Dallas Cowboys Likely Must Trade Up For Dream 2026 NFL Draft Target

There has been a growing belief that the Dallas Cowboys could be more aggressive during the NFL offseason than we have seen in recent years, with Jerry Jones feeling an urgency to end the team's embarrassing 30-year Super Bowl drought.

With some simple restructures, the Cowboys could free up significant salary cap space, which would allow Dallas to be active in signing outside free agents and making key contract decisions that will benefit the team into the future.

Re-signing players like George Pickens and Brandon Aubrey is crucial, and players like Jadeveon Clowney and Javonte Williams would also be valuable moving forward.

Then, there is the 2026 NFL draft, where the Cowboys hold two first-round picks. If the Cowboys are serious about improving the roster, the team will have to consider taking an aggressive approach to land the top player on their board.

Currently, Dallas sits at No. 12 and No. 20, but if they want to land an immediate impact player who could be a tone-setter and cornerstone of the defense for the future, they will likely need to move into the top 10. One dream prospect for Dallas is Ohio State do-it-all safety Caleb Downs, who is expected to be a surefire top-10 pick as the draft draws nearer.

Ohio State Buckeyes defenders Caleb Downs and Eddrick Houston tackle Miami Hurricanes running back Mark Fletcher Jr. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

According to NFL insider Albert Breer, Downs is expected to land in the top 10, with many believing he is the best overall football player in this year's class.

“[I] think he's going to go in the Top 10," Breer told 97.1 The Fan. "When he hits somebody, they freaking stop."

The Cowboys need a new leader in the secondary, and it's hard to remember a time when they had a true game-changer at safety. Downs could be that guy.

Downs kicked off his college career as a standout freshman at Alabama before making the move to Columbus. Downs is a versatile player who can make plays at multiple levels, which is something the Cowboys' defense desperately needs. Last season, Downs recorded 68 tackles, five tackles for a loss, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles.

.@ZachWolchuk shared some high praise for Caleb Downs with @EricChiofalo:

"Caleb Downs is the best player I've watched in four years of doing [NFL Draft prep]." pic.twitter.com/VqBX8UL78M
— 105.3 The FAN (@1053thefan) February 13, 2026

While it would be great for the Cowboys to find two impact players in the first round and take advantage of having both picks, adding a rare, generational talent like Downs is an opportunity that doesn't come around often.

If the front office is serious about being aggressive in the offseason, there needs to be a serious conversation about making a splash for a player of Downs' caliber who could change the trajectory of the franchise into the future.

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

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