Cowboys' 7-round mock draft creates fireworks with bold trade that screws rival

The Dallas Cowboys have a chance to make the biggest splash in the 2026 NFL Draft, and it might be an opportunity Jerry Jones can't refuse.

The NFL Draft is now less than two weeks away, which means that behind the scenes, the Cowboys should be pretty close to (if not past the point of) finalizing their draft board, solidifying their plan of attack, and dreaming about how much different (better) their depth chart could look just two weeks from right now.

In this brand-new 7-round Cowboys mock draft, we're going to take a look at a trade-up scenario for Dallas. The Cowboys don't have a second-round pick this year, but they have two first-rounders and plenty of ammo in the coming years to address their most pressing needs, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

If Dallas is going into this draft believing that they can contend for a Super Bowl sooner rather than later, what might we see them do?

Dallas Cowboys make bold trade up for Sonny Styles in 2026 NFL mock draft

Round 1 | 6th overall: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State

The Cowboys have been discussed as perhaps the ideal trade partner with the Cleveland Browns by a lot of people over the past few weeks, mainly because it seems people are trying to figure out how to make the idea of the Browns using a 1st-round pick on Monroe Freeling or Kadyn Proctor make more sense than it does with the 6th pick.

But what if it's not just the Browns motivated to move down, and instead the Cowboys are more motivated to move up? There was a very interesting theory floated out there recently by Dane Brugler of The Athletic, appearing on The Rich Eisen Show...

Brugler's point about the Cowboys not having anyone on the roster they currently feel comfortable wearing the green dot defensively is an important one. Christian Parker is installing a new defensive scheme this year, so Dallas needs the right player out there calling the shots, and Styles was the green dot player for Matt Patricia's defense this past year at Ohio State.

As much as it might hurt to give up premium NFL Draft real estate to move up into the 6th overall spot (the difference of a mid-second on the trade value chart), it would be worth it for the Cowboys to get the type of playmaker Styles would be immediately. For the longest time, he was considered the ideal player for Dallas in the first round. They just might have to pay a lot more than anyone expected to get him.

A bonus would be screwing over the Washington Commanders, who pick at No. 7 overall and are widely expected to be in on Styles should he fall outside the top five. The look on Dan Quinn's face when Dallas steals Styles would be priceless.

Round 1 | 20th overall: Dillon Thieneman, SAF, Oregon

The Cowboys coming away from Round 1 with Sonny Styles and Dillon Thieneman would be an absolute dream. The only scenario that might be better than this is if they can somehow manage to steal Caleb Downs and Styles in a trade-up scenario.

And with the NFL devaluing the safety position, I suppose you never know.

But Thieneman is a great prospect in his own right. He showed at the Scouting Combine that he's a ridiculous athlete with elite speed and explosiveness, but how fast can you play? Well, Thieneman has no issues there and between his time at Purdue and Oregon, he was one of the most trustworthy players on the field. Christian Parker will absolutely love adding him as a centerpiece of a new-look secondary.

Round 3 | 95th overall: Jaishawn Barham, LB/EDGE, Michigan

Here in the third round, the Cowboys take a little bit of a risk on Jaishawn Barham and his projection to the next level. They might want a more refined prospect to come in and contribute immediately off the edge, but at the back end of the 3rd round, Barham is a fun player to take a chance on.

He played off the ball at Michigan and played a lot of games as well (47 games overall), so he's going to help out an NFL team regardless of where he winds up positionally. He's an explosive athlete whose twitch comes across in the way he plays.

Patience will be required here, but Barham can be an immediate contributor on special teams, and the Cowboys can unleash him in packages defensively while he continues developing.

Round 4 | 112th overall: Domani Jackson, CB, Alabama

You can work with cornerback prospects who have the ideal combination of size (6-1, 194) and speed (4.41 in the 40-yard dash) at the NFL level, especially guys who were multi-year starters at Alabama.

Domani Jackson played two years at USC before transferring to Alabama, and he's one of the better options that could be available on Day 3 at the cornerback position. His speed and tackling ability will make him an instant contributor on special teams, but his overall physical and athletic traits also translate well to a defense that is going to require corners to read and react.

Round 5 | 177th overall: Josh Cameron, WR, Baylor

Dallas still has plenty of receivers on the roster, but the departure of Jalen Tolbert opens up a spot on the depth chart for someone to come in and contribute. Josh Cameron could also come in and give the Cowboys another dynamic option in the return game to take some pressure off of KaVontae Turpin.

This is a team that led the NFL last season with 72 kickoffs of 20-plus yards, but they had the third-worst punt return average in 2026 at 6.3 yards per return. To be fair, the Cowboys also only had 13 punt return opportunities in a 17-game season, which is wild, but Cameron can help in that area while providing depth offensively.

5th round | 180th overall: Le'Veon Moss, RB, Texas A&M

The Cowboys get some running back depth here on Day 3 with Texas A&M prospect Le'Veon Moss, whose fall to Day 3 likely has more to do with his injury history than anything else.

Moss never played more than nine games in a season at Texas A&M, but if he can stay healthy at the NFL level, he's the ideal plant-and-go type of running back who doesn't have long speed, but good power and acceleration. He can be an asset as a backup, short-yardage back, and goal-line back at the next level.

7th round | 218th overall: Namdi Obiazor, LB, TCU

To close out this 7-round mock draft, the Cowboys finish similar to how they started: At the linebacker position. And they stay local by taking Namdi Obiazor out of TCU. With his size and athletic traits, he's going to be an immediate special teams ace at the NFL level.

He made his way up from the community college ranks to play four years at TCU, so he'll be older as a rookie (24), but he's well-versed on special teams coverage units and has some upside defensively thanks to his athleticism.