One Thing Dallas Cowboys Cannot Afford to Get Wrong in 2026 NFL Draft

The Dallas Cowboys will walk out of the 2026 NFL draft with their heads held high as long as they avoid one potential mistake.

The Dallas Cowboys logo is projected on the video board during the NFL Draft at Lambeau Field. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The 2026 NFL draft kicks off this Thursday, and the Dallas Cowboys enter the event with two picks in Round 1.

Coming off a season in which their defense was atrocious, the Cowboys are expected to look for an impact player with each pick. As for the position they need to target, there's no shortage of options.

Dallas needs help on the edge, at inside linebacker, as well as throughout the secondary. That gives them plenty of options, which will help them not only draft to fill a need, but to also take the best player available on their board. That said, there's one potential miscue they have to avoid during the first round.

The Cowboys cannot afford to gamble on a player with injury concerns

Tennessee defensive back Jermod McCoy before a college football game between Tennessee and UAB. | Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With so many holes on defense, the Cowboys need to use their picks in Round 1 to find immediate contributors. This doesn't mean they must be plug-and-play starters, but if they were to draft a pass-rusher, for example, it needs to be a player who can at least play on third-downs and deliver pressure.

The upside to develop into a starter must be there as well, but the priority overall is finding two defenders who can help new defensive coordinator Christian Parker get the defense on track. What they cannot do is use one of their top two or three picks on a player with medical red flags.

In this draft, the player most often linked to Dallas with injury concerns is Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy. While he's one of the more talented corners in this class, arguably second only to LSU's Mansoor Delane, McCoy was unable to play in 2025 due to a torn ACL.

That injury has been rehabbed and McCoy looked great during his pro day, but a new report is even more concerning. According to Tom Pelissero, McCoy had a bone plug that was used to repair a cartilage defect in his knee. The fear is that he might need to have that plug replaced, which would result in another surgery.

Cowboys have been dealing with far too many injuries at CB in recent years

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. looks on before the game against the Baltimore Ravens. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Cowboys have had more than their fair share of injuries at the cornerback position over the past couple of years.

Trevon Diggs tore his ACL after playing just two games on a new extension. He continued to have trouble with his knee, playing 11 games in 2024 and just eight for the Cowboys in 2025 before being released.

There's also Shavon Revel, who was selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft while still recovering from an ACL tear during his final season at East Carolina. Throw in the foot injuries DaRon Bland has battled over the past two years and the Cowboys must avoid adding anyone with the slightest concerns at this position.

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