The Dallas Cowboys are about to play one of their biggest games of the season but at 1-2 and with a banged up roster, some fans are tempted to look beyond regular season and into the 2026 NFL Draft.
Who am I to judge fans for it? Instead, I reached out to A to Z Sports’ NFL Draft experts Ryan Roberts and Kyle Crabbs to answer a few of the biggest draft questions pertaining the Cowboys. From offensive tackle prospects to defensive relief and potential replacements for Micah Parsons, let’s break it all down.
The Cowboys can’t pressure quarterbacks since the Micah Parsons trade. Is the 2026 NFL Draft class a top-heavy one at edge rusher?
Roberts: I wouldn’t call the EDGE class top heavy right now. There is outstanding talent up top, but that position is also one of the deeper ones in the 2026 NFL Draft class as well. You’re going to hear a lot about guys like Keldrick Faulk (Auburn), TJ Parker (Clemson), and Rueben Bain (Miami), but there are options in almost every round that have developmental upside as at least early down players, or designated pass rushers. There is a lot of value to be had.
Advertisement
Expert analysis on Cowboys’ EDGE draft target to watch
Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State Nittany Lions
Round projection: Late 1st round
Dennis-Sutton, listed at 6-foot-4 and a half, 265 pounds, is an explosive, twitchy force off the edge for a very disruptive Penn State front. He’s not a player who is charged with moving around the front often, but rather leans on his first step burst and ability to convert to power to collapse the width of the pocket. Dennis-Sutton can be a bit too-reliant at times on his ability to collapse blockers and in the instances when he’s caught with poor leverage, he does not have the natural raw strength to overwhelm opponents. He’s been a delight to watch in 2025 and appears to have taken an additional step with his game after logging 45 pressures (13.76% pressure rate) last season. – Kyle Crabbs, A to Z Sports
My gut feeling is that unless a major BPA situation comes up, the Cowboys will be focused on defense with their top picks in 2026. What other positions on that side of the ball stand out in next year’s class?
Roberts: The defensive class is worlds better than the offensive group right now. Defensive tackle is also a deeper group, but has top shelf talent like Peter Woods from Clemson who should go very early. If you need a good safety, this is also the class for you. Caleb Downs (Ohio State) is going to lead the conversation, but Kamari Ramsey is also a tremendous player who could go inside of the first round as well. Cornerback doesn’t have great depth at the top right now, but Jermod McCoy (Tennessee) is an elite player in the class. Linebacker looks like a very strong group at the top right now as well, and some names to know include CJ Allen (Georgia), and Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese from Ohio State.
Advertisement
The Cowboys have a pass protection problem and it starts with their tackles, including former first round pick Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele. What are your overall thoughts on the offensive tackle class?
Roberts: I have some mixed feelings on the offensive tackle in general. There is depth to the class, so there are a lot of developmental options throughout. There just aren’t a ton of great blindside options in this group. If you need a potential starter at right tackle, I think guys like Spencer Fano (Utah) or Francis Mauigoa (Miami) could fill it pretty easily. Whether a couple of the top left tackle prospects take a sizable jump is still a major question mark.
window.addEventListener(‘message’, function (event) {if (event.data.totalpoll && event.data.totalpoll.action === ‘resizeHeight’) {document.querySelector(‘#totalpoll-iframe-375’).height = event.data.totalpoll.value;}}, false);document.querySelector(‘#totalpoll-iframe-375’).contentWindow.postMessage({totalpoll: {action: ‘requestHeight’}}, ‘*’);
Advertisement
This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Sep 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.