Cowboys mock draft: ESPN has a trade down in first round before getting secondary help
There are a number of ways that the first round of the NFL draft can go for the Dallas Cowboys. It depends on how you feel about the team and what the most legitimate approach towards 2026 is for them. If you believe they need to push their chips in to try and win now (the term “win now” is a bit tired, you get the point) then there is a strong argument for taking two plug-and-play starters at 12 and 20. That makes sense.
You may want the Cowboys to try and stretch things out in a more responsible way. This would suggest that finding a way to trade back from a spot in the first round would carry merit. You can also argue that if Dallas can acquire some Day 2 picks (which they currently do not have any of) that the overall net-casting of top 100 selections will also help the team in the here and now.
Maybe they can do both.
ESPN has Dallas trading down in their latest mock
Trading down in the first round could be an incredible move for the Cowboys if it is executed in the right way. The most ideal result would be to net a second- or third-round pick in the process, but that would probably require jumping down quite a ways.
Jordan Reid unveiled a post-Combine mock draft at ESPN on Tuesday and in it he has the Cowboys moving down from number 12 overall. Unfortunately he only has Dallas moving down four spots so the haul isn’t massive.
Proposed trade: Jets move up four spots
A few months after teaming up in the Quinnen Williams trade, the Jets and Cowboys can make another deal. New York sends Dallas the first-rounder it acquired in the Sauce Gardner trade (No. 16), a fourth-rounder and a seventh-round selection to move up to the No. 12 pick.
12. New York Jets (via proposed trade with DAL)
Makai Lemon, WR, USC
The Jets have four selections in the top 44, which gives them the ability to move up to add to a wide receiver room that consists of Garrett Wilson, Adonai Mitchell and not much else. Lemon is a versatile player who can win from the outside or in the slot. His physical traits won’t wow many, but he’s capable of winning against all types of coverage. His 96.3 receiving yards per game was the third most of any player in the FBS last season. Lemon is also competitive after
16. Dallas Cowboys (via IND and proposed trade with NYJ)
Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
The Cowboys gave up the most points per game in the NFL last season (30.1) and the third-most yards per contest (377.0). They started to remake their secondary last season, and adding Thieneman, an active defender with positional and scheme versatility, would continue that process. Dallas specializes in two-high safety looks, and Thieneman is an excellent processor who can close on plays in a hurry. Dallas forced only 12 turnovers in 2025, and Thieneman has the ability to be a ball hawk while bringing physicality when stepping down against the run.
In this hypothetical the Cowboys walk away with Dillon Thieneman (an outstanding prospect who would likely thrive under Christian Parker), and a fourth-round pick along with a seventh-round pick for the cost of moving back four spots.
Ideally Dallas would pick up a second- or third-rounder as this hypothetical would still have them sitting out of Day 2, but that extra fourth-round pick could go a long way and if Thieneman is still the pick then there are worse ways for things to shake out.
20. Dallas Cowboys (via GB)
Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
After taking Dillon Thieneman earlier, the Cowboys double dip in the secondary with Terrell, a prospect who scouts keep saying should go higher than expected. His physical mentality and competitive demeanor are easy to see, and he had one of the better on-field workouts of any corner at the combine. The Cowboys have holes to fill in the secondary around standout corner DaRon Bland, and Terrell would fit perfectly in the back end of new coordinator Christian Parker’s scheme.
Later in the draft Reid has the Cowboys doubling down in the secondary by drafting Avieon Terrell. This is a pretty fantastic mock as it immediately fixes the defense, but as noted getting more compensation for moving down would make it even sweeter.
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