In the final stretch of 2025, after Week 17, opposing offenses had put up points on 27 or 36 drives against the Dallas Cowboys. That’s a 75% scoring rate. Week after week, it didn’t matter who was lining up across from them: eliminated teams, backup quarterbacks, depleted rosters. The Cowboys gave up yards and points like a practice squad. But now Jerry Jones has a chance to fix that with his 2026 NFL Draft picks.  But the bigger question surrounding the Star is what the front office really wants to do.

Head coach Brian Schottenheimer had admitted near the end of the 2025 “none of us have coached well enough on defense at times this year.”

To fix that, Dallas brought in new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, who has promised an adaptable 3-4 scheme focused on stopping the run and tormenting quarterbacks. But to do that, he needs roster pieces to build around.

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The best defensive bets at picks 12 and 20

Where Do the Cowboys Still Lack Elite Talent?

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Caleb Downs, the Ohio State safety, sits at no. 3 on EssentiallySports’ 2026 NFL Draft board. He’s a consensus top-five prospect who could slide to 12 because the league typically undervalues the position on draft day, especially in round 1. Dallas could also try to trade up to get him if he doesn’t slide, making it the first time the Cowboys would move up in the first round since 2012. And Downs certainly makes the case for it.

“I feel like I’ve always been able to make plays at any level on the field, whether that’s man, zone, in the box, in the post, in the deep part of the field,” Downs said about his own playstyle in an interview.

As one of the best defensive backs in his class, Downs can lock down the center of the field, follow a slot receiver, or even work in blitz packages. That’s a coordinator’s dream choice, and something that Christian Parker could also highlight during Downs’ top-30 visit.

Several draft analysts also see the scheme fit Downs presents. Peter Schrager’s mock draft lands him in Dallas at 12, calling it a “steal.” NFL Draft expert Fran Duffy, appearing on the DLLS Cowboys Podcast in February, called Downs falling to 12 “the best case scenario” for Dallas, adding that he is “a great player, clear-cut, the best player at his individual position, but then also one of the best individual talents in the draft.” 

Miami’s defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. is another interesting prospect at No. 12. The 2025 ACC Defensive Player of the Year sits 8th overall on our draft board. Bringing a versatility in schemes similar to Downs, Bain is the piece that’s “powerful, nasty and attacks assignments,” per NFL draft expert Tony Pauline.

At pick No. 20, the board thins out, but doesn’t dry up. CJ Allen (LB, Georgia) addresses a linebacker corps that was shredded all year. Kenneth Murray played all 17 games and started 16, but was ineffective enough that Dallas didn’t think twice about letting him walk in free agency. Sonny Styles (LB, Ohio State) is another prospect that Dallas has met. Meanwhile, Mansoor Delane (CB, LSU) is a press-heavy corner who could also promise to be a good fit. 

TJ Parker (EDGE, Clemson) gives Dallas insurance behind Donovan Ezeiruaku, who is coming off of a hip surgery and will miss most of the offseason program. Aveion Terrell (CB, Clemson) is worth consideration as well. Kaiir Elam, acquired from Buffalo to help the secondary last season, was released in November after 10 games without any highlight reels. The trenches already had Quinnen Williams, and now they have Rashan Gary through free agency.

Dallas did patch some defensive gaps in free agency. They brought in Jalen Thompson (Safety), Cobie Durant (CB), Otito Ogbonnia (DT), P.J. Locke (Safety), Derion Kendrick (CB), Jonathan Bullard (DT), and Tyrus Wheat (LB), among a few others. But almost all of them are rotational band-aids, and the linebacker, corner, and safety rooms remain broken. That’s where the first round draft picks need to go. But the problem is that the front office doesn’t entirely agree on that.

The front office divide

At a recent Pro Day, Schottenheimer was asked about his draft plans. He credited the scouts and front office staff for setting the draft board, but then said something the Cowboys Nation wasn’t hoping to hear.

“You want to be prepared to do what we need to do on defense, but certainly we’re not going to pass on a great offensive player if they’re there at one of those spots,” Schottenheimer declared.

Carnell Tate (WR, Ohio State) or Jeremiyah Love (RB, Notre Dame) could be on the board at No. 12, and Dallas could be tempted by potential over need like so many times before. Dallas already has CeeDee Lamb, a freshly tagged George Pickens, and one of the best offenses from last season. They don’t really need any fixing.

Owner and general manager Jerry Jones has spent the offseason making promises as usual. He has also stated back in January that his goal is to become the “owner that won the most Super Bowls.” He also promised to “bust the budget” in free agency, but ranked 19th in free agency spending instead. The biggest tell, though, was Parker admitting Jones hasn’t promised him the first rounders will go to defense, and that he’d have to campaign for it with Jones.

Interestingly, Essentially Sports’ Tony Pauline’s NFL Mock Draft 4.0 has Dallas taking Tennessee cornerback Jerod McCoy at No. 12, noting “Dallas is not afraid to roll the dice on injured players, and McCoy, who looked terrific during pro day, is close to 15 months removed from his injury.

At 20, Pauline goes for Monroe Freeling, a Georgia tackle. Tyler Guyton has been a bust at the spot despite being a former first-rounder. Freeling and McCoy could both address genuine roster gaps.

Jerry Jones, per reports, has already identified two names he’d be willing to trade up for. Whether those targets land on offense or defense shapes everything about how this draft plays out for Dallas.

Fix what’s broken: defense has to come first

Both picks should go to the defense as a direct response to the worst defensive season in franchise history. Free agency covered the trenches with stopgaps, but the linebackers and pass rush depth still need to be added. Dallas recorded just 35 sacks all season, the worst since 2020, and the first time they fell below 40 since Micah Parsons had arrived in 2021.

Freeling at pick No. 20 isn’t wrong in a vacuum. Dallas used a first-round pick on Guyton in 2024 to fix the same position. Spending another first-rounder there when the last one failed isn’t ideal, but if it works, Dallas has one less thing to worry about.

The trade-up scenario is also worth watching. If Jones has a specific defender rated above 12 and moves up to get him, he can justify the aggressive call, given what he’s holding in capital. Incidentally, Caleb Downs and Rueben Bain Jr. are the two names for whom Dallas could reportedly move up.

Christian Parker’s rebuild picks up pace in earnest with picks 12 and 20. But Brian Schottenheimer has already told us he won’t guarantee that. That’s the story unfolding in Dallas right now. Not which players are on the board, but whether Jerry Jones will actually take them.