2026 Draft Week Chatter Thread...

NoDak said:
I was posting threads with our draft picks, but somebody who shall go unnamed horned in, and took over the responsibility.
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Sorry, man. I appreciate you as a poster and as a friend. I never meant for you to feel unappreciated. That was a lapse in courtesy on my part. Something I should really work on getting better at. I thank you for being the friend that isn’t afraid to have the tough talk when it is needed. Now, fuck off.
 
Cotton said:
Sorry, man. I appreciate you as a poster and as a friend. I never meant for you to feel unappreciated. That was a lapse in courtesy on my part. Something I should really work on getting better at. I thank you for being the friend that isn’t afraid to have the tough talk when it is needed. Now, fuck off.
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I’m on my phone or you would be hit with a yawning/bored .gif that you’d never recover from.
 
Chocolate Lab said:
I'm not even through it all but this is actually pretty good. Maybe as much as we've heard Parker speak yet.

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A few interesting notes from that:

-At the Senior Bowl the area scout for Overton thought he was a top 3 round player, he was probably one of the 8 3rd round grades left in the 4th.
-Also during the Senior Bowl the area scouts had Rodriguez and Muhammad as day 3 (round 4-7) guys. That was during the Senior Bowl and before the Combine, so I'm sure Rodriguez was bumped to a "1-3" prospect after all that, Muhammad presumably stayed in that 4-7 range since they passed on him a few times in the 4th.
-Thieneman was a 30 visit that never got reported, if Downs wasn't there I bet it would've been either him or Bain at 12, assuming no trade down.
-According to Schottenheimer they thought Miami would take Downs based on chatter they were hearing.
 
Chocolate Lab said:
I'm not even through it all but this is actually pretty good. Maybe as much as we've heard Parker speak yet.

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That was really interesting. Have they put out this kind of video before this year? I have never seen it before if they have. It was really cool getting see behind the scenes of the combine interviews. I have always wondered kinda how those looked. And, how lucky are we to get those two in the first? Both of them obviously smart. Great character. Love football. And most of all are obviously from good families with how they show respect to everyone they interact with. Very cool. Props for posting, brother. Good find.
 
Cotton said:
That was really interesting. Have they put out this kind of video before this year?
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The most I remember are vids with just a few seconds of them at a pro day or something, but nothing with even close to this level of detail.
 
Chocolate Lab said:
The most I remember are vids with just a few seconds of them at a pro day or something, but nothing with even close to this level of detail.
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I hope they continue doing this going forward. It was really interesting getting to see how the process works and to hear directly from the coaches and scouts what they had to say about each player.
 
Simpleton said:
-Thieneman was a 30 visit that never got reported, if Downs wasn't there I bet it would've been either him or Bain at 12, assuming no trade down.
-According to Schottenheimer they thought Miami would take Downs based on chatter they were hearing.
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I thought the same when I saw him. Nice to see not everything leaks out... Or maybe people in the building didn't think a relatively normal size white boy was a player. :lol

And they obviously did like Bain a lot. I assume it was he they were speaking about regarding how much the coaches loved him, etc. Makes me wonder if some of the arm length concern was disinformation.

Also, can't remember who, 105.3 or Moore, said after the draft they actually did think Miami was going to take Downs and it was only after some texts back and forth they realized they weren't, and then the phone calls started.
 

Dallas Cowboys: B+​



R1 (11)Caleb Downs -- S, Ohio StateA
R1 (23)Malachi Lawrence -- EDGE, UCFC
R3 (92)Jaishawn Barham -- EDGE, MichiganA
R4 (112)Drew Shelton -- OT, Penn StateA-
R4 (114)Devin Moore -- CB, FloridaB+
R4 (137)LT Overton -- EDGE, AlabamaB+
R7 (218)Anthony Smith -- WR, East CarolinaB-


The talk of draft season was that the Cowboys would trade up if one of their favorite defensive prospects was there for the taking. They were also identified as a trade-down candidate with their No. 20 pick. Jerry Jones made both of those predictions come to life -- all while securing a couple of terrific defensive prospects to fill his team's glaring needs.

Caleb Downs remaining on the board outside the top 10 was the catalyst for a transaction with the Dolphins. He has the potential to be a long-term leader of this defense.

All kinds of help is on the way in the edge rusher unit. This group was a glaring weakness following the Micah Parsons trade and became the focal point of Dallas' draft plans. Malachi Lawrence was available at No. 23 after the Cowboys made an intra-division swap with the Eagles, Jaishawn Barham came off the board the following day and LT Overton made it three consecutive days with an edge rusher pick.

www.cbssports.com

2026 NFL Draft team grades are in: Full report cards for all 32 clubs

Now that all 257 picks are in, here's how every team's draft class stacked up
www.cbssports.com www.cbssports.com
 
23. Dallas Cowboys: B-

They traded up in Round 1 (S Caleb Downs, 11th overall). They traded down in Round 1 (OLB Malachi Lawrence, 23rd overall). They spent three additional picks on a defense that gave up the most points in the league in 2025. They used their third-round pick as part of the trade for WR George Pickens last spring – a great move in the short run, but a tenuous situation that will apparently bleed over into 2027. As with most things Cowboys, it can be interpreted a number of ways. But good luck finding anyone who thinks Lawrence, essentially part of the package from Green Pay as part of the 2025 Parsons mega-deal, and others will ultimately be worth the ultimate cost.

www.usatoday.com

NFL draft grades: Ranking all 32 teams' 2026 classes, with lowly Jets earning an A+

With the 2026 NFL draft complete, it's time to hand out grades. Which teams topped our ranking of the best team classes, and which fell to the bottom?
www.usatoday.com
 

Dallas Cowboys: B​

Picks: 7 | WAA added: 1.021 (Rank 18/32)​

  • Pick 11: S Caleb Downs, Ohio State Buckeyes
  • Pick 23: ED Malachi Lawrence, UCF Knights
  • Pick 92: ED Jaishawn Barham, Michigan Wolverines
  • Pick 112: T Drew Shelton, Penn State Nittany Lions
  • Pick 114: CB Devin Moore, Florida Gators
  • Pick 137: ED LT Overton, Alabama Crimson Tide
  • Pick 218: WR Anthony Smith, East Carolina Pirates
Highest-graded pick (2025): S Caleb Downs, Ohio State Buckeyes (87.5)

Downs: As is often the case with safety prospects, Downs slid further than he appeared on most big boards. Dallas traded up one spot to ensure it got its guy. It’s hard to find much fault with Downs’ college career, as he earned 85.0-plus PFF grades in three consecutive seasons — one at Alabama and two at Ohio State. He should be a stabilizing force on the back end for a Dallas secondary that ranked last in PFF coverage grade as a unit in 2025.

Lawrence: Lawrence joins 2025 first-round pick Donovan Ezeiruaku and Rashan Gary as notable additions on the edge over the past year after the team traded away Micah Parsons. Lawrence profiles as a rotational pass rusher who could make an early impact in that role, coming off an 89.5 PFF pass-rush grade last season at UCF. This pick profiles as a reach to address a need, with Lawrence coming in around No. 50 on the Consensus Big Board.

Barham: Barham presents a challenging evaluation as a tweener, but his profile carries clear upside. He earned a 79.3 PFF grade in 2025 and ranked 14th among edge defenders in wins above average (0.23), which reflects strong overall impact. He stands out as a disruptive run defender and offers flashes as a pass rusher, supported by an explosive athletic profile, though his lighter frame may limit his role at the next level. The overall projection points to a mid-round sleeper with the potential to develop into a valuable contributor in the right scheme.

Shelton: Shelton delivered his best season at Penn State in 2025, earning a 70.6 PFF overall grade. However, his transition inside will require improvement in the run game, where he owns a 54.7 career PFF grade.

Moore: Moore is an appealing Day 2 prospect with a strong blend of length, speed and ball skills for press-man coverage, though his injury history could impact his draft position.

Overton: Overton fits best as a 3-4 defensive end with inside-out versatility. He can contribute in a 4-3 as a power end, but his lack of bend and stride length limits his ability to consistently threaten the edge.

Smith: Smith has been efficient throughout his extended college career, averaging 2.42 yards per route run with 5.9 yards after the catch per reception. Ball security and run blocking have limited his profile, but his quickness and 6-foot-2 frame could still earn him a look at the next level.

www.pff.com

2026 NFL Draft Grades and Team Recap

PFF data ranks all 32 draft classes with WAR, value index, steals and reaches from the 2026 NFL Draft. Unlock the data.
www.pff.com www.pff.com
 
Grade
B+

Dallas Cowboys

Draft picks:​

Grades:​

Analysis:​

  • Dallas had the steal of the first round, trading two fifth-round picks to move up one spot for Downs; he should be a long-time defensive leader able to make plays in the deep half, flat and the box. The 'Boys moved down from Green Bay's first-round selection, acquired in the Micah Parsons trade, to pick Lawrence, who has potential because of his length and athleticism but carries risk as a late riser in the evaluation process. They traded their original Day 2 picks for veterans Quinnen Williams and George Pickens but were still able to select Barham, a versatile second-level defender, in the third round after sending defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa to the 49ers back in March.
  • Shelton's 2025 game tape did not scream fourth-round pick to me, but the team can develop him into a swing tackle in time. Dallas received two fourth-round picks from Philadelphia in the teams' first-round trade. They used one of those selections on the physical but injury-plagued Moore and the other on Overton, who might compete to replace Osa Odighizuwa on the interior. The Cowboys filled a glaring need by trading a fifth-round pick to the 49ers for LB Dee Winters. Look for Smith to fight for a roster spot as a receiver who can stretch the field.
www.nfl.com

2026 NFL Draft: Final snap grades for every team

Now that all seven rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft have been completed, Chad Reuter reveals his final snap grades for each team in the league.
www.nfl.com www.nfl.com
 
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