Cowboys land Parsons replacement, bulldozer RB in 2026 NFL mock draft

The Dallas Cowboys are gearing up for the first game of the 2025-26 NFL regular season in just two days, but that won't stop the die-hard draftnik community from looking ahead with the college football season in full swing.

We will get our first look at how the Cowboys' pass rush will look in the post-Micah Parsons era when they face the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, but many predict it won't be pretty.

If that's the case, they'll have two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft to address any concerns.

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In the first 2026 mock draft following Week 1 of the college football season, CBS Sports' Ryan Wilsonhas the Cowboys addressing EDGE with their first pick in the form of Clemson Tigers standout T.J. Parker.

Clemson Tigers defensive end T.J. Parker sacks Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Nate Yarnell during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

"Parker, one of the top edge rushers in this class, falls to the Cowboys in the middle of the round. Will he replace Micah Parsons? Nope! Not even close. Will he give you 60 percent of what Parsons gave the Cowboys in his first season? Again, not likely. And in that sense, this is wholly unfair to one of the best players in college football," Wilson writes.

"But Jerry has a plan and we'll just have to wait to see how it plays out. Meanwhile, Parker can win with both speed and power, is stout at the point vs. offensive tackles and is a high-motor, high-end athlete who is just now in Year 3."

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With the team's second pick in the first round, which was acquired from the Green Bay Packers in the Parsons trade, Dallas addresses running back with Texas Longhorns bulldozer C.J. Baxter.

"Baxter missed the 2024 season because of injury but he could be the most explosive back to come out of Texas since Bijan Robinson," he added. "He's a thick, upright runner who can put his foot in the ground in a one-cut-and-go zone scheme. He'll run with patience, letting the play develop before hitting the hole with urgency. Baxter is a bulldozer vs. second- and third-level defenders."

Texas Longhorns running back CJ Baxter rushes the ball against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half at Ohio Stadium. | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

If the Cowboys could pull off that 1-2 haul in the 2026 draft, fans would be walking away happy.

The 2026 NFL Draft will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from Thursday, April 23, through Saturday, August 25, 2026.

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