Dallas Cowboys' Biggest Remaining Needs Entering Day 3 of 2026 NFL Draft

The Dallas Cowboys will turn the page to Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft, where the team will start off hot with three fourth-round picks before cooling off until the seventh round, when the Cowboys will make their final selection, barring a trade.

Dallas has made three picks thus far, with Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence and Michigan edge rusher Jaishawn Barham, who may also play some linebacker.

All of those picks address needs, and Dallas made another move with the trade for linebacker Dee Winters, who helps take care of linebacker and pushes it down the list.

There are still some needs to address for Dallas, though. Let's dive into the details of what they are.

Cornerback

What we don't know is if the Cowboys have secured their nickel job yet. They have no shortage of options, though, with Caleb Downs, P.J. Locke, Jalen Thompson and Cobie Durant all possibilities.

What we can say for sure is the Cowboys need more depth and competition on the boundary.

DaRon Bland has been unable to stay healthy and hasn't played at a high level the previous two years. With Shavon Revel, an injury-shortened rookie campaign that featured lackluster play means the second-year cornerback is anything but cemented.

Offensive line

Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyler Guyton (60) prepares to enter the field prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers — Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyler Guyton. | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

The Cowboys could use help at multiple spots, so adding at least one versatile offensive lineman would be huge.

We still don't know if the Cowboys will slide Tyler Smith over to left tackle in 2026. Even if that doesn't happen, Dallas has gotten less than ideal showings out of Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele the past two seasons and could use some insurance in the form of a swing tackle.

If Smith does slide over to guard, that would likely push career backup T.J. Bass into a starting role. Given the uncertainty with that situation, and the team's loss of versatile offensive lineman Brock Hoffman, drafting someone who could play inside would amount to an ideal addition for Dallas.

Wide receiver

This is the part of the draft we'd like to see the Cowboys address the wide receiver position.

By all accounts, the Cowboys look to be OK with George Pickens after he signed his franchise tag and Dallas said it had no plan on trading him. With Pickens seemingly in tow for 2026, the Cowboys sport an elite duo when combined with CeeDee Lamb.

Behind those two are question marks. Ryan Flournoy is promising but not totally proven as a No. 3 receiver, and battling it out for depth spots are KaVontae Turpin, Jonathan Mingo, who has been a major bust since being acquired via trade, and Parris Campbell, who has a length injury history and has played in just six games the past two years.

Dallas needs to add another form of competition and Round 4 is the sweet spot for them to do so.

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