The Dallas Cowboys might be out for blood in the 2026 NFL draft.
Armed with 2 1st round picks at No. 12 and No. 20, the Cowboys are 1 of several teams in the market for trading up into the Top 10 — specifically to get the No. 4 overall pick and screw the New York Giants with the No. 5 overall pick.
The 1st round of the draft is on April 23 in Pittsburgh.
“There’s a belief among teams at the top of the draft that the Cowboys, who have picks at #12 and #20, are a team to watch in trade-up scenarios, according to multiple league sources,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote on his official X account. “Several teams have said they believe Dallas is targeting a player the Giants also covet, and getting ahead of them would be ideal if the price makes sense.”
That seems to speak to 1 of 2 players the Cowboys might have their eye on if they were to move up — Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey and Ohio State edge rusher Arvell Reese.
“Dallas holds picks 12 and 20, and could move ahead of the New York Giants at No. 5 to land a player both teams are targeting,” Dallas Cowboys Plug wrote on X. “Do Jerry Jones and the Cowboys have something brewing?”
Cowboys Headed Toward Dramatic Outcome
If we are tracking the most dramatic possible outcomes when it comes to the 1st round, they all probably involve the Cowboys making a trade.
Dallas not only has the draft capital to pull off a blockbuster trade, but they also have the personnel, led by NFL All-Pro wide receiver George Pickens.
While most of the focus on the Cowboys has been on who they will pick with their pair of 1st-round picks at No. 12 and No. 20, or whether they will swap either one or both of those picks, another option might be to trade Pickens.
If the Cowboys find a team willing to give up a 1st round pick for Pickens, that would not only allow the Cowboys to move up and take either Reese or Bailey and keep 1 of their 1st round picks, but also address Pickens’ exit.
Depending on how high the Cowboys remain, they could take a wide receiver in the 1st round — possibly Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, USC’s Makai Lemon, or Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson.
If the Cowboys thought they could get an elite wide receiver and elite edge rusher in the draft simply by dealing Pickens, that deal might be a no-brainer.
Draft Day Trade Prediction Could ‘Rock’ NFL
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox predicts the Cowboys could “Rock” the 1st day of the NFL draft by dealing Pickens — maybe even as the 1st round progresses.
“Dallas locked up Pickens early in the offseason with the franchise tag and is widely expected to address its 30th-ranked defense early in the draft,” Knox wrote. “However, the Cowboys haven’t ruled out taking an offensive difference-maker with the 12th or 20th overall selections. The Cowboys might be even more eager to land an offensive playmaker if they decided to trade Pickens during the draft’s opening night. While keeping him long-term makes plenty of sense in a vacuum, paying Pickens a market rate alongside CeeDee Lamb could be problematic.”
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