 million. Winner winners.
- Help Wanted: Heading into Thursday's first round, the Cowboys have three draft choices in the first three rounds, two in the first and one in the third, and very well could be hunting a trade down to pick up a second. Wouldn't be mad if two of those three picks were linebackers. Do you realize that of the 67 players the Cowboys currently have rights to on the 90-man roster maximum, they only technically have three inside linebackers: DeMarvion Overshown, Shemar James and Justin Barron, the latter combining for just two games played with the Cowboys in 2025, though the undrafted rookie took just special teams snaps in the final two games of the season. The need is high.
- But Don't Forget: And Stephen Jones did not hesitate to reveal the Cowboys have been talking with several teams about potential contingency plans to trade for a player at a position they did not check off the box before the draft in free agency. Example, if the Cowboys are unable to draft a starting-quality middle linebacker type, the door still would be open to possibly trade for a veteran a team would want to hang onto until June 1 so guaranteed money could be spread out over two seasons for cap purposes. Makes sense/cents on both sides.
- Dirty Dozen: No, no reference to the Cowboys' 1975 draft when 12 rookies made the team. This has to do with the first round of the 2026 draft. When asked how many players on their board are receiving first-round grades Stephen Jones said, "There is at least going to be a dozen." That's a close call when drafting 12th, probably hoping there's at least a Baker's Dozen.
- Draft Antipasti: The Joneses made no bones when asked a couple of times about if the Cowboys have received pre-draft calls from teams wanting to move up for one of their two first-round draft choices, saying yes they have, both Jerry and Stephen acknowledging … Be aware that the NFL has shortened the time for teams on the clock in the first round from 10 minutes to eight minutes. Competition committee member Stephen Jones said he was in favor of the change, plus pointing out does the fans a favor, too, not having to wait as long between picks … With the draft starting with the Raiders on the clock but a few minutes after 7 p.m., expect the Cowboys to jump on the clock with the 12th pick, trades notwithstanding, around 8:07 p.m. CDT, give or take five minutes if the picks before are exceptionally fast or agonizingly slow … Here is a list of Cowboys defensive players starting games in the 2025 season no longer on the roster, and hang in since it's somewhat long: Osa Odighizuwa, Dante Fowler, Kenneth Murray, Damon Clark, Donovan Wilson, Jadeveon Clowney, Solomon Thomas, Trevon Diggs, Kaiir Elam, Jack Sanborn, Logan Wilson, Mazi Smith, sadly Marshawn Kneeland, Juanyeh Thomas and Perrion Winfrey, along with special teams starter at this time C.J. Goodwin, a total of 16 guys, a lot … And to remind when it comes to the first round of the past 65 Dallas Cowboys NFL Drafts, going back to the first one in 1961, they only once have selected a true safety in the first round, that being Roy Williams out of Oklahoma in 2002 with the eighth pick.
For this pre-draft final word, we turn to Jerry Jones, when asked how nimble the Cowboys must be owning two first-round draft choices at 12 and 20, certainly not knowing more than 24 hours before the start of the 2026 NFL Draft what's going to take place over the first 11 picks, two of those owned by the NFC East foe New York Giants (Nos. 5 and 10). Might the Cowboys need to move up to get the guy they most want? Or can they move back and still get their guy and pick up a Day 2 pick for their troubles? Or do they just stay put?
"Well, you would expect us, and our fans expect us, to be ready," Jones began. "The nature of the way things are today, and candidly, Will's preparation of the staff's, coaching staff's input, scouts, Stephen's, we're as ready as I can ever remember. We have all anticipated getting to be in this draft, and if we can get more value out of the draft than just where the picks line you right now, that'll be where you go from.
"Obviously, if we got something that really excited you going down, there's got to be – logic tells you there's something sitting there that you might ought to look at, too. And I go back to – we were just talking about it this morning – we were strong-oriented toward defense in the Lamb draft, and we didn't go that way. We went with Lamb with the pick. So then that's alive and well. We would, given the right circumstances, yeah, we'll go offense, even though you're saying add up your holes, it's probably more on the defensive side of the ball right now, more questions on the defensive side of the ball. And that's trite almost to say it with our results last year.
"But we've taken all of that in consideration, been taking it in the offseason. There's every kind of trade possible over these next few days, player on other rosters, draft picks, all that's very much in play."
And with these Cowboys over the years, there's always a heckuva lot in play.
