Dallas Cowboys Draft Targets From ESPN’s Mel Kiper’s Initial 2026 NFL Draft Big Board

Dallas Cowboys Draft Targets From ESPN’s Mel Kiper’s Initial 2026 NFL Draft Big Board

[Music] Coming up on today’s Cowboys report, Mel Kyper dropped his first 2026 NFL draft big board. With the Cowboys not looking great, especially on defense and having two first round picks, figured we can run through all the names and hit on some of the more notable ones who we can keep an eye out for if you’re watching college football on Saturday. Now, if you want more Cowboys draft coverage, you know, if they keep losing, otherwise, you know, we’ll do trade deadline stuff, but you know, the more they lose, the more draft coverage we’ll do. Like the video for me, please. And thank you. 1 to 25 on Mel’s big board. Teaser. We’re not going to mention every player. Like, quarterback is not in the cards for for the Dallas Cowboys. Jeremiah Love is number two on Mel’s Big Board. And this was a very popular preseason mockdraft pick for the Cowboys. is like Dallas and Chicago, the only ones ever linked to Jeremiah Love. Love has been really good this year. He is an explosive big play threat. Um, we’ll have the same positional value conversation stuff. May not even get to it depending on where you are drafting either. Um, but he’s been more involved in the passing game and I think that has kind of unlocked another level for the Notre Dame offense with how he’s deployed. Love’s awesome. This is very much different than the Bejian conversation because I think Bejian was a better prospect. But yeah, if he’s there, like he’s probably the best player on your board, but who’s to say he’s actually going to be there? Fernando Mendoza was number three. You know, they’re not taking a quarterback. Arll Reese was number four, and I was really glad to see Mel put him on there. Uh, shout out to our Ohio State guy, Billy B, who was on Arl Reese. Like, he was hyping him up before the text. I’m like, “Okay, we’ll see how good he actually looks.” Uh, wow. He has been nothing short of incredible. The the things he he’s able to cover, he’s able to run stop, he’s able to blitz. He reminds me a lot of times of Jaylen Walker out of Georgia where like Walker was really good as a as a as a pass rusher, but he wasn’t as good necessarily in coverage. Look, I if the cop is like a better version of Jaylen Walker, like a better version of Jaylen Walker is is kind of just the guy you traded away. So like I I I would even wonder you draft Arll Ree, he might be a pass rusher for you in the same way that you’ve had some other linebackers who were best as pass rushers come through this team. So I love Arll Reese. there is a real chance he is the first defender taken as a do-it-all athletic linebacker. Who is your dream Cowboys round one pick? Let me know in the comments section of today’s show. I think the top 10 isn’t loaded with talent. So, if you’re outside of it, you know, some of those guys might end up going away pretty quickly. Let me know in the comments of today’s show. Peter Woods out of Clemson, the defensive tackle. This is that three technique, but they played him an edge sometimes. always thought that was like weird and awkward. He hasn’t been as effective this year. Um he has not been the entire Clemson team has not been as effective, as efficient, as productive. I depending on what you do with Kenny Clark will infer if you actually need to go add Peter Woods or not. Now, I assume they’re going to have George Pickins on the roster. So, as good as Mai Lemon has been for USC, the wide receiver, we’ll pass on that one. The Cowboys hate safeties. Maybe change your mind for Kale DS. He is awesome. I already foresee the fact that we’re going to do the same Kyle Hamilton stuff cuz I do think DS is at his best around the box, but he’s good enough. They put him on returns, guys. He’s good enough to play defense safety. They just like him best around the box and being deployed in multiple different ways. Uh the interception this year was mostly a gift. It was right to him, but it was still a pick. He caught it. He is an elite level safety. Those guys don’t often go early. So, let’s say you’re picking 12 again this year. I wouldn’t rule that out as a possibility cuz the top the list of top 10 safeties in the NFL draft are very, very short. Number eight, Jordan Tyson, another wide receiver. He’s good. I don’t think you need one. I was surprised Mel put Ruben Bane at number nine. And yeah, you tank for two all those years ago. It’s paying for Bane in this year’s class. He’s got 29 pressures this season. It is one of the highest rates in college football. Go watch Go watch the Notre Dame game like the the final couple drives. Him and his teammate were just wrecking it up front. Like you need a dude now at pass rusher. Ruben Bane if you if you could get him, which depends on where you’re drafting. I mean, again, we’re we’ve mentioned like four or five names in depth. This could go pretty quickly if you don’t want a quarterback. Um, depends on where you’re drafted, but he’d be a huge addition to your pass rush. Today’s show is made possible by Prize Picks. You and I make decisions every day, but on Prize Picks, being right can get you paid. Don’t miss any of the excitement this football season on Prize Picks where it is good to be right. You can do stacks on the Prize Picks app. Let’s pick up the same player up to three times in the same lineup. So, for example, if you want to go with Jaden Daniels more than passing TDs and rushing yards, or if you want to just throw in uh passing yards more than as well, you can do it on prize picks. You can also follow other prize picks players directly on the app and copy their lineups in one click. That’s all part of the new feed tab on prize picks. Go download the app today and use code CLNS to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. That’s code CLNS to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. Links in the comments section and the description of today’s show. Prize picks. It’s good to be right. With uncertainty around Terrence Steel in particular, we’ll mention the tackles. Spencer Fono is the highest rated tackle for Mel Kyper right now. Three hurries this year, a little bit high on the penalties. He and his teammate Caleb Lomu are both very good tackles. Fono’s played left tackle and right tackle, so there is like play the one you think is better at each spot uh potentiality there. To be fair, you do wonder if you just have all defense uh with those picks. Another good edge is Kellrick Faulk and Ruben Bane also has this type of size where they’re above 270 lbs. the the Auburn defense is deploys him a little bit weird at times, but I think Kell Faulk and Bane both have the potential to be like three down edges. I know that the the tackle numbers don’t pop for Faulk. It’s fine. He’s he’s been he’s been very good in that area. Um as like an overall player, what you were hoping for Marshon Nean was going to be like this. I think is actually what Kellrick Faulk is, like an actual three down defensive end who you don’t have to worry about slipping off the field on on early downs, rundowns. That might be what the Cowboys could use the most of. Carnell Tate’s been awesome this year, but again, wide receiver, not too concerned about it. Dramad McCoy hasn’t played this campaign at all for the Tennessee Volunteers coming off of a torn ACL. Maybe a don’t want to hurt guy. He was pretty darn good last year though. Um, you know, was about 50% completion rate. anytime you get in that ballpark. Um, that was that was that’s good. Six pass breakups, four interceptions. I do want to see him get healthy and return this year. I I I can’t spend my first first round pick on a hurt guy. That second first round pick though, if he’s there in the 20s like that, if you know, if he doesn’t come back this year, that might be the right risk value. You don’t need a tight end. I do like Kenny Sad quite a bit out of Oregon. TJ Parker is next up here, the defensive end out of Clemson, who again hasn’t been nearly as good this season. The pressure rate has gone down, the TFLs have gone down, the sacks have plummeted. There was conversation during the year like, “Hey, could DS and and Peter Woods be the sorry, Peter Woods and TJ Parker be the first two defensive players drafted?” You know, maybe one of them does, but I don’t think both of them. and Parker I think in particular has been a little bit more disappointing. So what draft pick will the Dallas Cowboys end up with? Let me know in the for their first pick. Not worried about the Packers one like the their own pick. Is it going to be 10, 12, 15? Do they rally for the postseason? Let me know in the comments section of today’s show. Ty Simpson’s been balling for Alabama, but he’s a quarterback. Avon Terrell, that is AJ Terrell’s brother, the quarterback out of Clemson, has been maybe a little bit less of a falloff this year. Um, the completion rate isn’t necessarily quite what you would prefer that it be, but he he’s been it’s been solid. Um, I do think corner is going to be an area of concern for this Cowboys team. All right, number 18, Francis Malangoa, the offensive tackle. This is the other tackle that’s in the top 20 on Mel’s big board. This is a right tackle, which you might need. He is not named Tyler, which there’s one of the top guys whose middle name is Tyler, but I can’t remember which one. I have to go back and double check that cuz I just I’m just going to pencil him in uh for the mock draft. But I I think he has been a mer in the run game. He’s taken steps forward as a pass protector. There have been some concerns if he’s athletic enough to stay at tackle. My thought process is yes. Uh but we’ll have to kind of monitor the testing a little bit on that one. Uh Amari Washington next up here. And Washington is is a runlogger. That’s what he does. He is listed at 63 330 lbs. There isn’t much that he really offers in the pass rush side of things, but if you move on from Kenny Clark potentially, you’re going to have to have a huge you’re have a huge hole, excuse me, uh at the defensive interior tackle spot. Washington, which this would probably more of your second first round pick candidate, uh at least as someone to keep an eye out for. Now, we will have draft coverage. Hopefully, not much more of it because the Cowboys keep winning games and then we don’t have to do do it. Uh, but we’ll have it all offseason long at minimum. So, hit that sub button if you haven’t already at youtube.com/cowboystv for more free Cowboys YouTube videos. Another edge rusher. This one is a very different style of player than um than what you get out of um excuse me uh KC Faulk and and uh Bane. But David Bailey has been unbelievable so far this year as a pass rusher. Eight and a half sacks and six games play. This is the Stanford transfer. That pressure rate is not a typo. 28.9%. Which is unbelievable that you don’t see those types of numbers in college football. Like they just they do not exist. That level of pressure rate is it is truly among like the best you will ever see out there. Like Miles Garrett, you know how good he has been over the course of his collegiate career. His final season uh at Texas A&M, his pressure rate was just above 16%. Now David Bailey isn’t a run stopper. He he he is undersized. He has short arms, by the way, but he he is not asked to do much against the run. he gets to tee off against pass rushers. He might be a situational type of pass rusher like you know some of like like the best version of Bruce Irvin you saw in in his time in college or in time in the NFL. But Bailey is very athletic and he what are you elite at getting after the quarterback? He he answers that. All right. Uh Lenor Serako quarterback. I was surprised to see Zachariah Branch so high on Mel’s big board. In general, this is a loaded linebacker class. Like you, we all know this team needs some linebacker help. Good news, there’s a lot of good ones. CJ Allen is one of them. Uh I know Dane Bugler’s super high on him. He has he’s gotten better each and every season of his career. He’s got multiple force fumbles, multiple pass breakups, multiple sacks, five and a half TFLs. I I I think that Arll Reese is the best linebacker in this class. I I think this is with the way he’s played this year. I think CJ Allen is the second best. And there’s several other guys we’ll get to here uh that I’ll shout out in some capacity later on. Jacobe Lane, their wide receiver. It’s fine. You know, you don’t you don’t need one there. And then 25 is Kaden Proctor, who could be your Wildcat quarterback. Have you guys seen the stuff that Bama’s been doing with Kaden Proctor? It’s so much fun. I love it. The next pivot, by the way, is it’s a Kaden Proctor pass is coming for the Crimson Tide on the goal line, and I cannot wait. Uh he was honestly bad to begin the season, though. He was not good. Since then, he’s been much better. Of his pressures allowed this season, half of them came in week one. He wasn’t as good against Missouri, but he’s starting to look a little bit more like the upside player that he was supposed to be as a five-star recruit. Who else should be on the Cowboys drafter that was not in Mel’s top for early round picks? Let me know in the comments section of today’s show. Other names I’ll mention, the other Utah tackle, Caleb Lomu. Uh LT Overton catches Howal has I think I might have misspoke. How has extremely small arms. I don’t think I don’t think Bailey’s that are or that big. I think I think it’s Howal is the one. I got to go back and double check and look at my numbers. One of them has like sub 32 inch arms, which is like huge red flag. Um, Overton is like a DED DT hybrid five technique guy. Um, everyone likes Anthony El. I get it. He’s He’s super fun, entertaining. Um, I I think the depth of this class, guys like Sunny Styles, the other Ohio State linebacker. Uh, Whit Weeks, Harold Perkins is kind of a weird hybrid, but he’s had a good season. Uh, Jacob Rodriguez over at Texas Tech is awesome. There’s a lot of linebackers who make sense uh for potential options there. Mansour Delane uh also is I’m a huge fan of his game. The measurables might not fit the Cowboys mold, but he’s good at football. Don’t overthink it. [Music]

The 2026 NFL Draft is still months away and the 2025 NFL season is far from over, but ESPN’s Mel Kiper has dropped his first 2026 NFL Draft Big Board. Who could Dallas target based on Kiper’s Top Prospects? Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CLNS and use code CLNS and get $50 in lineups when you play your first $5 lineup! Cowboys Report host Tom Downey runs through the Top 25 NFL Draft prospect rankings and who stands out for the Cowboys.

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Mel Kiper’s 2026 NFL Draft Big Board:
#1: Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
#2: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
#3: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
#4: Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State
#5: Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
#6: Makai Lemon, WR, USC
#7: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
#8: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
#9: Rueben Bain Jr., DE, Miami
#10: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
#11: Keldric Faulk, DE, Auburn
#12: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
#13: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
#14: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
#15: T.J. Parker, DE, Clemson
#16: Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
#17: Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
#18: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami
#19: A’Mauri Washington, DT, Oregon
#20: David Bailey, OLB, Texas Tech
#21: LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina
#22: Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia
#23: CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
#24: Ja’Kobi Lane, WR, USC
#25: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama

Notable NFL Draft Prospects not on Mel’s Big Board who could help Dallas:
– Caleb Lomu (OT, Utah)
– LT Overton (EDGE, Alabama)
– Cashius Howell (EDGE, Texas A&M)
– Anthony Hill Jr. (LB, Texas)
– Mansoor Delane (CB, LSU)

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– Cowboys Rumors On Sam Williams, Eric Kendricks Returning & Jaylen Wright Trade Rumors Via ESPN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGpaxG5-rX8

Cowboys Free Agency Tracker:
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– Re-signed CJ Goodwin: 1-year, $1.20 MM
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– Re-signed Brock Hoffman: 1-year, ERFA Tender
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– Re-signed Trent Sieg: 3-years, $4.45 MM
– Re-signed Kavontae Turpin, 3-years, $13.5 MM
– Signed Javonte Williams: 1-year, $3 MM
– Signed Robert Jones: 1-year, $3.75 MM
– Signed Solomon Thomas: 2-years, $6 MM
– Signed Payton Turner: 1-year, $3 MM
– Re-signed Bryan Anger: 2-years, $6.4 MM
– Trade: Kaiir Elam
– Signed Jack Sanborn: 1-year, $1.5 MM
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– Signed Miles Sanders: 1-year, $1.34 MM
– Signed Dante Fowler: 1-year, $6 MM
– Signed Parris Campbell: 1-year, $1.20 MM
– Trade: Joe Milton III
– Signed Saahdiq Charles: 1-year, $1.17 MM (No GTD)
– Signed Hakeem Adeniji: 1-year, $1.17 MM (No GTD)
– Trade: George Pickens

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