Dallas Cowboys Pull Off 2026 NFL Draft Heist With 2 Trades In Round 1

The first round of the 2026 NFL draft is in the books, and the Dallas Cowboys have to be thrilled with how things turned out.

They went into the night needing help on defense, and they made the most of their selections. The Cowboys took Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at No. 11 overall and then added UCF pass-rusher Malachi Lawrence at No. 23.

While both of those additions were met with praise, the Cowboys also set themselves up for more success during the rest of the draft with two brilliant trades.

First, they sent two of their three fifth-round picks (No. 177 and No. 180) to the Miami Dolphins to move up one spot for Downs. They then replaced those two picks with better selections in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Dallas sent the 20th overall pick and No. 218 in Round 7 to the Eagles for pick No. 23 in Round 1, as well as No. 114 and No. 137 in the fourth round.

Cowboys being labeled early winners in Round 1

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive back Caleb Downs is selected by the Dallas Cowboys as the 11th pick during the 2026 NFL Draft. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The selection of Downs led to some instant praise, with ESPN's Peter Schrager saying the Cowboys already won the draft. Emmanuel Acho was also high on the move, saying Downs is the best player in the entire draft, calling this selection "gigantic" for the Cowboys.

Lawrence, being their second selection, was also met with applause. Hayden Winks said Lawrence has one of the highest ceilings, something Chris Long and Daniel Jeremiah also said leading up to the draft. Brian Baldinger was also complimentary, saying the traits are there.

As solid as the picks were, Dan Graziano was impressed with their overall moves.

"So, Cowboys traded two 5ths to move up from 12 to 11 and then got two 4ths to move down from 20 to 23? Seems pretty good," Graziano wrote on X.

Cowboys have one glaring hole to address still

Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown looks on before the game between the Cowboys and the Baltimore Ravens. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

There's no debating that Dallas is better on defense after Thursday, but there's still one gaping hole on the roster. The Cowboys currently have just three linebackers, meaning they need to find someone capable of starting next to DeMarvion Overshown.

They also must improve their depth, especially given Overshown's injury history. Look for them to add a player in the draft, but they might need to look for a veteran as well.

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