The Dallas Cowboys may have gone for broke in the 2025 season by making win-now moves like acquiring George Pickens and Quinnen Williams, but the Micah Parsons trade was so destructive for the defense that it prevented Dak Prescott from leading this team to the playoffs.

The one silver lining for Dallas is the fact that Jerry Jones now has two first-round picks to work with in the 2026 NFL Draft, which should help hem address their holes at linebacker and defensive back with ease.

The best way forward for Jones and the Cowboys is to copy what goes down in this 2026 NFL Mock Draft.

Dallas Cowboys 4-round 2026 NFL Mock Draft

Round 1, Pick 13: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State

With teammate Arvell Reese firmly in contention for the No. 1 overall pick in the Draft, Styles might be more valuable to a team like Dallas due to his profile as a more traditional inside linebacker. Styles would be an immediate starter for the Cowboys, who should be done with the whole Kenneth Murray experiment.

Styles hits like a truck in the running game, has shown solid coverage skills for someone that big, and is one of the best open-field tacklers in this class. The Cowboys’ linebacker room has been struggling without Leighton Vander Esch, and adding Styles to the mix might be the best way to ensure the defense is fixed.

Round 1, Pick 21: Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina

Cisse has been perhaps the biggest riser in what is regarded as a very weak cornerback class. With LSU’s Mansoor Delane looking like he will be off the board before Dallas picks at No. 13 overall, Jones might need to wait until the Packers’ first-round selection to improve his team’s lackluster secondary.

Cisse can not only play both in the slot and outside, but he is a premium athlete who could continue to rise even higher in the NFL Draft order if he blows people away at the NFL Combine. Cisse and Dallas seem like a match made in heaven, and it could help take some sting out of the Micah Parsons trade.

Round 4, Pick 113: Xavier Scott, S/CB, Illinois

Scott is a man without a position, as some consider him more of a safety while others think he could be a particularly effective inside cornerback. No matter what ends up happening with him, Dallas will likely be thrilled with the possibility off adding someone as versatile as Scott in the fourth round.

Scott, a smart player with good ball skills, should have no trouble forcing his way into Dallas’ plans, especially if the Malik Hooker experiment is running out of room and they hypothetically choose to use a player like Cisse on the outside.