For all of their shortcomings as an organization, the Dallas Cowboys are putting together an awesome NFL Draft.
Through three rounds, they have found four impact players on defense in Caleb Downs, Malachi Lawrence, Jaishawn Barham, and Dee Winters, who was acquired from the San Francisco 49ers for pick No. 152 in the fifth round. The process that led the Cowboys to each of those acquisitions serves as a great reminder that they are a great drafting team.
With serious momentum entering Day 3 and three fourth-round picks in hand, Dallas is positioned to dominate the closing ceremony.
In Friday's post-draft presser, Stephen Jones said the Cowboys feel good bout the players that are still available on their board, and that he expects to end up with players they have Round 3 grades on (h/t Todd Archer, ESPN).
That is massive.
The Cowboys have three fourth round picks left. Stephen Jones said the meet of the draft is in the fourth and fifth rounds and expects the Cowboys to land some players they have third round grades on their board in Day 3.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) April 25, 2026
The Dallas Cowboys still have Round 3 grades on players heading into Day 3 of the NFL Draft
The Cowboys had to wait a long time on Friday to make a pick. Set to draft at pick Nos. 112 and 114, they'll be involved early and often on Saturday. By the time fans have digested those selections, Dallas will be up again at pick No. 137.
It’s never a bad thing to have three fourth-round picks, but they’re especially valuable in this draft, where the talent pool really flattens out between Days 2 and 3. That helps explain why so many teams reached relative to the expert consensus board on Friday night.
Assuming the Cowboys continue to invest in their defense, there are A LOT of intriguing names available. The list includes Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad, Pitt linebacker Kyle Louis, Miami cornerback Keionte Scott, USC safety Kamari Ramsey, and South Carolina safety Jalon Kilgore.
Muhammad, Scott, and Ramsey were all 30-visits with Dallas. One common thread among the Cowboys' first three draft picks is that each of them -- Downs, Lawrence, and Barham -- took a 30-visit at The Star.
The Cowboys don’t exclusively draft players they’ve met with beforehand. Tyler Smith, their 2022 first-round pick, wasn’t a 30 visit. Odds are Will McClay and friends will stick to their board first and foremost, but Christian Parker, who’s had significant influence in his first draft with Dallas, may prefer prospects he’s had direct contact with.
That puts Muhammad, Scott, and Ramsey squarely in play. While Scott was a projected second-round pick, Muhammad and Ramsey were expected to go late on Day 2 or early on Day 3.
Even if Dallas throws us a curveball and takes a non-30-visit, the importance of wielding three fourth-round picks cannot be overstated in a class with serious depth.
Cowboys fans should be dreaming big.
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