2026 Draft Week Chatter Thread...

Dallas Cowboys
Grade: B-

Here's why: The Caleb Downs selection was a no-brainer and a home run. He’s talented and a leader who will solidify the back end of a defense that desperately needs it. I’m a little cooler on Malachi Lawrence, whom I was more comfortable taking later than in the first round. But Lawrence has speed and can get after the quarterback, a skill set that’s always valued. Drew Shelton has talent but was inconsistent, so he gives offensive coordinator Klayton Adams an interesting project to work with. LT Overton had a disappointing season, but he’s heavy-handed and can move along the defensive line. His inside-outside ability will make him useful.

Most interesting pick: Jaishawn Barham, Edge/LB, Michigan

Barham is a twitchy athlete who is relentless in getting after the ball carrier. He had experience as an edge defender and lining up off-ball in college. While he had flashes at both spots, he can work himself out of plays when aligned off the ball at linebacker and lacks ideal size on the edge. That might not make him a player for everybody. He does both well enough that there’s potential if he’s able to continue to hone his talent. And he’s actually a cleaner fit in Christian Parker’s defensive scheme than you’d think if used like how Zack Baun was in Philadelphia, another tweener-type moved off-ball with forays on the edge.

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2026 NFL Draft grades: Giants among 4 teams with an A, while a Super Bowl contender doesn't do so hot

The NFL Draft is in the books, and now so are Nate Tice and Charles McDonald's team grades. How did yours fare?
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Dallas Cowboys​

Top needs entering the draft: Edge rusher, linebacker, cornerback

You'll notice the only top needs listed here are on defense. The 2025 unit was outrageously bad: 6.1 yards allowed per play (31st), 30.1 points allowed per game (32nd), minus-153 EPA (32nd), 58.4 opponent QBR (29th), 47.3% opponent third-down rate (32nd) ... the list just keeps going. Big plays had an especially big role in the Cowboys' defensive shortcomings, as they allowed a league-high 54 plays of 25 or more yards.

So it's no surprise that the Cowboys' first three picks -- and five of their seven total -- came on that side of the ball. They made splashes in Round 1, trading up for Caleb Downs and trading down for Malachi Lawrence.

Downs fell out of the top 10 despite ranking sixth in my rankings, and Dallas took the opportunity to trade up one spot to get him. Downs' pre-snap instincts are elite, which allow him to play top-down and make plays on the ball in coverage (six career INTs). But he can sniff out run plays and wrap up as a tackler in open space, too. He's just a tremendous football player, and he's going to change everything in that secondary. Safety wasn't a top three need, but he will join free agent addition Jalen Thompson to turn a safety room with 2025 questions into one with 2026 promise. It's tough to get a steal at No. 11, but Dallas might have done it.

Getting Lawrence later in Round 1 made things even better. Edge rusher was my No. 1 need for Dallas, and Lawrence had seven sacks and 14 tackles for loss last season. Jadeveon Clowney led the team with 8.5 sacks last season, but he's still unsigned. Between trading for Rashan Gary and drafting Lawrence, third-rounder Jaishawn Barham and fourth-rounder LT Overton, the Cowboys are at least building that unit back up after dealing away Micah Parsons before last season. And I thought the Barham and Overton picks were good value.

 
Anybody downgrading our "grade" for the Lawrence pick just shows how high on their own supply these draft media types get.

Like how some bashed the Booker pick last year and he was obviously an absolute stud for our scheme. They just don't take the intricacies of scheme into account and base everything off their generic "board" that isn't really met for any particular team or scheme.
 


Damn, look at the Niners. In fact most of the teams with metrosexual head coaches picked away from consensus.
 
They really needed to hit a home run in the fourth and instead it was more like a single or even a sacrifice bunt to advance a runner.

Overton was great.

I think I would have taken WR Bryce Lance with that first 4th rounder. And if you wanted a developmental tackle, Pounds was there as your 7th. Then you still come away with a tackle and WR. That probably bumps it up to an A for me.

The more I think about it the more I feel they botched the fourth a bit and they really needed to hit it out.
 
NoDak said:
What is so special about Pounds? Has he been drafted yet?
Click to expand...

What’s special about Shelton?

Pounds is a developmental tackle with road grading traits. I see a solid RT if he hits. Could move to guard as well.

Would rather have had the combination of Lance and Pounds than Shelton and Smith.
 
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