New Dallas Cowboys 2026 NFL mock draft lands athletic 13.5-sack artist

The Dallas Cowboys are one game away from officially turning their attention to the NFL Draft season, and many experts believe the team will be looking to address major issues on the defensive side of the ball.

Dallas enters the season finale against the New York Giants with the No. 30-ranked defense in the NFL, allowing 376.8 yards per game and a league-high 56 touchdowns.

Ahead of the Week 18 showdown in the NFC East, Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic shared his latest 2026 mock draft, focusing on the top 18 picks while the playoff field sorts itself out.

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Baumgardner, like many in the draftnik community, has the Cowboys addressing a major need on defense, boosting the pass rush, which was left crippled after trading Micah Parsons away to the Green Bay Packers before the start of the season.

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

By adding David Bailey from Texas Tech, the Cowboys will immediately boost the pressure off the edge and create one of the most dynamic young duos in the league.

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

A closer look at the Cowboys' latest first-round projection can be seen below.

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Pick No. 14: David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech

Texas Tech's David Bailey eyes BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier before a snap | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bailey would bring a much-needed boost to the Cowboys' pass rush, with a breakout season for the No. 4 Red Raiders.

"One of my favorite pass rushers in the 2025 class was Boston College edge Donovan Ezeiruaku (Dallas’ second-rounder), who had the group’s deepest set of pass-rush moves," Baumgardner writes.

"Bailey is this year’s version of Ezeiruaku, only he’s a much better athlete with a higher ceiling in terms of production. Micah who?"

This season, Bailey, who began his career at Stanford, has totaled 43 tackles, with 17.5 tackles for a loss, 13.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.

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