Draft Insider Names 2 Prospects Cowboys Could Trade Up For

With multiple holes on the defensive side of the ball, there will be no shortage of options for the Dallas Cowboys in the 2026 NFL draft.

Armed with pick No. 12 and No. 20, the Cowboys will be able to land multiple starters. They could also get aggressive and try moving up.

ESPN’s Jordan Reid says that continues to be a possibility for the Cowboys, even identifying two prospects they could be willing to go after. According to Reid, Miami defensive end and Ohio State safety Caleb Downs are high enough on their board to warrant a bold move.

”Trading up continues to be a possibility, especially if there's a player they have high on their board who backslides a tad. Safety Caleb Downs (Ohio State) and edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. (Miami) are believed to be players whom the Cowboys would maneuver for, as Dallas reportedly sees both as instant-impact game changers on defense,” Reid wrote.

Either player would make a remarkable difference for the Cowboys. Bain is a game-changer capable of consistently pressuring the quarterback. He could slide some due to concerns over his arm length, which could be a win for the Cowboys.

As for Downs, he’s a chess piece on defense capable of playing either safety position while also offering slot flexibility. Pairing him with Jalen Thompson would give the Cowboys their best safety duo in recent memory. It would also go a long way toward fixing their abysmal pass defense.

Will the Cowboys definitely go defense in Round 1?

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones before a game against the Minnesota Vikings at AT&T Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

In addition to Reid looking at the team’s potential trade-up targets, Todd Archer discussed their overall plans for the first round. He was asked if the Cowboys will definitely select a defensive player in Round 1, and Archer said nothing is definite when Jerry Jones is involved.

“Definitely? With Jerry Jones? Nothing is definite. The Cowboys know they must address the defense, and the best way to do that is with their two first-round picks. They must find a linebacker, cornerback and pass rusher in this draft,” Archer wrote.

“But the Cowboys had similar defensive needs in 2020 and ended up with receiver CeeDee Lamb in Round 1. He was a top-10-graded player on their board and too much of a ‘blinking light’ to pass up at No. 17. That's the only scenario where the Cowboys go with an offensive player at either No. 12 or 20.”

Selecting Lamb paid off tremendously for the Cowboys as he enters his seventh NFL season on the heels of five consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns. Should the Cowboys find similar value at either pick in 2026, fans will have to remind themselves of how well it worked out last time Dallas drafted using their board rather than their roster holes to make a decision.

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