After much talk and speculation, the Dallas Cowboys finally struck a deal and got cornerback Joey Porter Jr. from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Cowboys gave up a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick to acquire Porter. This leaves Dallas with only five picks in the 2027 NFL Draft: a first, a second, a fourth, and two seventh-round selections.
Dallas won the trade because they kept their top two picks in the 2027 draft. That said, they likely won’t be able to trade away any more picks from that draft, leaving them with few options to address a position that must be fixed this year.
Dallas Cowboys Being Told to Fix One Position Next
The Athletic’s Dave Helman took to social media to praise the Cowboys for their great trade. One thing Helman brought up, though, is that they clearly need to address one position next.
“Holding on to the Top 100 picks for 2027 had to happen, as strong as this class looks. Getting Porter without giving that up sounds good to me. Now comes the fun part. Upgrading the LB room between now & November without a ton of draft capital to do it.”
Getting Porter without giving that up sounds good to me.
Now comes the fun part. Upgrading the LB room between now & November without a ton of draft capital to do it.
The Cowboys are dealing with some complications at linebacker right now. DeMarvion Overshown has been dealing with a hamstring injury and hasn’t practiced again. The position has also struggled over the first three weeks of the season.
How Can the Cowboys Address Linebacker in 2026?
Since Overshown’s injury, rookie Jaishawn Barham has had the green dot and has been playing in the middle. Barham has been one of the few bright spots on the defense so far this season.
Still, guys like Dee Winters have had issues over the weeks with tackling and miscommunication. That has raised a lot of questions about how Dallas can resolve this so they can be a playoff team in 2026.
Many have suggested the Cowboys will need to look in free agency to find a linebacker for now. A trade might be too hard since they have very little draft capital to work with in 2027.
Free agent linebacker Bobby Wagner has been a popular candidate. Although he’s still available, he can play at a high level and consistently get the defense 8-10 tackles each game.
At this point, anyone could be an upgrade either in the starting lineup or on the bench. Someone like Wagner would instantly give the Cowboys the defensive boost they need.
Watch for Dallas to look at linebackers over the next few weeks to see what options are out there. The Cowboys have already shown how serious they are about Porter, so anything can happen in the next month.
Cowboys Urged to Address Problematic Position After Joey Porter Jr. Trade