3 Players Cowboys Could Draft in First Round of 2026 NFL Draft

With the 2026 NFL Draft set to commence in less than a week, all eyes are on Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys’ potential draft list. Dallas owns the 12th overall pick and acquired the 20th overall pick in the Micah Parsons trade.

This will be the second year in a row that the Cowboys pick 12th in the draft. In 2025, the Cowboys took offensive guard Tyler Booker. The former Alabama man quickly established himself as a key member of the Cowboys’ offensive line. He started 14 games and is likely to retain his spot in the new campaign.

Back in 2021, the Cowboys selected Penn State star pass rusher Micah Parsons at 12. Parsons posted 52.5 sacks throughout his four seasons in Dallas and came very close to winning the DPOY title on multiple occasions.

It’s clear that Jones knows how to draft great players at 12. In this article, we’ll look at the three college graduates that the Cowboys veteran owner/general manager can pick up on day one.

Least likely scenario: Texas Tech LB David Bailey at 12th overall to the Dallas Cowboys

David Bailey proved himself as one of the better outside linebackers during his final year with the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Bailey racked up 14.5 sacks (most in D1 college football) to go with 52 combined tackles and 3 forced fumbles.

Initially, he was projected as a mid-first-round pick. However, Bailey’s draft stock has rapidly increased in the past few weeks. In the most recent mock draft, Bailey is touted as a top-three pick. So that means he’s out of the Cowboys’ reach.

Then again, the Cowboys are the most likely to trade up in this year’s draft. Jones is exploring all the options, and judging by Chiefs GM Brett Veach, more than one trade could take place. Brian Martin of Blogging the Boys wrote:

[David] Bailey is expected to be a Top 5 selection, meaning the Cowboys would likely have to trade up to No. 3 with the [Arizona] Cardinals in order to secure his services. To do that, it’s going to cost Dallas both of their first-round picks (12, 20) and maybe even their third-rounder this year as well.

That’s a steep price to pay for a rookie pass rusher. The Cowboys’ bet would be to let Bailey fall to them rather than trading up.

Moderate scenario: LSU CB Mansoor Delane at 12th overall to the Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys’ secondary struggled in 2025. With DaRon Bland injured and Trevon Diggs shipped to Green Bay, Dallas looked helpless in covering the deep balls. According to FOX Sports metrics, the Cowboys had the worst passing defense (conceded 35 touchdowns and averaged 251.5 yards per game) and the fourth-worst red zone defense (66.7% of chances turned to touchdowns).

Mansoor Delane is a plug-and-play kind of player. The best part of Delane’s skill set is that he can be the nickel corner that the Cowboys have been looking for some time. Delane only allowed just 14 receptions for 165 yards as a senior at LSU, and the Tigers’ defense had a historically poor season. Cowboys columnist Tommy Yarrish wrote:

The secondary could begin to look like a strength for Dallas with the addition of a player like Delane. There are some ifs with that, as the health of Bland and [Shavon] Revel will be a big question, but both have a full offseason ahead to recover and return to full health for the 2026 season.

Likeliest Scenario: Ohio State LB Sonny Styles at 12th overall to Dallas Cowboys

This brings us to the last player, and probably the only one, that Jerry Jones will give up a lot of draft picks for. According to league scouts and draft experts, Styles is the only true inside linebacker in the 2026 draft.

The Ohio State star lit up the NFL Combine by running a 4.46 40-yard dash. Speed isn’t the only area Styles shines in. The 6-foot-5 and 244-pound player also recorded a 43.5-inch vertical jump, best among linebackers.

Styles is easily a top 6 prospect and for the Cowboys to draft him, they need to give up a couple of first rounders (12, and 20). Dane Brugler of The Athletic also threw in the 39th pick (2027).

[Sonny] Styles would not only be an immediate starter at a position of need but also wear the green dot as a rookie. In this projected trade, the Cowboys surrender two of the first rounders they hold this year (plus a 2027 pick), but they get back into Round 2.

Styles played four years for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He racked up 244 combined tackles, 9 sacks, 9 passes defended, three forced fumbles, one fumbled recovery, and one interception.

Honorable Mentions: Safety Caleb Downs, OLB Rueben Bain Jr., WR Jordyn Tyson, and OT Spencer Fano.

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