FRISCO, Texas – Only ten days remain until the Cowboys are on the clock in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
It's a pivotal draft for Dallas, who is looking to land difference makers to help turn around a team that went 7-9-1 in Brian Schottenheimer's first year as a head coach. Many have predicted the picks to come on the defensive side of the ball, a unit that is in need of a much better year after being among the worst in franchise history in 2025.
The good news for the Cowboys is they'll have two picks to look to improve their team, and have said repeatedly they're not pigeonholed into drafting defense with one or even both of their picks.
What do draft analysts think the Cowboys will do at 12 and 20? Let's find out in this week's Mock Draft Monday:
12th: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
"Buckeyes defensive coordinator Matt Patricia told me on "The Schrager Hour" that Downs will be the smartest player on whichever team drafts him and should be a face of the franchise. The Cowboys need that on defense, even if safety isn't valued the same as pass rusher or cornerback. Downs could team up with Jalen Thompson and Malik Hooker on the back end and help curtail the big plays that hurt Dallas last season (gave up 54 plays of 25-plus yards, most in the NFL). If he's on the board, he would be a steal at No. 12."
20th: Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami
"Mesidor is one of the older players in this class, having just turned 25 years old, but he also might be the prospect most ready to make an immediate impact. He was an absolute menace for Miami, and he'd immediately become one of Dallas' top pass rushers off the edge. Mesidor tallied 12.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss in 2025."
12th: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
"McCoy missed all of last season after tearing his ACL in January 2025, and so all eyes were on his pro day at the end of March. The fact that he aced his testing in front of NFL personnel should help cement his status as a top-tier corner in this class. And it just so happens the Cowboys need an elite CB."
20th: Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn
"The Cowboys have prioritized upgrading their defense this offseason, and Faulk is another piece in that overall goal. He's a massive edge rusher who could provide some positional flexibility as Dallas transitions its defense under new coordinator Christian Parker."
12th: Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn
"Faulk's draft position varies wildly from evaluator to evaluator. I am personally a fan who is willing to bet on his youth (doesn't turn 21 until September), S-tier run stopping ability, and pocket-pushing upside, but I understand if his lack of pass rush production and refinement could have you taking a more glass half-empty outlook. The Cowboys need to keep bolstering their defense to match their potentially high-octane offense, and nabbing Faulk would add even more stoutness to the reworked front, with the added bonus of having experience playing from the inside as well."
20th: Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
"The Cowboys look to take the best player at the cornerback position who can hang on the outside, and in this exercise that ends up being the talented Hood. The other Tennessee corner near the top of this draft class is a dynamic player in his own right, and he would give the Cowboys another body to throw at a position that has Shavon Revel (who has size and talent, but was recovering from a college injury) and the recently signed Cobie Durant (a stopgap option for Dallas who I actually liked as a middle-class add). Cornerbacks can be looked at like pitchers in baseball: You can't have enough of them."
12th: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
"McCoy didn't play this past fall, but that likely won't stop the Cowboys from adding what could be a No. 1 corner at the next level. His ability in man coverage is second to none in this draft class."
20th: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
"Fano may slip due to length concerns, and if he does, the Cowboys would have no issue adding him to a burgeoning offensive line. He could eventually replace Terence Steele at right tackle and give Dallas one of the NFL's best run-blocking lines."
3rd (via projected trade with Cardinals): David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech
"In lying season, it's impossible to know when you can take people at their word. But with Dallas holding two first-round picks for the first time since 2008, Jerry Jones recently acknowledged that he has pondered making a move.
"I've looked at that mirror a lot, about how to go up and down and trade and do those kinds of things," the Cowboys owner said at the Annual League Meeting.
What if Jerry ultimately decides to flip those two first-rounders (Nos. 12 and 20) for the third overall draft slot, where he can snatch up last season's FBS co-leader in sacks? The Cowboys acquired the extra 1 (No. 20) in the Micah Parsons trade, so it's narratively attractive to use it to acquire a fresh edge terror. And I like how this hypothetical deal resets the board in today's thought experiment."
