The 2026 NFL Draft begins with the first round on Thursday, April 23, followed by the second and third rounds on Friday, April 24, and rounds four through seven on Saturday, April 25. Franchises are in full draft preparation, with five clubs holding multiple first-round picks.
The Dallas Cowboys stand out as perhaps the most notable team with two first-round selections. Will this lead to major improvements for Dallas to finally have playoff success?
Below, we’ll conduct a Cowboys 2026 NFL Mock Draft for the first three rounds of the draft, which includes three selections. Plus, some of the 2026 NFL Draft predictions can be directly translated to picks on PrizePicks.
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Cowboys 2026 NFL Mock Draft
Dallas’ 2026 draft capital is led by the 12th and 20th overall selections in the first round. Holding multiple day-one picks often leads to trade rumors, and that’s been the case for the Cowboys.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network circled Dallas as a team that could trade up in the first round. This could be an attempt to land one of the draft’s best defensive prospects, such as Texas Tech edge David Bailey, Ohio State LB Sonny Styles, or Miami (FL) edge Rueben Bain Jr. — who all rank among the top six prospects on our 2026 NFL Draft Big Board.
For now, we will assume the Cowboys stay put with the 12th and 20th picks in the first round. Dallas traded its 2026 second-round pick in the DT Quinnen Williams trade, leaving the Cowboys with just a third-round pick on day two of the draft.
Here’s a list of America’s Team selections in the first three rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft:
- Round 1: Pick 12
- Round 1: Pick 20
- Round 3: Pick 92
Who could Dallas target with its first three picks? It’s time to dig into our Cowboys 2026 NFL Mock Draft.
All 2026 NFL Draft payout data is from PrizePicks Team Picks. It's live as of writing but is subject to change.
Round 1, Pick 12: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
Dallas allowed 30.1 points per game (32nd), 6.1 yards per play (31st), and 0.16 expected points added (EPA) per play in the 2025 season, per Sumer Sports. Defense will likely be a clear focus in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The pass defense was arguably the most glaring flaw, allowing 8.1 yards per passing attempt (31st). After the Cowboys cut CB Trevon Diggs during the 2025 season, CB DaRon Bland could be the only present long-term starter, and he had a career-worst 64.5 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus last season.
Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy is making a push to be the first cornerback off the board, holding a 3.44x payout for “Yes” to be the first defensive back drafted (third-shortest payout) on PrizePicks Team Picks.
He had an electric pro day, recording a 4.38 40-yard dash, 38-inch vertical jump, and a 10’7” broad jump. McCoy sports an elite 9.67 relative athleticism score (RAS) that puts him in the 97th percentile out of 1,987 cornerbacks ranked since 1987.
The Tennessee product has true CB1 potential at the next level, excelling in press coverage, paired with exceptional ball skills.
Dallas First Position Drafted: Cornerback/Safety – Yes 1.01x | No 1.23x
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Round 1, Pick 20: C.J. Allen, LB, Georgia
An off-ball linebacker orchestrating defense could be the Cowboys’ most vital need.
If Dallas stays put at No. 12 overall, it will likely miss out on 2026’s top linebacker, Sonny Styles. However, Georgia LB C.J. Allen is a potential first-round talent. He ranks 33rd on our Big Board, recording 88 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 8.0 tackles for loss in 2025.
Allen earned First Team All-American honors in 2025, displaying his excellent patience in identifying run fits. He doesn’t possess splashy athleticism but would fit the Cowboys’ clear need for a “team leader” at linebacker.
He has experience as a defense’s playcaller. Allen’s strong IQ, patience, and technique form a strong middle linebacker prospect.
Second Linebacker Drafted in 2026 NFL Draft: Yes 2.17x | No 1.56x
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Round 3, Pick 92: Harold Perkins Jr., LB, LSU
Dallas could further upgrade the linebacker room with LSU LB Harold Perkins Jr. After hiring Christian Parker as defensive coordinator, the Cowboys will likely shift to a 3-4 defense.
A few years ago, Perkins was regarded as a potential first-round talent for 3-4 schemes. He excelled in his 2022 freshman season with 72 tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks, but Perkins never returned to that form over his four-year collegiate career.
He tore his ACL in the 2024 season, playing in only four games. In 2025, the former LSU Tiger logged 56 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, and 4.0 sacks.
Perkins’ explosiveness as a rusher has been lacking of late, leading to a traditional off-ball linebacker role in 2025. The 6’1” and 223-pound prospect remains a solid blitzer and is productive in the run game. His 4.38 40-yard dash at LSU’s pro day still points to elite athleticism.
Dallas could risk taking a swing on Perkins’ ability to rush the passer from the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He’s nearly two years removed from the ACL tear and has improved in the run game since the injury.
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The Cowboys could look to load up on defense in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. Will Dallas spend its first three selections on defense?
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