Cowboys' Draft Strategy: Trades & Linebackers

0:00On April 7th, Dallas Cowboys rolled into the 2026 NFL Draft with more picks than last year, sitting pretty at number 12 and number, 20 overall. Those spots came from trading star Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers back in late August, giving them a shot at two top 15 talents if things break right. They got more active in free agency this time around, but still got holes at linebacker and edge rusher. Plus, they clawed back a third rounder after shipping OSA, Odiji Zua to the San Francisco 49ers in March, so now they're eyeing ways to wheel, and deal, maybe slide back for extra picks or jump up for a must-have guy. Jerry Jones, the owner and GM, laid it out straight during league meetings. Their game for trades up, down or sideways. He said they've crunched the numbers on every angle to snag high end talent without getting burned. Steven Jones, the VP and scouting director, backs that up, noting picks get hotter as draft

1:00eight years with teams chasing the best fits. Front office is locked on linebacker as priority one, with names like Sunny Styles, Jacob Rodriguez, Arvel Reese, and CJ Allen in the mix for round. One, no big last second bombshells expected, but they're plotting every scenario to rebuild strong. This draft could reshape the Cowboys future for years.