Exploring the idea of trading down from 12 and 20 in the first round for the Cowboys
How the Dallas Cowboys get the best value out of their two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft has been a popular topic for discussion here recently. Are they best utilized trading for proven veterans such as Maxx Crosby or Trent McDuffie, trading up in the first round for someone like safety Caleb Downs, or maybe trading down from one or both to gain extra draft capital this year? There’s no right or wrong answer as each scenario comes with their own positives and negatives, hence why they’ll all continue to be discussed.
Since a lot of the attention seems to currently be on trading one of Dallas’ two first-round picks away for a proven veteran or using them to trade up in the draft, we thought we take a different approach. It’s possible the first 11 picks in the first round is mostly defensive players. That could mean offensive lineman and wide receivers are still on the board at 12, prompting certain teams to want to trade up for them. Today we explore the possibility and identify a couple of teams who could make good trade partners for Dallas’ two first-round picks.
Houston Texans
An interstate trade between the Texans and Cowboys could be a win-win for both organizations in the first-round. The Cowboys, looking to trade down in this scenario, move back from 12 to 28 and add another pick in the top 50, 38th overall in the second-round. The Texans, whose top offseason need is upgrading their offensive line, trade up for one of the top OL in the draft that are still on the board because of a heavy run on defense with the first 11 picks. To make this trade as even as possible, Houston also tosses in a late-round pick.
- Cowboys 1.12 (1200 points)
- Texans 1.28, 1.38, 5.165 (1205 points)
New England Patriots
The Patriots are team to keep an eye on if the Cowboys are looking for a trade partner to move down from the 20th overall pick in the first round. New England’s top offseason needs are wide receiver, offensive tackle, and edge. Currently sitting at 31 in the first round they could watch the majority of the top prospects at each position fly off the board. Trading up 11 spots with the Cowboys though would put them in a much better position to draft those targeted positions, all of which, except maybe edge, probably aren’t of interest to Dallas anyway.
- Cowboys 1.20, 5.177 (870 points)
- Patriots 1.31, 2.63 (876 points)
Cowboys updated draft picks
- Round 1, Pick 28
- Round 1, Pick 31
- Round 2, Pick 38
- Round 2, Pick 63
- Round 4, Pick 112
- Round 5, Pick 150
- Round 5, Pick 165
- Round 6, Pick 212
- Round 7, Pick 221
- Round 7, Pick 225
By trading down from both 12 and 20 the Cowboys gain an extra couple of picks in the Top 100 without trading out of the first round completely. While it’s true they passed up on some talent there’s probably no more than a dozen players who they have a first-round grade on. They could very well have the players who are likely to get drafted between 12 and 28 ranked similar, but that’s only something we can speculate about right now.
The question remains though. Are the Cowboys picks 12 and 20 more valuable than what they can add by trading down from both in the scenario? Or are they more valuable use to trade for a proven veteran or trading up for one of the few blue-chip players in this year’s draft? Opinions of course are going to very from person-to-person and there’s probably no right or wrong answer for any of these scenarios. All of them have their merits.
With so many roster needs and so few draft picks due to the trades of DT Quinnen Williams and WR George Pickens, it’s going to be really interesting to see how the Cowboys go about navigating the 2026 NFL Draft. What they decide to do with both their first-round picks could very well be the difference in how much they upgrade their roster this year or not.
Would you consider trading down with both first-round picks?
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