Cowboys' Jerry Jones Isn't Closing the Door on Anything Ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft

With their healthy stable of picks, Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys are ready for anything ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

When it comes to the most interesting teams in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys are one of them.

Along with the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns, the Cowboys have a pair of selections on Day 1, which means they are capable of pretty much anything, including a blockbuster trade up for a defensive stud.

While a less sexy option, the Cowboys could also trade back with one or both of their picks instead of trading up or sticking and picking in those spots.

When it comes to what the Cowboys will do on April 23 and in the days that follow, owner Jerry Jones isn't closing the door on anything. He rightly notes that it's hard to forecast anything considering how much things can change during the draft, so the Cowboys are open.

“When you’ve got the kind of assets or the kind of ammunition we’ve got in this draft, you should look at all machinations,” Jones said. “It’s one thing to sit here right now, it’s another thing to sit and look at it three hours into the draft and see what you got there. So all of that is a possibility. This is an obvious statement, but nothing — no amount of skill, no amount of knowledge — can beat having a lot of draft capital, having a lot of picks.”

While having a strong amount of draft capital is great, making the right decisions with those picks is even more important. That will truly be the difference between a good and bad draft.

One problem with Cowboys' draft picks

Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The biggest issue the Cowboys have with their stable of picks is the fact that they don't have a second-rounder because of the Quinnen Williams trade with the Jets. That means Dallas has a massive gap between pick No. 20 and their third-round pick.

This is where having a second first-round pick helps the Cowboys. Dallas could trade back from the 20th pick and potentially get a second-rounder back in the package. That's something Jones and Co. should consider doing, especially if they get on the clock and there isn't a player they love in that spot.

Barring an absolutely disastrous board, the Cowboys should not be looking to trade back from No. 12. Instead, sticking and picking or trading up should be the only options.

That's because Dallas must get its hands on a blue-chip player and someone who can make an immediate impact and the further back they go from pick No. 12, the odds of them doing that will be worse.