Dee Winters did not see his trade to the Dallas Cowboys coming.
The former San Francisco 49ers linebacker said that he was caught off guard when he learned during the 2026 NFL Draft that he had been dealt to Dallas. The Cowboys acquired Winters from the 49ers for the No. 152 overall pick, giving new defensive coordinator Christian Parker another linebacker option in the middle of a rebuilt defense.
“Honestly, I wasn’t expecting it at all. I was surprised quite a bit,” Winters said, via the Cowboys’ official team website. “I definitely didn’t have any plans on being traded. But everything happens for a reason, I’m excited that I’m back home and I get to play for the Dallas Cowboys.”
For the Cowboys, this is more than a depth trade. Winters is a Texas native and former TCU standout who started 17 games for San Francisco in 2025 after injuries opened a bigger role. He finished the season with 101 total tackles, which led the 49ers, according to the team’s official statistics.
That makes the move interesting for both sides. Dallas gave up a fifth-round pick for a 25-year-old linebacker with recent starting experience, while San Francisco moved on from a player who had just taken on a larger defensive workload.
Dee Winters Says 2025 Season With 49ers Helped Prepare Him for Cowboys Role
Winters was not a finished product in San Francisco, but his 2025 season gave Dallas a much larger sample than the Cowboys would have gotten from a typical Day 3 pick.
He posted 101 tackles, eight tackles for loss, five passes defended and a pick-six during his expanded role with the 49ers. His had 67 solo tackles and 34 assists in 2025.
Winters said the biggest difference was experience.
“I think just the attention to detail last year, and just kind of understanding what offenses like to do,” Winters said, via the Cowboys’ official site. “I feel like I started to pick up on it more as I got reps. Just that experience each and every game getting better and trying to use that motto, I think that really helped me have a decent year last year.”
That matters because Dallas is not simply looking for bodies at linebacker. The Cowboys are trying to change the personality of a defense that added several pieces during draft weekend, including third-round linebacker Jaishawn Barham. NFL.com noted that Dallas paired the Winters trade with a broader defensive overhaul, including first-round additions Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence.
Winters gives Parker a player who has already handled real NFL volume. He also brings a run-and-hit profile that fits the kind of space-based role the Cowboys appear to have in mind.
Cowboys DC Christian Parker Has a Clear Plan for Dee Winters
Winters said Parker has already told him how Dallas wants to use him.
“He wants to get me in space,” Winters said. “He feels like one of my assets is me being in space and being able to make tackles in space. Just run and hit with my physicality and speed that I bring to the game. Him and I both are excited to see what that looks like and go from there.”
That quote is the clearest reason this trade is worth watching. Dallas needed more range in the middle of the defense, and Winters’ best traits are movement, pursuit and tackling in space. The Cowboys also have to decide how much responsibility he can handle in Parker’s system.
The Dallas Morning News reported that Winters could be part of the conversation for the defense’s green-dot role, though head coach Brian Schottenheimer made clear that role will not simply be handed to him. The green-dot linebacker relays calls and helps organize the defense before the snap, making it one of the more important jobs on the field.
That would be a significant jump for Winters if he earns it. But even if Dallas does not immediately put him in that role, he gives Parker a flexible linebacker with starting experience and a special-teams background.
49ers Draft Pick From Dee Winters Trade Gives Both Teams a Reset
The 49ers received pick No. 152 from Dallas in the deal. For San Francisco, the trade created an extra fifth-rounder during the 2026 draft. For Dallas, it turned a Day 3 pick into a linebacker who has already played meaningful defensive snaps.
That is the core bet from the Cowboys’ side. A fifth-round rookie may need time to become a defensive contributor. Winters already has a 100-tackle season on his résumé and is still entering only his fourth NFL season.
There is risk, too. Winters had uneven moments as a full-time starter in San Francisco, and Dallas is asking him to transition into a new defense under a new coordinator. He also joins a linebacker room that is still sorting out roles after the draft.
But this is the type of move that can look better in September than it did on draft weekend. If Winters becomes a reliable middle-of-the-field tackler for Parker, the Cowboys will have used a fifth-round pick to address an immediate defensive need with a player entering a pivotal year.
Winters seems to understand the timing.
“This is a huge year for me,” he said, via the Cowboys’ official website.
For a player who did not expect to leave the 49ers, the trade gives him something rare: a fresh opportunity, a clearer path to defensive snaps and a homecoming with one of the NFL’s most scrutinized teams.
Ex-49ers Starter Stunned by Cowboys Trade News