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EspañolThe Dallas Cowboys entered the 2025 NFL season hoping to compete for a playoff berth in Brian Schottenheimer's first year as the team's head coach.
However, the Cowboys traded Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers just a week before their season began. That undermined their chances of getting into the playoff discussion, as Schottenheimer's staff had to rebuild Dallas' defense on the fly.
The results weren't pretty. Dallas finished 7-9-1, but the team was buoyed by a great season from Dak Prescott and its offense. The Cowboys' defense was abysmal, ranking last in the league in defensive EPA per play, per the NFL's Next Gen Stats, and allowing a league-high 30.1 points per game.
The Cowboys will look to fortify their stop-unit in the offseason, and a great place for them to complete that quest will be the 2026 NFL Draft. Dallas is armed with two first-round picks, both in the top 20, but won't pick again until Day 3 after those picks are made.
How might Dallas' draft go in 2026? Here's a seven-round mock for the Cowboys, which features them double-dipping on defense in the first round.
Dallas Cowboys 7-round mock draft
Round 1, Pick 12: LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
It's hard to imagine a scenario in which the Cowboys don't take the best defensive player available with the 12th overall pick. Styles profiles as an excellent pick for the post-Parsons era, as the well-built 6-4, 240-pound linebacker has the athleticism and instincts needed to be a sideline-to-sideline, three-down playmaker in the NFL.
Styles racked up 182 tackles, 17 TFL, seven sacks and an interception over his final two seasons (30 games) at Ohio State. He would quickly become a much-needed stabilizing force in the middle of Dallas' defense.
Round 1, Pick 20: CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
The Cowboys could consider selecting Delane with the 12th overall pick. If he's on the board at 20, they may sprint the card in to get a potential No. 1 cornerback for their defense.
Delane was an All-American for LSU last season and allowed just a 31.3 passer rating last season, per Pro Football Focus. He would partner well with DaRon Bland and his presence on the outside could allow Bland to move into the slot – where he has thrived during his career – in nickel sets.
Round 4, Pick 112: Edge Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State
Passing on an edge rusher in the first round would be a risk for the Cowboys, but it could be rewarded if a player like Dennis-Sutton is available at the start of Day 3.
Dennis-Sutton was a great edge setter at Penn State and racked up 8.5 sacks in back-to-back seasons to close his college career. The 6-5, 265-pound edge rusher has long arms and showed a knack for forcing fumbles, generating seven across his final three seasons. His build makes him an ideal counterpart for the smaller-framed Donovan Ezeiruaku.
Round 5, Pick 150: RB Kaelon Black, Indiana
Javonte Williams posted 1,201 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns with the Cowboys last year, and he has signed a three-year contract to stay with the team. But veteran backup Miles Sanders will hit the open market, making depth at the position a necessity for the team.
Black has a solid 5-10, 210-pound frame and averaged an impressive 5.6 yards per carry across two seasons at Indiana. The powerful runner will turn 25 during his rookie season, but his tape and production (1,040 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns in 2025) with the Hoosiers should be enough to help him become a Day 3 selection.
Round 5, Pick 177: Edge Caden Curry, Ohio State
Speaking of production, Curry had 11 sacks during the 2025 college season for the Buckeyes. Granted, he benefitted from playing with a bevy of first-round talent at Ohio State, including Styles, Arvell Reese and Kayden McDonald in the front-seven alone, but his motor should make him a solid rotational player at the next level.
The Cowboys need a lot of help on the edge, where three of their top five pass rushers in snaps played last season are expected to be free agents.
Round 6, Pick 215: DT Zxavian Harris, Ole Miss
Dallas' interior defensive line trio of Osa Odighizuwa, Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams looks rock-solid, but adding younger depth behind the veterans would be a wise move.
Harris has a massive, 6-8, 330-pound frame and generated career-best marks in tackles (58), TFL (9) and sacks (3) last season for the Rebels.
Round 7, Pick 225: OT Aamil Wagner, Notre Dame
The Cowboys have routinely added offensive linemen to the fold in recent seasons under Jerry Jones' leadership. Wagner is a worthwhile late-round flier who will need to add strength to his 6-6, 296-pound frame at the NFL level.
Wagner could battle recent draft picks Nate Thomas and Ajani Cornelius for a roster spot behind the team's starting tackle duo of Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cowboys NFL mock draft 2026: Dallas goes defense with first rounders