Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys fell short of their goals during the 2025 NFL season, missing out on the playoffs with a 7-9-1 record.
Following that failure, the Cowboys are a team widely expected to be very aggressive this offseason. Jones doesn’t want to waste anymore time getting back to being a Super Bowl contender.
In order to accomplish that goal, Dallas has plenty of moves to make.
First and foremost, the future of George Pickens needs to be figured out. He will likely receive the franchise tag from the Cowboys, which would pay him $28 million for the 2026 season. After that move is made, Dallas will need to improve defensively.
After trading Micah Parsons last offseason, it was clear during the 2025 season that the Cowboys need more pass rushing. They have a clear need at the cornerback and safety positions. Dallas will have a lot of holes to fill.
Keeping that in mind, the Cowboys do have two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. They hold the No. 12 and No. 20 overall selections and there have been rumors that they could consider trading one of those picks.
Dallas Cowboys Insider Fires Back About NFL Draft Trade Rumors
While the rumors about Dallas potentially trading one of its two first-round picks have been swirling, one team insider did not hesitate to shoot those rumors down.
Mickey Spagnola of the Cowboys’ official website laughed off the idea of Jones trading a first-round pick.
“Uh, that is a pretty funny giggle. Heck no, you don’t trade either of those first round picks now. No way. First of all, those picks are much more valuable during the draft when teams become more desperate if they see a player they just must have – what if it’s a quarterback – and you are in front of them,” Spagnola wrote.
“Why you’d have ’em hostage, and if a QB the price goes up. Plus, you don’t trade those picks now because what if a player you least expect is falling to you in the first round and you already traded that pick away? You’d kick yourself for a premature move.”
Who Are the Cowboys Projected to Target in the NFL Draft?
Those two first-round picks could be a big step towards helping Dallas get back to being a contender in the NFC.
ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. has predicted that the Cowboys will take LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane with the No. 12 overall pick in his latest mock draft. He also predicted that Dallas will select Miami defensive end Akheem Mesidor with the No. 20 pick.
Both of those selections would help fill needs for the Cowboys. They would also help fill voids without investing a lot of money compared to adding to those positions via NFL free agency.
Only time will tell what Dallas chooses to do this offseason. It’s possible that Jones and the Cowboys’ front office could trade a first-round pick, but it’s clear that Spagnola doesn’t expect to see that scenario unfold.
Cowboys Insider Fires Back About Recent NFL Draft Trade Rumors