And with that, the 2026 NFL Draft is a wrap. It flies by every single year, though the Dallas Cowboys did so well that this weekend felt like a blur.
As Peter Schrager said, the Cowboys could have skipped the final six rounds after stealing Caleb Downs on Thursday night and still come out winners. The NFL might look back a few years from now and wonder what the heck they were thinking, letting Downs fall out of the top 10.
The stakes were high, and the Cowboys nearly pitched a perfect game. But not everyone came out a winner, so let’s break down Dallas’ biggest winners and losers from the weekend.
Biggest winners and losers from Dallas Cowboys' memorable 2026 NFL Draft
Winner No. 1: Chrisitan Parker
What a way to usher in the Christian Parker era. Excitement around the Cowboys' new defensive coordinator is now shooting through the roof after his first NFL Draft.
It doesn't get much better for Parker than finding the new centerpiece of his defense in Caleb Downs, who fell into Dallas' lap after he shockingly fell out of the top 10. The former Buckeye will be an instant leader for Parker's unit, and he may end up wearing the green dot when all is said and done if Dallas doesn't trade for a veteran linebacker after the draft.
Parker also influenced the selection of Malachi Lawrence in Round 2. Reports say Parker became enamored with Lawrence during the pre-draft process, and Dallas followed that up by drafting Michigan hybrid Jaishawn Barham in Round 3.
Excitement around the Cowboys' new defensive coordinator is now shooting through the roof after his first NFL Draft.
Winner Nos. 2 and 3: Will McClay and Jerry Jones
There's a theory that Will McClay hasn't left Dallas to become a general manager with another team because he doesn't like the spotlight. As such, his status as vice president of player personnel makes it easy to forget that he is the nucleus of Dallas' front office.
And when it comes to the draft, McClay runs the show. He pulls the string in the Cowboys' scouting department and gets the final say in draft selections. While the vibes aren't as high as when Dallas drafted CeeDee Lamb and Trevon Diggs in 2020, the 2026 class has received universal praise.
McClay deserves all the credit. And so does Jones.
While Jones likely doesn't know much about the players Dallas drafted, he (and Stephen Jones) put together a masterclass on Thursday night.
From trusting the board and moving up to secure Caleb Downs to picking up two fourth-round picks by sliding back from No. 20 to No. 23, it was some of Jones’ finest work. The 83-year-old still has his fastball.
Winner No. 4: Jaydon Blue
Unless Dallas shocks everyone and signs another running back, Blue has a clear path to winning the backup job behind Javonte Williams.
The Cowboys could have easily justified taking a RB with any of their three fourth-round picks, but they opted for Penn State offensive tackle Drew Shelton, Florida cornerback Devin Moore, and Alabama defensive lineman LT Overton.
In terms of RBs, Arkansas' Mike Washington Jr. and Nebraska's Emmett Johnson, regarded as two of the better value picks on Day 3, were both still on the board for Dallas.
Now, Blue only has to fend off 2025 seventh-rounder Phil Mafa and vet Malik Davis, who stole the RB2 job from Blue last season after Miles Sanders' season-ending knee injury.
Loser No. 1: The NFC East
With back-to-back NFC East titles, the Philadelphia Eagles are the class of the division until proven otherwise. The New York Giants and Washington Commanders like to think they're next up, but the Cowboys reminded everyone this weekend that they are the true threats to Philly.
Assuming Dak Prescott and the offense continue humming in Year 2 of Brian Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams running the show, all Dallas needs to jump back into contention is a league-average defense. One could argue they're already there.
With the selections of Caleb Downs, Malachi Lawrence, and Jaishawn Barham -- plus the trade for 49ers linebacker Dee Winters -- the Cowboys added four instant contributors on defense. With Christian Parker installing a more dynamic defense to complement those additions, Dallas is quietly nipping at the Eagles' heels.
Loser No. 2: Shavon Revel Jr.
Does anyone else get the sense that the Cowboys have decided that whatever they get from Revel next season is gravy? A third-round pick last year, Revel suffered a setback in his ACL recovery that delayed the start of his rookie year, and he was borderline unplayable when he finally returned.
If nothing else, Revel should not be penciled in as a starter, and that was reinforced when Dallas used the No. 114 pick on Florida cornerback Devin Moore.
At 6'3", Moore is very similar in size to Revel. The Cowboys like taller cornerbacks, and Moore had five interceptions and 14 pass breakups over 17 starts at Florida. More impressive, though, is that he didn't commit a single penalty over the last two seasons.
Revel should be looking over his shoulder.
Loser No. 3: Tyler Guyton
As should Tyler Guyton, who may be entering a make-or-break season as Dallas' starting left tackle after two underwhelming seasons to start his career. The Cowboys did not draft an OT on Days 1 or 2, but their first pick in the fourth round was used on Penn State's Drew Shelton.
While Dallas typically drafts an offensive lineman every year, the expectation was that it would draft an interior player after losing Brock Hoffman and Robert Jones in free agency.
A first-round pick in 2024, Guyton has played 25 of a possible 34 games, and that doesn't include the pivotal time he missed last summer when he suffered a knee injury early in training camp.
When healthy, Guyton hasn’t consistently looked the part. He’s stacked some impressive games, but they’ve been overshadowed by uneven reps and penalty issues that derail drives. Those penalties loom especially large in the one-score games Dallas has lost.
Guyton has very little margin for error this offseason.
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