Let the 2026 Dallas Cowboys draft season begin.
From now through the 2026 NFL Draft in April, we’ll be tracking expert mock drafts and rounding up who each analyst has Dallas selecting with its two first-round picks.
Following the Green Bay Packers’ Wild Card loss to the Chicago Bears, the Cowboys will own the No. 12 pick, plus the No. 20 pick acquired in the Micah Parsons trade.
With holes all over the roster (mainly on defense), here’s the first wave of mock draft projections for Dallas this week.
Pick for No. 12: Sonny Styles LB Ohio State
Analysis: “Sonny Styles feels like exactly what the Cowboys need in their front seven: someone with elite range who also is assignment-sure. The former safety turned linebacker is easily the best tackler at the position in the draft class.”
Pick for No. 20: T.J. Parker EDGE Clemson
Analysis: “T.J. Parker is, at minimum, an upgrade for the Cowboys in the run game. He’s a powerful defensive end who’s been productive ever since his freshman year at Clemson. It would bolster their by-committee approach in the wake of the Micah Parsons trade.”
Pick for No. 12: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
Analysis: “The last time the Cowboys had multiple top-20 picks, in 2005, they went with two defenders (Demarcus Ware and Marcus Spears). That is the expected approach for Dallas in the upcoming draft, too. At 6 feet 4 and 240 pounds with 4.5 speed, Styles is a freak of nature. He doesn’t miss tackles, and his read-react skills get better with every game.”
Pick for No. 20: Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
Analysis: “Terrell, the younger brother of Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell, doesn’t have elite size — and it shows at times versus bigger targets. But he does have NFL-level athleticism and competes like a linebacker. Over the last two seasons, Terrell has combined for 25 passes defended and eight forced fumbles. He has a “Honey Badger” aura to him.”
Max Chadwick – Pro Football Focus
Pick for No. 12: EDGE Keldric Faulk, Auburn
Analysis: “The Cowboys have the seventh-worst team run-defense grade in the NFL this year and four upcoming free agents at edge defender. Dallas finds a new running mate for Donovan Ezeiruaku here in Faulk. He has an outstanding 89.2 PFF run-defense grade over the last two years at Auburn.”
Pick for No. 20: LB C.J. Allen, Georgia
Analysis: “After selecting edge defender Keldric Faulk at No. 12, the Cowboys continue to boost their run defense with Allen here. His 88.6 PFF run-defense grade is ninth among Power Four linebackers this year.”
Justin Melo – The Draft Network
Pick for No. 12: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
Analysis: “The Dallas Cowboys fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus after one season. The defense is an abomination, largely thanks to the ill-timed Micah Parsons trade. The linebackers need to get considerably better. Acquiring Logan Wilson and Kenneth Murray via trade wasn’t a solution. Sonny Styles is an excellent athlete with rare movement skills and coverage abilities.”
Pick for No. 20: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
Analysis: “The Cowboys drafted an injured cornerback last year in Shavon Revel Jr., and that decision will eventually pay full dividends. They double down on this strategy here with Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy, who did not play in 2025 due to a January torn ACL. McCoy is an elite corner prospect who would address this disastrous Cowboys secondary.”
Nate Tice – Charles McDonald – Yahoo Sports
Pick for No. 12: Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn
Analysis: “While the thought of passing on a talented running back like Jeremiyah Love might be too much for Jerry Jones to handle, the Cowboys’ defense must add more talent this offseason. They currently don’t have a defensive coordinator, but Faulk’s versatility and strength against the run make him a fit regardless. Faulk is long, can hold up against the run, align at multiple spots, is young, and has developed more as a pass rusher this season, even if his box score numbers weren’t overwhelming. He can be more of a DeMarcus Lawrence replacement than Micah Parsons.”
Pick for No. 20: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
Analysis: “Jerry Jones can breathe easy because Love is still there for Dallas’ second selection, which is as high as can be reasonably expected thanks to the Packers’ early playoff loss to the Bears. The Cowboys have a young and talented offensive line with quality coaching under Klayton Adams, who turned the run game into a weapon in 2025. Love is a true first-round quality running back who can take any play to the house as a runner and receiver. Putting him behind the Cowboys’ line with a dangerous passing attack could make things go supernova on offense in Big D.”
Vinnie Iyer – The Sporting News
Pick for No. 12: Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn
Analysis: “The Cowboys must address their pass rush again early after trading Micah Parsons. Faulk is a natural dominant force against the run and has high upside in getting to the quarterback.”
Pick for No. 20: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
Analysis: “The Cowboys got tired of Trevon Diggs’ inconsistency and need to have a sound, well-rounded cornerback who can handle different kinds of coverage for what will be a new-look defense minus fired coordinator Matt Eberflus. Delane can deliver that with high shutdown potential to complement DaRon Bland.”
Pick for No. 12: Spencer Fano, IOL, Utah
Analysis: “Fano is an athletic, technically sound right tackle who plays with a strong base, quick feet and excellent balance in pass protection. He consistently mirrors speed rushers, handles stunts with patience and control and redirects smoothly against bendy edge defenders. While not an overpowering mauler, he anchors effectively and rarely gets knocked off his spot. In the run game, Fano thrives in wide-zone schemes, using his mobility to reach the second level and finish blocks.”
Pick for No. 20: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
Analysis: “Styles is a fast, physical linebacker who flies downhill and makes plays all over the field. He’s tough enough to take on offensive linemen in the box, athletic enough to cover ground in space and smart enough to handle multiple roles across a defense. Whether he’s blitzing, filling a gap or dropping into coverage, he plays with urgency, confidence and the kind of versatility coaches love.”
Christian D’Andrea – For The Win USA Today
Pick for No. 12: Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn
Analysis: “Does Jerry Jones truly want to shore up his run defense? If so, Clemson’s Peter Woods could be the call here. Is he in the market for a Trevon Diggs replacement? There’s Mansoor Delane and Jermod McCoy, among others. But the combination of need and cost savings at a high cost position instead shift the focus to Faulk, a high potential pass rusher who could lift a team that went from a top-four pressure rate with Micah Parsons in the lineup to the middle of the NFL pack without him.
“Faulk brings proven production (seven sacks in 2024 before this fall’s down year) and the size Cincinnati covets up front (6-foot-6, 285 pounds). He’s not a one-dimensional edge rusher, either; he has legitimate chops on the ground for a defense that ranked 29th in rushing EPA allowed in 2025.”
Pick for No. 20: CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson
Analysis: “Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald could be an answer up front with Kenny Clark on the wrong side of 30. But cornerback is a more pressing need and a top-three prospect has slid into Dallas’ range.
“Not a single defensive back in the Cowboys locker room finished 2025 with a passer rating under 99 when targeted. Terrell, with 22 breakups the last two seasons (and eight! forced! fumbles!) would be rain to that desert. With elite acceleration and lateral movement, he’s difficult to shake — even if he’s a bit smaller than Jerry Jones might prefer at under six feet tall.”
Pick for No. 12: CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
Analysis: “Dallas’ pass defense was awful down the stretch in 2025 and the team parted ways with Trevon Diggs before the end of the regular season. It depends on who calls the defense in 2026 but Delane would be an ideal, savvy technician on the outside to shut down opposing wide receivers.”
Pick for No. 20: Houston Texans (from Green Bay via Dallas): OT Spencer Fano, Utah
Analysis: “Dallas has just two top-100 picks so they move back with a fellow Texas team to net an extra pick. Houston moves up to make sure they get the top tackle prospect in the class to build up the unit in front of C.J. Stroud.”
