Cowboys Must Be Aggressive for 1 of 3 Elite Prospects Based on Latest Draft Buzz

If the Dallas Cowboys want one of Caleb Downs, Rueben Bain or Mansoor Delane, a trade up might be necessary.

Ohio State defensive back Caleb Downs. | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Three players the Dallas Cowboys have been linked to throughout the 2026 NFL Draft process are Ohio State's Caleb Downs, LSU's Mansoor Delane and Miami's Rueben Bain.

Dallas is in desperate need of an infusion of talent on the defense after sporting one of the worst units in the NFL last season and missing the playoffs because of it.

The free agency and trade markets have yielded some decent adds for Dallas, but Jerry Jones has hardly done everything he needs to in order to improve what is the team's biggest issue.

Landing one of Bain, Downs or Delane with their first pick in the first round would be a fantastic scenario for the Cowboys, as all three are among the best players in this draft and immediately make an impact on Dallas' lackluster unit.

Ideally, the Cowboys can stick and pick and land one of those prospects, but ESPN's Peter Schrager says the Cowboys might have to make a trade up into the top 10 to land any one of them.

"The Cowboys might have to trade up from 12 into the top 10 to ensure that they get at least one of these blue-chip players in a draft that is very strange, but not loaded with defensive talent," Schrager said.

Delane, Bain and Downs are worth a trade up

LSU defensive back Mansoor Delane. | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

The Cowboys' three biggest needs on defense all come at the positions Bain, Delane and Downs play.

Dallas doesn't have an adequate starter across from Rashan Gary for a pass-rush that finished tied for the seventh-fewest sacks in 2025. The draft's second- or third-best edge rusher (depending on how you view Arvell Reese), Bain would address that need.

Even with the signings of P.J. Locke and Jalen Thompson, Dallas is still shaky at safety, as those two and Malik Hooker are anything but locked-in starters. The Ohio State product is a potential generational talent who is also capable of playing in the slot, where the Cowboys have another concern.

Cornerback is another massive concern because of Shavon Revel and DaRon Bland on the outside. Revel hasn't proven himself after just seven games during what was an injury-plagued rookie year, and Bland has had issues staying on the field and his overall performance has left a lot to be desired in recent years.

Delane is far and away the best cornerback in this year's class and offers a potential lockdown cornerback Dallas doesn't have on its roster.

Cowboys trade-up scenarios

Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

We'd suspect the sweet spot for a trade up will begin at No. 6 with the Cleveland Browns. Rumors suggest the Arizona Cardinals (No. 3) and Tennessee Titans (No. 4) are interested in trading back, but trading back that far is unlikely to be attractive for them.

Based on the NFL Draft Trade Value Chart, a trade up to that spot could see Dallas give up both of its first-round picks, but the Cowboys could get back Cleveland's early second-rounder.

At Nos. 8 and 9, picks owned by the Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints, Dallas would have to give up No. 12 and then at least its third-rounder, assuming no future picks are involved.

We don't love that scenario because then Dallas wouldn't have any Day 2 selections because of the team's lack of a second-round selection, but at least the the Cowboys would hold on to their second first-round pick.

We haven't included the No. 5 or No. 7 picks because those are owned by the New York Giants and Washington Commanders, respectively, and neither one is likely to have any interest in dealing with Dallas.

That said, trading up to Nos. 6, 8 or 9 should put Dallas in position for Downs, Bain and/or Delane, and all three scenarios should be on the table for Jerry Jones.