The Dallas Cowboys can offset a pretty quiet free agency with a loud 2026 NFL Draft. They do just that in Bruce Feldman of The Athletic's latest projections — albeit at the expense of the Arizona Cardinals.
Feldman has Dallas sending the Nos. 12 and 92 picks ($) to the Cardinals for the No. 3 overall choice. In this scenario, the Cowboys make an aggressive move to climb the board, but for whom? Star Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey.
Keep in mind that Feldman's prognostications are "based on intel he's gathered from coaching, scouting and agent sources over the past month-plus." His input is predicated on deep research and reliable information.
So, reading between the lines, Dallas is seemingly high on Bailey and willing to go and get him, and Arizona makes it easy.
The Dallas Cowboys take Texas Tech EDGE David Bailey in 2026 NFL mock draft trade with Cardinals
All it takes for the Cowboys to jump nine spots and land Bailey, arguably the top pass rusher in his class, is a third-round sweetener. The club addresses one of its biggest roster holes in a major way for a meaningful yet light haul. That's great business for Dallas, and a damning indictment of the Cardinals.
For context, we saw the San Francisco 49ers make the same leap from the 12th slot to the third selection back in 2021. They gave up a whopping three first-round picks and a third-rounder for the right to call ex-Cowboys backup quarterback Trey Lance's name. Woof.
In reality, the 49ers paid a premium while the Cowboys are giving Arizona the short end of the stick. The true value of a swap of this magnitude probably lies somewhere in the middle. With that in mind, Dallas makes out like bandits and gets to bring in an immediate starter with game-changing upside.
Bailey transferred to Texas Tech for his final collegiate campaign after three years at Stanford and broke out, earning 2025 Consensus All-American honors. He finished tied for the Division I lead in sacks (14.5) and paced the Big 12 in tackles for loss (19.5) as a senior. His combination of athleticism, power, and speed makes him a potential matchup nightmare at the next level.
Moving up to No. 3 for just a third-round pick might not be realistic. But if the Cardinals feel like getting fleeced, who are we to stop them?