NFL Insider Reveals Roadblock in Cowboys Draft-Day Trade Plans

The 2026 NFL draft is roughly one month away and the Dallas Cowboys are doing their due diligence ahead of the event.

Dallas has sent members of the front office all over the nation, with a contingent spending time in Miami before touring Pro Days throughout the state of Texas. While that’s been happening, position coaches have spent time in Wake Forest and Nebraska, where they’ve been scouting potential Day 3 picks at running back.

With no shortage of needs, there’s been talk of the Cowboys potentially trading back from the No. 12 pick to stockpile more draft capital. That would be helpful, and it could lead to them landing some of the players they’ve shown interest in during these scouting trips.

According to Albert Breer, however, trading back might not be in the cards. Breer said this draft lacks the prototype player who entices teams to move up, which means the Cowboys might not have any options.

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”My assumption is that the Raiders take Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza with the first pick. After that, there’s not a quarterback to provoke a trade up, or a prototype at a premium position (i.e., Myles Garrett at edge, Jalen Ramsey at corner, Julio Jones at receiver, Joe Alt at tackle) that could entice someone to get aggressive,” Breer wrote.

”So even if the Cowboys wanted to move down from 12, I think it would take a run on a position to create a market for the pick. Maybe someone looks at LSU’s Mansoor Delane and sees the rest of the corner class as being a step down from that (though Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy might be right there) and wants to go get him? I don’t know. It’s hard to envision a real scenario like that right now, but I might feel differently in a couple of weeks.”

Staying put might be the best plan for the Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer looks on before the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing for the Cowboys. While it would be nice to get a player in the second round, they already picked up a Day 2 selection when they traded Osa Odighizuwa. That means they still have three picks in the first three rounds, two of those just happen to be in the top 20.

As Breer said, things could also change during the draft. Although, someone trying to move up to pick No. 20 could be a more viable option to move back than at No. 12.

Even that might not be in the team’s best interest. They did enough with adding role players in the draft that selecting two defenders in the top 20 would be far more impactful than adding more ammunition.

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