What on earth is Jerry Jones doing? It's a question as old as time, really. Dallas Cowboys fans still cannot answer that in a sensible manner. But, after this year's trade deadline, fans certainly have a reason to continue asking said question.
Trading away Micah Parsons just a couple of months ago only to turn right back around and use hefty capital in acquiring a player like Quinnen Williams might not exactly be what Cowboys fans had in mind. But, here we are.
At least, this fan base can look forward to the 2026 NFL Draft and anxiously await the usage of two first-round picks. But, what does Jerry do with a pair of picks in next year's first round? How does he possibly use them wisely after the team lost such an integral cornerstone the season before?
That's what we try and help him do, here.
This 4-Round Cowboys 2026 mock draft actually shows Jerry Jones doing something right
At this moment, the Cowboys are slated to pick No. 14 and No. 24 overall in the first round next year. With that first selection, Jones snags the best-available pass rusher on the board. Texas Tech's David Bailey is arguably a top-3 pass rusher in this class, so to get him halfway through the first round is a resounding win.
For Cowboys fans who loved watching Parsons' speed and the variety of moves he could use to win with, Bailey will be a breath of fresh familiar air. Bailey is quick off the line and wins with his acceleration, speed and hands.
Bailey is a tad undersized, listed at 250 pounds. You know who else was supposedly "undersized" and wasn't the ideal size for edge rusher coming out of college? Parsons, listed at 245 pounds.
As this is written, Bailey already has 11.5 sacks and 14.0 tackles for loss on the season for the Red Raiders.
Later in the first round, the Cowboys start attacking another pain point: the secondary. Tennessee's Colton Hood could be argued as a top-5 cornerback in this class and, for the Cowboys to get him here is a win.
Who knows what Dallas ends up doing with Trevon Diggs, but regardless, they need help at cornerback. DaRon Bland has had some issues this year as well (just ask Marvin Harrison Jr. for his thoughts on that one).
Hood is versatile, too. On the season, the Volunteers corner has 4.0 tackles for loss to go with his seven pass breakups and an interception returned for a touchdown. He has yet to allow a passing touchdown and is allowing an opposing QB rating of only 57.0.
This is where it gets tricky, because the Cowboys don't have a second or third-round pick. Yet, with the same tone, Dallas sticks with defense. Jerry knows this is the obvious weakness, so he continues attacking it and snags Mississippi State safety Isaac Smith in the fourth round.
At six feet, 220 pounds, Smith is a strong-bodied safety and boy does he use that size well. He is one of the best tacklers in the class as evidenced by his current PFF tackling grade of 89.7. For those who don't follow, that's about as high of a grade as you'll see. Rarely are grades over 90 handed out.
Smith helps to continue to shore up a secondary that's on pace for one of the more historically bad seasons in Dallas' history and rebuild a safety room that needs an overhaul.