Which Cowboys Day 3 Draft Pick Will Have the Best NFL Career?

Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys had a great haul in the 2026 NFL draft. Naturally, the attention has been focused heavily on their first three picks.

Ohio State safety Caleb Downs is being praised as the new focal point of the defense. Fellow first round pick Malachi Lawrence could be their new star pass rusher. In Round 3, they landed linebacker Jaishawn Barham, who has the potential to be a weapon in Christian Parker's defense.

The best drafts, however, are the ones where a team finds value during Day 3. For the Cowboys, they were able to do this with four selections in Round 4 through Round 7. To recap, here's a look at who was selected during the final day of the draft by the Cowboys:

Round 4, Pick 112: Drew Shelton, OT, Penn State
Round 4, Pick 114: Devin Moore, CB, Florida
Round 5, Pick 137: LT Overton, DL, Alabama
Round 7, Pick 218: Anthony Smith, WR, East Carolina

Which Day 3 pick will be the best NFL player?

Penn State Nittany Lions offensive lineman Drew Shelton against the Boise State Broncos. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Each player Dallas chose during these rounds has the potential to make an NFL roster and carve out a decent career. That said, there are reasons they all went on Day 3.

Drew Shelton is an incredibly athletic and a solid pass blocker, but needs more consistency. Devin Moore could be a starting cornerback, but lacks experience and has injury concerns. LT Overton might be an ideal 3-4 defensive end, but teams might have been hesitant to select him due to low athletic testing. Their final pick, Anthony Smith, can stretch the field but hasn't proven himself against elite talent.

That said, the player in this group who has the potential to carve out the longest and most successful NFL career is the one they chose early in Round 4, Drew Shelton.

We could make a case for Moore or Overton, but the one who seems to have the highest ceiling is Shelton. He's also someone the coaching staff loves, which was pointed out by Cowboys On SI's Josh Sanchez.

Cowboys have been focused on rebuilding their offensive line

In 2024, the Cowboys made it an effort to reshape their offensive line. They saw Tyron Smith and Tyler Biadasz leave in free agency, replacing them with draft picks Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe. In 2025, Zach Martin retired, leaving a massive hole at right guard, which Dallas filled with Tyler Booker.

Entering 2026, they will begin the season with the same starting lineup, but there are questions surrounding both Guyton as well as Terence Steele. That could open the door for Shelton to take a starting job down the road, especially if he can soak up the coaching from offensive coordinator Klayton Adams who has been excellent with offensive linemen.

—Sign up for the Cowboys Daily Digest newsletter for more free coverage from Dallas Cowboys on SI—

Add us as a preferred source on Google