Cowboys Draft: Defensive Powerhouse

0:00It's April 26th, I'm Cory with the story, and this is NFL News Today, your AI-powered football briefing. The Dallas Cowboys turn heads in the 2026 NFL Draft, snag-and-top defensive talent to rebuild after losing Michael Parsons. They grab Bill Hioe State's safety Caleb Downs at Pick 11 in Round 1. UCF Eddresher Malachai Lawrence at Pick 23 and kept the value. Coming with Michigan's Jay-Shan Barham, Penn State's Drew Shelton, Florida's Devin Moore, Alabama's LT Overton, and East Carolina's Anthony Smith. They didn't stop there, trading the fifth round picked to San Francisco for linebacker D-Winters, filling key gaps on defense without reaching for stars. Experts are mostly hyped, with ESPN dropping in A for nail-and-edge Russian needs and solid role players, while sports illustrated match that A. Raising how they paired new blood with existing pieces like Roshan Gary, NFL.com, hidden with a B-plus across days, calling down to steel, but not in Shelton, came a tad early.

1:05USA Today went B-minus, questioning if they truly replace Parsons, but truth is, they build deeper lines that won't crumble if one guys out. Jones could have a smarter, sturdier unit for the long haul.