Skip Bayless Fears Jerry Jones Will Trade Up for No.3 Pick with Arizona on Draft Day

Skip Bayless sees Jerry Jones trading his two first round picks to the Cardinals to acquire the third overall draft pick and take Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love.

Skip Bayless Fears Jerry Jones Will Trade Up for No.3 Pick with Arizona on Draft Day

Jerry Jones and Skip Bayless inside the circle (Image via IMAGO/X)

In Short
  • Skip Bayless fears Jerry Jones will trade up to the No. 3 pick with Arizona to draft running back Jeremiyah Love.
  • The Cowboys currently hold the 12th and 20th overall picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
  • Experts suggest the Cowboys should prioritize defensive players instead of a running back.

Skip Bayless expressed concern while discussing the Dallas Cowboys’ possible draft plans. The veteran sports contributor and longtime Cowboys fan believes that Jerry Jones could trade up in the top 5 to draft Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.

The Cowboys own two draft picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. They earned the 12th overall pick by finishing 7-9-1 in 2025 and acquired the 20th overall pick as compensation for trading Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers.

Earliest mock drafts projected the Cowboys to target defensive players: a pass rusher, a cornerback, or even a defensive tackle. Jones could still go that route, but the latest mock drafts see the Cowboys trade up to take either Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles or Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr.

Bayless believes that Jones will trade up, but instead of drafting a defender, he will select Love third overall (via a trade with the Arizona Cardinals).

They should, but I fear that on Draft night, Jerry Jones will trade up with Arizona at No. 3 and take Jeremiyah Love.

Bayless said on the Arena Gridiron Show

Love is arguably the best running back in the draft. Some draft experts even consider the best player ahead of quarterback Fernando Mendoza or Styles. Love’s numbers do put weight behind that claim. In three years of college football with the Fighting Irish, Love accumulated 42 touchdowns. During his final year, he had 1372 rushing yards and 18 TDs on 199 carries.

Then again, running back should not be the Cowboys’ priority right now. Javonte Williams capped off his debut campaign with the Cowboys by scoring 11 touchdowns and 1201 rushing yards on 252 carries while also catching 35 passes for 137 yards and 2 TDs. Malik Davis was RB2 behind Williams. Davis rushed 52 times for 250 yards and scored 2 touchdowns. Dallas also has second-year back Jaydon Blue, eagerly waiting for a chance.

NFL insider gives a positive update on the Cowboys’ pursuit of drafting in the top 5

Jones does not usually trade up in the top 5 due to the draft capital he has to give away to the other team. It makes sense if there’s a generational talent to be had. But that’s not the case, according to the Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach.

Skip Bayless Fears Jerry Jones Will Trade Up for No.3 Pick With Arizona on Draft Day
Jerry Jones (Image via IMAGO)

Trading up may not be the play here. Then again, NFL insider Jordan Schultz believes that the Cardinals could be open to accumulating more draft picks by doing business with the Cowboys or any other team.

The [Arizona] Cardinals at #3 remain the biggest mystery for teams in the top five if they stay put, but the belief is a trade down is very much in play, similar to how Arizona operated in 2023 when they moved back from that same #3 spot, per multiple league sources.

Schultz tweeted

The Cowboys may have to give up both the 12th and 20th overall picks to acquire the Cardinals’ third. Rather than listening to Bayless, the Cowboys should target Styles. The Ohio State alum has the potential to match Micah Parsons‘ output. In four years with the Buckeyes, Styles recorded 22.5 sacks, defended 9 passes, and made 131 combined tackles.

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