The Dallas Cowboys continue to be linked to an oft-injured cornerback in the 2026 NFL Draft, despite the fact that everyone close to the team has said they are unlikely to use a premium asset on a player with that level of radioactivity hanging off him.
ESPN's Matt Miller put out a seven-round 2026 NFL Mock Draft that has the Cowboys going in a very odd direction. Not only are they taking a risk by selecting Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy at No. 12 overall, but they will double down on secondary players by taking Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman at No. 20 overall.
Miller managed to make a better selection in the third round, when he used the No. 92 overall selection on LSU linebacker Harold Perkins. Considering how the Cowboys have basically all but said that McCoy is not on their draft board, the Perkins pick is at least somewhat based in reality.
The Dallas Cowboys landed Jermod McCoy, Harold Perkins in 7-round ESPN mock draft
Full list of picks:
Round 1, Pick 12: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
Round 1, Pick 20: Dillon Thieneman, SAF, Oregon
Round 3, Pick 92: Harold Perkins, LB, LSU
Round 4, Pick 112: Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE, Penn State
Round 5, Pick 152: Josh Cuevas, TE, Alabama
Round 5, Pick 177: Jam Miller, RB, Alabama
Round 5, Pick 180: Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson
Round 7, Pick 221: Chase Roberts, WR, BYU
Everything emanating from both sources with the Cowboys and those who analyze the team suggests that McCoy, who didn't play at all in 2025 due to an injury and has yet to work out for scouts, is too much of an injury risk for them to consider. They already have one oft-injured bigger DB in Shavon Revel Jr. to worry about.
Perkins, meanwhile, was once one of the most dynamic players in college football before injuries and constantly shifting his role led to him losing some of his effectiveness. With sub-4.4 speed and tremendous verticality shown at his pro day, Perkins' athletic ability will warrant a high selection from a defense-needy team.
Perkins is a boom-or-bust player, but the Cowboys have typically taken chances on players with injury concerns or odd physical profiles if the talent is there, and the LSU star could end up playing a big part in Christian Parker's defense if he gets on the right track.