With still three games to go in the 2025 season, and still not technically eliminated from playoff contention, the Dallas Cowboys still need to paly out the season. But their scouting department is focusing on the 20026 draft..
The Cowboys are set up nicely to compete in 2026. With most of their major players under contract heading into 2026, and George Pickens expected to be extended or franchise tagged, the Cowboys focus should be on improving their defense over the offseason. It is still to be determined if defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus will be back in 2026, but it is no secret the Cowboys free agency and draft plans will be focused on the defensive side of the ball. Today we will take a look at our first Cowboys mock draft for the 2026 NFL draft in hopes of improving their defense for the foreseeable future.
With Micah Parsons now in Green Bay, the Cowboys own the Packers first round pick in the 2026 NFL draft. With two first-round picks, the Cowboys are set up nicely to add two difference-making players to their roster for 2026.
Let’s dive in.
Round 1, 14th Overall
David Bailey, ED, Texas Tech
With Parsons now in Green Bay, the Cowboys must find a pass rusher that can affect games off the edge. After making trades for Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark, the Cowboys interior pass rush is set for the next few seasons.
Rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku has shown flashes in his first season in Dallas, but has impacted the game more as a run defender than as a pass rusher so far in 2025. Adding David Bailey would give the Cowboys the juice needed off the edge to pair with Ezeiruaku, Williams, Odighizuwa, and Clark (if retained) in hopes of making it back to the playoffs in 2026. Bailey is your prototypical defensive end out of Texas Tech, coming in at 6-foot-3, 250-lbs. Pairing Bailey with Ezeiruaku would give the Cowboys two exciting young pass rushers that can play on all-three downs and impact the game in multiple ways.
Round 2, 23rd Overall
Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
The Cowboys cornerback room heading into 2026, may be one of the weakest in the NFL. With Trevon Diggs unlikely to be back next season, and DaRon Bland expected to have another surgery on his left foot (same foot that was surgically repaired in 2024), the Cowboys must improve the talent in their defensive backfield sooner rather than later.
Clemson’s Avieon Terrell would be a nice addition to the Cowboys’ secondary. Terrell has the NFL bloodline you love to see in the defensive backfield (brother of Falcons CB A.J. Terrell), but the scheme fit if Eberflus is retained would be the biggest question mark as of now. Terrell is at his best when he’s able to bully receivers off the line and allow his athleticism and coverage skills to shine in man coverage on the boundary or in the slot.
After the zone-heavy scheme failed in 2025 under Eberflus, we should expect to see more man coverage from the Cowboys secondary in 2026. Terrell would be an excellent addition to the defense, especially if they bring in a new defensive coordinator to run more man coverage, or force Eberflus to make some major changes to his scheme if he returns. Terrell is a bit undersized, but his arm length will be the biggest factor involved to know just how interested Will McClay and the Cowboys’ scouting staff will be.
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