2026 Dallas Cowboys Mock Draft: 7-Round Projection
Draft Capital: 8 picks | Overall Grade: B Last Updated: June 08, 2026Overview
Dallas Cowboys enter the 2026 NFL Draft with 8 selections. Biggest needs: Inside Linebacker, Cornerback, Safety.
Complete Draft Class:---
Complete Pick-by-Pick Analysis
Pick #12 - Dallas Cowboys: Caleb Downs, Safety, Ohio State
Rank: #5 overall | Grade: A+ Why This Pick:Dallas is the winner of the entire first round. Watching the fourth-ranked player slide to 12 and being in position to grab him three picks past Dallas's listed safety need is the kind of value a Super Bowl contender dreams about. Safety was the third-listed need, but this pick is pure best-player-available territory -- the equivalent of finding a franchise quarterback at 12.
The Fit:Downs is called the defensive version of a franchise quarterback for a reason -- elite football IQ, cornerback-level fluidity in man coverage, and the kind of versatility that lets a defensive coordinator put him in the slot, in the box, or as a deep-third single-high. His 2023 Alabama tape (107 tackles as a freshman) and the Ohio State production that followed (60 tackles, 2 INT in 2025) scream plug-and-play. The Budda Baker comp is fair; he's undersized, but nothing else about his game is.
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Pick #20 - Dallas Cowboys: Avieon Terrell, Nickel Cornerback, Clemson
Rank: #24 overall | Grade: B+ Trade: Dallas Cowboys acquired this pick from the Green Bay Packers. Why This Pick:Addresses key depth concern. While Nickel Cornerback wasn't the top priority, Avieon Terrell's talent at #24 overall was too good to pass up. Sometimes value trumps need.
The Fit:Avieon Terrell brings immediate impact to Dallas Cowboys. Avieon Terrell brings NFL bloodlines and elite technique to the 2026 NFL Draft as the younger brother of Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell, who was selected 16th overall in 2020. At 5'11", 185 pounds, the Clemson junior has established himself... His best trait—best zone-coverage eyes among nation's corners—fits perfectly with what this team needs. Projects as a A.J. Terrell's younger brother with similar technique-type player at the NFL level.
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Pick #92 - Dallas Cowboys: De'Zhaun Stribling, Wide Receiver, Ole Miss
Rank: #93 overall | Grade: C+ Trade: Dallas Cowboys acquired this pick from the San Francisco 49ers. Why This Pick:Addresses key depth concern. While Wide Receiver wasn't the top priority, De'Zhaun Stribling's talent at #93 overall was too good to pass up. Sometimes value trumps need.
The Fit:De'Zhaun Stribling brings immediate impact to Dallas Cowboys. De'Zhaun Stribling is a developmental X-receiver prospect from Ole Miss who checks the physical boxes at 6-2 and 210 pounds with the play strength ball skills and contested-catch ability NFL teams covet on the outside. Originally from Hawaii Striblin... His best trait—long-striding vertical threat eating up cushion quickly versus off-man coverage—fits perfectly with what this team needs. Projects as a Romeo Doubs-type player at the NFL level.
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Pick #112: Anthony Lucas (Edge Rusher, USC) - Grade C. Day 3 value pick. Depth addition with special teams potential. Pick #152: Nate Boerkircher (Tight End, Texas A&M) - Grade C. Day 3 value pick. Depth addition with special teams potential. Pick #177: Harold Perkins Jr (Outside Linebacker, LSU) - Grade C-. Day 3 value pick. Depth addition with special teams potential. Pick #180: Drew Shelton (Offensive Tackle, Penn State) - Grade C-. Day 3 value pick. Depth addition with special teams potential. Pick #218: TJ Hall (Cornerback, Iowa) - Grade C-. Day 3 value pick. Depth addition with special teams potential.---
Draft Class Summary
Overall Grade: B | 8 positions addressed across 8 picks.---