Schrager Mock: Cowboys Snag Defensive Studs

0:00On April 7th, ESPN's Peter Schreger dropped his first 2026 NFL mock draft this week, and he's got the Dallas Cowboys snagging too key. Defensive studs early. Straight from his chats with team insiders at the league meetings, he projects them picking safety Caleb Downs from Ohio State at number 12. Overall, then at number 20, Ed rusher, Akeem Mesador from Miami slides right to them. Schreger keeps it real by only doing two mocks a year. Laser focus on accuracy from direct sources, no wild guesses. He's proven in lately, nailing the Cowboys first round spots last year with Tyler Gaiden at 24 and Tyler Booker at 12 the year before. That. Fans are buzzing because the Cowboys secondary got torch last season, coughing up 54 plays of 25 yards or more. The worst in the league. Downs could lock that down, teaming with Jalen Thompson and Malik Hooker. Ohio State's DC, Matt Patricia called him the smartest guy on any roster and a franchise space high praise.

1:02Mesador's the plug and play vet at 25 years old. Terrorizing QBs with 12 and a half sacks and 17 and a half tackles for loss in. 2025 Cowboys met him at the combine and analytics peg number 20 as a prime landing spot for the Canadian Beast. Schreger's got one more mock locked in before draft week, so keep ears open. This early intel from a proven source could shape how Dallas rebuilds that. D-Lime and back end.