The Dallas Cowboys have thrown bad money on top of bad money at cornerback over the last 3 years, and the solution to all of those problems might still be a long way off.
Pro Football Network’s latest mock draft predicts the Cowboys will go with a defensive back in the 1st round in consecutive years, with Alabama cornerback Zabien Brown at No. 27 overall in the 2027 NFL draft.
From PFN: “With a combination of speed and a nose for the big play, Zabien Brown has all of the tools to become a Pro Bowler at cornerback with the right coaching. He has the speed to keep up with just about any receiver, and he also adds value as a returner, so he seems like a really solid get this late in the first round. Brown is battle-tested in SEC play, and his play remained solid. I think this would be one of the best value picks of this draft.”
The Cowboys seem to have hit a home run with 1 of their 1st round picks in the 2026 NFL draft, where they selected Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at No. 11 overall — perhaps the best pound-for-pound player in the entire draft.
Zabien Brown Seems Like NFL Ready Playmaker
Brown, 6-foot and 196 pounds, is similar to Downs in that he already seems like a plug-and-play NFL starter.
Hailing from high school football powerhouse Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, California, Brown was a Day 1 starter for the Crimson Tide in 2024 and had 3 interceptions as a freshman, including a game-winning pick in a 41-34 upset win over Georgia, along with 2 fumble recoveries, including 1 returned for a touchdown.
As a sophomore in 2025, Brown had 2 interceptions and returned both for touchdowns. They came at arguably the 2 most important moments of the season — a 99-yard interception return for a touchdown right before halftime of a 37-20 win over Tennessee and another Pick 6 in a comeback win over Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff.
Cowboys Dropped Massive Contracts on Cornerbacks
The 2 biggest contracts the Cowboys have handed out on defense in the last 5 years were to cornerbacks. First, with a 5-year, $97.6 million extension for cornerback Trevon Diggs before the 2023 season, followed by a 4-year, $90 million extension for cornerback Daron Bland before the 2025 season.
Diggs didn’t deliver another day of elite play after signing his contract. He was eventually released late in the 2025 season after he missed 31 regular-season games over the last 3 seasons.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon put Bland at the top of his list of the NFL’s “Most Overpaid Players” after the critical phase of the 2026 free agency cycle — although he wasn’t the only one on the roster to catch a stray.
“Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark were also strong candidates with output that doesn’t align with $20-plus million AAVs, but Bland is the clear-cut winner,” Gagnon wrote in March. “The 2022 fifth-round pick has one good season under his belt, but that was enough to earn him a four-year, $90 million deal. He’s missed significant time while being consistently rocked in coverage when on the field the last two seasons, all as the sixth-highest-paid corner in the sport.”
Cowboys Predicted to Fix CB Problems With ‘Battle Tested’ 1st Round Pick