Shock Cowboys Trade Pitch Lands Team Top 3 Pick in 2026 Draft Heist

The Dallas Cowboys are armed with two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, with just three weeks until the festivities kick off on the North Shore in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Dallas has plenty of options when the draft rolls around, as it continues looking to improve the roster. A common opinion is that the Cowboys should use both first-round picks on star defensive prospects to improve the putrid unit, which ranked No. 30 overall in the league last season.

But what if the team decided to use some extra picks to move around in the draft order? That's exactly what Bruce Feldman of The Athletic suggests the Cowboys should do.

In his latest mock draft, Feldman has the Cowboys making a major trade with the Arizona Cardinals to land the No. 3 overall pick in the draft. You would think the Cowboys would have to give up both first-round picks to enter the top three, right? Not if you're Feldman.

His trade proposal has the Cowboys pulling off a draft day heist that would send the No. 12 overall pick and the team's third-rounder (No. 92 overall) to the Cardinals for pick No. 3 to land Texas Tech superstar David Bailey.

Texas Tech Red Raiders linebacker David Bailey against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"They would love for [Ohio State's Arvell Reese] to fall here, but Bailey is another true difference-maker in a draft that isn’t all that deep with them," Feldman wrote. "The former Stanford player isn’t as versatile as Reese, but he is a little bigger and longer at 6-4, 251 with 33 3/4-inch arms. He’s almost as fast — he ran a 4.50 40 and vertical jumped 35 inches.

"He was vertically unblockable last season for Texas Tech on what was a very talented D-line, as he had 14.5 sacks, tied for No. 1 in the FBS. I think he’s an even better edge rusher than Abdul Carter, who went in this spot last year to the Giants. (And that’s not a knock on Carter.)"

If the Cowboys could land a player like Bailey without giving up both first-rounders, it would be a dream scenario for Dallas and defensive coordinator Christian Parker.

As an added bonus, the team lands Washington star receiver Denzel Washington with its second pick, adding a massive 6-foot-4 redzone target. Over the past two seasons, Boston caught 125 passes for 1,715 yards and 20 touchdowns. He would add insurance to the Cowboys' offense, with George Pickens' long-term future with the team uncertain.

Washington Huskies wide receiver Denzel Boston catches a touchdown against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

It's an unorthdox approach to the first round for the Cowboys, but one that would certainly make some waves and generate headlines, and we know that would leave Jerry Jones smiling.

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

— Sign up for the Cowboys Daily Digest newsletter for more free coverage from Dallas Cowboys on SI —