Cowboys' Draft Focus: Elite Defense in Round 1

0:00On April 2nd, Dallas Cowboys rolling into the 2026 NFL draft with two first round picks after shipping Mike Apparsons to Green Bay last season. That trade left holes, so their laser focus on rebuilding the defense early. This offseason, they flip for edge rusher Rashan Gary and locked in safety Jalen Thompson along with cornerback Kobe Durant. Solid ads, but the front office knows they need elite talent to compete, especially with those top picks at 12th and 20th overall. Experts like Eric Edholm from NFL.com see them targeting a lockdown corner from Tennessee, Jermad McCoy right at 12th. He balled out with four interceptions and nine pass breakups in 2024 before an ACL setback, but his pro day numbers 4.3. 840 38 inch verte, got scouts hyped. Meanwhile at 20, Mesa door, the explosive edge from Miami, fits perfect with his 12 and half sacks last year.

1:00He's got that raw power and speed Dallas craves to terrorize quarterbacks. These mocks highlight how the Cowboys could dominate round 1 on D, but with a huge gap to their third rounder at 92, a trade down might, shake things up, draft buzz is building.