At this point, Dallas Cowboys fans are ready to draft. Smokescreens are rolling through from every which direction, and new theories are being floated seemingly every other day.
If you haven't heard, the flavor of the week in Jerry World is the Cowboys trading up for Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles, sending picks Nos. 12 and 20 to the Cleveland Browns for Nos. 6 and 39. This would give Dallas one of the draft's best players and a second-round pick, which they don't currently have.
Of course, they could simply hold their ground and let the board fall to them. With smoke filling the air, Dallas Cowboys TV host Kyle Youmans tried to make sense of the buzz by separating the smokescreens he believes could be real from those that could be false.
The good news? Youmans isn't buying Auburn edge rusher Keldric Faulk being in play at No. 12. The bad news? He thinks Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood is in play at 12 if Dallas gets wiped out.
One week out from the #NFLDraft and there are #Cowboys rumors and smokescreens all over the media.
— Kyle Youmans (@Kyle_Youmans) April 17, 2026
There are a few I believe could be true:
- Options at 12 because of good luck 1-11
- If not, Downs/Bailey trade up scenarios
- Colton Hood interest at 12
There are a few I believe…
It'd be a massive reach if the Dallas Cowboys drafted Colton Hood at No. 12 overall
A sigh of relief followed by some sweet chin music; a familiar combination for Cowboys fans.
Youmans thinks Faulk would be in consideration at No. 20 or in a potential trade-back. That'd make selecting him much more palatable.
A classic “traits over production” prospect, Faulk can set the edge against the run as well as any EDGE in this class, but he's got a long way to go as a pass rusher. As such, a large contingent of Cowboys fans does not want the team to take Faulk early.
As polarizing as Faulk is, taking him at No. 20 wouldn’t spark nearly the same backlash as drafting Hood at No. 12.
It’s no secret that Dallas really likes Hood. Multiple team insiders have already “penciled in” the former Volunteer at No. 20 if they don’t land Mansoor Delane. Reaching for him at No. 12 would be the ultimate test of “trust your board,” which is why many fans would prefer the Cowboys trade up for one of the draft’s premier defensive prospects: Delane, Arvell Reese, David Bailey, Sonny Styles, and Rueben Bain.
Hood is the No. 48 player on FanSided's Big Board. In terms of mock drafts, The Athletic's Dane Brugler had the Seattle Seahawks take him at No. 32, while Peter Schrager and Mel Kiper of ESPN both projected him to the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 29.
The perception of Hood flips entirely depending on whether he’s taken at No. 20 or No. 12. It's obvious by now that he's one of the highest defenders on Dallas' board. He's a worthy first-round pick, but taking him in the top half of the draft would be nightmare fuel.
This draft won't be for the faint of heart. That's for sure.
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