Cowboys Draft: Downs, Lawrence, Davis, Elarms-Orr

0:00It's April 24th. This is Dallas News today, AI-powered stories from your city. I'm Cory with the story. The Dallas Cowboys came out swinging on opening night of the 2026 NFL draft, nabbing two prime defenders in the first round. They grabbed Ohio State Safety Caleb Downs and UCF Edge R Usher, Malachi Lawrence. Exactly the guys their defensive coordinator had his eye on to beef. Up the back end, Jerry Jones worked his magic with some sharp trades, moving up for downs, and then sliding back for Lawrence in a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. That swapped turn two fifth round picks into a pair of fourth rounders, giving Dallas extra ammo heading into day two on Saturday night. Fans and analysts are buzzing about how these picks shore up a defense that needed speed and size right away. Downs brings elite coverage skills, while Lawrence adds that disruptive pass rush, setting up a secondary that could lock down opponents early. Starting ahead in our mock draft, the Cowboys trade up on day two to snag Washington

1:01corner back to Cario Davis at pick 92. He's a tall, fast playmaker at six foot three with a length to jam receivers and the speed to run with anyone. They keep the momentum going by dealing with the Jacksonville Jaguars for TCU linebacker Caleb Alarms or at pick 100. With his instincts tackling and sideline speed, he fills a key gap at linebacker, paving the way for Dallas to build a nasty front seven that, contends deep into the season.