The Dallas Cowboys are already preparing for an active first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, because they have two selections in the first 20 picks. Throw in the recent messaging from draft analysts that Dallas could be a team that trades into the top 10, and it’s clear that the draft could be chaotic for the Cowboys.
However, Dallas, apparently, won’t be alone in that chaos. Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach held his pre-draft press conference on Thursday and sent a message to NFL fans about how the draft will unfold. The message was clear: expect chaos.
Veach explained that the grades will be so close on a ton of prospects that guys ranked highly will go lower than expected, or those ranked low will go higher than expected. With the grades being so close, Veach believes selections will come down to scheme fits and the organization’s preferences. According to the Super Bowl-winning general manager, that should all result in a lot of trades and an entertaining night for fans.
"I think it should be an entertaining night. There’ll probably be a lot of trades. That’s what a draft like this, when you don’t have two or three franchise quarterbacks and a Will Anderson or a Myles Garrett, I think it does lend itself to open up to a lot of fun and a lot excitement. So I think from a fan’s perspective, they should have a lot of fun next Thursday."
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach says unpredictable 2026 NFL Draft will be fun for fans
This assessment is in line with how the pre-draft process has unfolded. There hasn’t been consistent uniformity in mock drafts, and the only guarantee entering draft night is that quarterback Fernando Mendoza will be going first overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. Outside of that, it seems like everything is on the table.
The Cowboys certainly have the chance to contribute to that with their two first-round picks. To Veach’s point, Dallas has already been identified as a team that could trade into the top 10, with experts Mel Kiper and Dane Brugler both projecting America's Team to trade up to No. 6 for Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles.
That has the most smoke right now, but Veach's Chiefs, who have the No. 9 pick, are another potential trade partner for Jerry Jones and company.
Additionally, the No. 20 pick has been circled as a potential trade-down opportunity for Dallas, which doesn't have a second-round pick and doesn't pick again until No. 92 in Round 3. It's on the table that the Cowboys trade up from 12 and down from 20.
Whether that happens or not, Dallas' draft strategy will certainly be affected by the chaos that ensues around them.
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