Happy NFL Draft week. We’ve officially made it. And now, the rumors will start to flow in all day long. One of the players who has gained a ton of steam over the last two weeks is Treydan Stukes, the dynamic cornerback and safety from Arizona.
The Dallas Cowboys hosted Stukes on a 30-visit, and the belief is that he would be a slot option for Christian Parker in his hybrid defense.
Dane Brugler was one of the first to match the Cowboys with Stukes, and he believes that he could be an option for Dallas early in Round 2, if they were to acquire a second-round pick. But with his seemingly rising stock, could he be an option at No. 20?
In a recent article by Adam Schefter of ESPN, he wrote about Stukes and his value ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. Schefter reports that he would not be shocked to see Stukes go in Round 1, especially after this statement by a current general manager:
"One NFL general manager called Stukes 'one of the best safeties I've seen [in my time as a GM],' and added he would draft him ahead of Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. 'This guy makes freaky plays that I haven't seen other safeties make.' It would not be a shock to see Stukes sneak into Round 1."
The Dallas Cowboys may be tempted to reach on Treydan Stukes
There is a lot to love about Stukes, including the fact that he ran a 4.33 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He measured in at 6-1, 190 pounds, and according to Brugler, he has some of the best football character in the entire draft.
However, despite the praise from this anonymous GM and Brugler, he isn’t currently viewed as a first-round pick among the current draft media.
Using the 2026 Expert Consensus Board, Stukes ranks outside of the top-50 players, and it’s hard to find a national draft expert who views him as a first-round caliber player. That’s not to say that he is a bad prospect, but taking him in Round 1 would be viewed as a major reach by most boards. In fact, none of the top draft analysts (Todd McShay, Dane Brugler, Daniel Jeremiah, Nate Tice, etc.) have Stukes ranked as a top-50 player in this class.
Obviously, that’s just their opinion, and it doesn’t mean that Stukes can’t have a fine NFL career. But it is worth mentioning that he will be 25 during Week 1 of the 2026 season and has missed at least one game in four consecutive seasons with injuries. There is a ton of talent here, but overdrafting him by 20-30 spots doesn’t feel wise.
The Cowboys are expected to find their next slot defender at some point during the upcoming draft, and Stukes could be an option. But if he were to be the pick at No. 20 (or even in a small trade-down), it would be another example of the Cowboys drafting for need rather than the best player available.
They’ve had some success doing this before (Tyler Booker, Tyler Smith, etc.), but it’s caught up to them several other times (Mazi Smith, Kelvin Joseph, Trysten Hill, etc.).
Keep an eye on Stukes over the next few days as he appears to be firmly on the radar for the Cowboys. But let's cross our fingers that Dallas doesn't reach too much here.
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