Biggest Dallas Cowboys Winners and Losers After the 2026 Draft

While the Dallas Cowboys are often praised for their work in the NFL draft, their 2026 class might turn out to be one of the best in recent memory.

Dallas needed to rebuild its struggling defense this offseason, and they managed to do exactly that. They picked up plenty of talent during free agency, then capped things off with a strong draft class led by safety Caleb Downs and EDGE Malachi Lawrence.

Now that a couple of weeks have passed, and the newest Cowboys have gone through rookie minicamp, let's check out who stands out as winners and losers following the draft.

Loser: Tyler Guyton

Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyler Guyton prepares to enter the field prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers. | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

Entering his third season in the NFL, former first-round pick Tyler Guyton has yet to live up to his potential. He's been the starter at left tackle for the better part of the past two seasons, but injuries and inconsistent play have held him back.

In 2025, Guyton missed seven games and struggled in pass protection when he was on the field, earning a 50.0 grade from PFF in this department. Guyton is still going to be the starter this season, but Drew Shelton could wind up pushing him for a spot.

The team's 112th overall pick was solid in pass protection, with PFF giving him a grade of 71.2. Shelton allowed just 18 pressures in 357 pass snaps and while he will need time to develop, the coaching staff believes his ceiling is incredibly high, which could be bad news for Guyton.

Winner: Jaydon Blue

Dallas Cowboys running back Jaydon Blue scores the first touchdown of the game. | Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jaydon Blue brought a lot of excitement when the Cowboys selected him in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft, but he wasn't able to earn the coaching staff's trust during his rookie season. Blue was active for just five games and had 129 yards and one touchdown on 38 attempts.

Despite the slow start to his career, Blue has a golden opportunity to win the RB2 spot this season. The Cowboys didn't add a running back during the draft, which means Blue will compete with Malik Davis and Phil Mafah. Davis was able to surpass Blue in 2025, but the youngster will be given every opportunity to earn his shot.

Loser: Sam Williams

Dallas Cowboys DE Sam Williams reacts after a play in the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Sam Williams recorded 8.5 sacks over the first two seasons of his career, but an ACL tear in 2024 slowed his progression. This past season, he had just one sack, but has a chance to redeem himself playing on a one-year deal in a new scheme.

The 261-pound Williams ran a 4.46 during the NFL Combine and has the speed to be a force off the edge, especially from the outside linebacker position. The problem is that he could wind up being buried on the depth chart.

Malachi Lawrence was the team's selection at No. 23 overall, and he will rotate with predicted starters Rashan Gary and Donovan Ezeiruaku. The Cowboys also have James Houston, who picked up 5.5 sacks in 2025. That means Williams could be relegated to special teams duty if he doesn't improve.

Winner: Christian Parker

Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker is interviewed after practice at the Ford Center. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Defensive coordinator Christian Parker was already a winner before the draft, and he feels like an even bigger winner now. We recently pointed out that Parker is working like a seasoned vet during his first offseason in this role, and the draft gave him plenty of weapons to work with.

Chief among those is Caleb Downs, who is considered one of the smartest rookies in the entire league. He's already taking charge of the defense and can serve as an extension of Parker on the field. While the Cowboys had a strong draft overall, Parker became a huge winner the second Downs was selected.

Loser: Caelen Carson

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Caelen Carson warms up prior to a game against the Las Vegas Raiders. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Some might say Shavon Revel Jr. is a loser since the Cowboys brought in Devin Moore, but Christian Parker seems to genuinely like Revel's skill set. The second-year back will get a chance to prove he can start under Parker, but he's going to have to fend off Cobie Durant, who was signed this offseason.

That said, the player who is really in trouble after the draft is Caelen Carson. A fifth-round pick in 2024, Carson flashed starting potential early in his career, but could now be a victim of the numbers game with so many additions in the secondary.

Winner: Jerry Jones

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones before a game against the Minnesota Vikings. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

There's no one who came out of the draft a bigger winner than Jerry Jones.

Jones spent all of 2025 being ridiculed for trading away Micah Parsons. It was hard to defend the move when their defense was playing so poorly, but the Cowboys have now rebuilt the unit in one offseason.

They don't have a superstar pass-rusher like Parsons to lean on, but there are very few holes. We wrote earlier this week how Stephen Jones said they now have the right pieces thanks to the Parsons trade, and Colin Cowherd agreed, saying they are in much better shape than they were even with Parsons in 2024.

Jerry Jones takes a lot of heat when things are going wrong in Dallas, but he got it right this offseason, especially during the draft, and deserves kudos for that.

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