New Cowboys 2026 Mock Draft Teases Shock Trade With Chiefs For Star CB

The Dallas Cowboys' approach to the NFL offseason focuses heavily on improving on the defensive side of the ball, and if the team wants to take a major step forward in 2026, it may need to call on some drastic measures.

In a new mock draft by NFL.com draft guru Daniel Jeremiah, the Cowboys take an interesting approach to the first pick, Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy, once again calling on a cornerback with injury issues, before a stunning trade gets floated with the team's pick at No. 20.

McCoy is among the top cornerbacks in this year's class, so it would be an exciting pick for the team, but there is an even more intriguing option later in Round 1.

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Jeremiah floats the idea that the Cowboys could move the No. 20 pick to the Kansas City Chiefs if the team is willing to part ways with star cornerback Trent McDuffie, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract.

McDuffie may be best known by Cowboys fans as the cornerback who was hurdled by George Pickens on Thanksgiving Day, but he does have talent.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens hurdles Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie at AT&T Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

"After taking a CB at No. 12, the Cowboys nab an edge rusher. Teams might have to get comfortable with Mesidor’s age -- he will be a 25-year-old rookie -- but he was dominant during Miami’s run in the College Football Playoff," Jeremiah writes after his initial pick of Miami EDGE Akheem Mesidor.

"Then again, if the Chiefs would take this pick in a trade for Trent McDuffie (entering the final year of his rookie deal), the Cowboys would solve their secondary issues in the blink of an eye."

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During the 2025 season, McDuffie recorded 45 tackles, 7 passes defensed, two tackles for a loss, one sack, one interception, and one forced fumble.

If the team could land a player like McDuffie at No. 20, it would certainly be worth exploring.

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