March 17, 2026, 9:03 p.m. CT

The Dallas Cowboys need players on defense; perhaps you’ve heard? After fielding, arguably, the worst defense in the entire NFL, that’s not exactly a secret these days. Of the eight external acquisitions Dallas signed or traded for this month, with the onset of free agency, six play on defense. And those six defenders the Cowboys added only scratch the surface of their overall needs up and down the defensive side of the roster.

Luckily the Cowboys just received some good news on that front. According to multiple sources the Miami Dolphins are trading standout receiver Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos. This trade sends the hottest name on the trade market to Denver and strips Miami of their only true weapon at WR. WR isn’t just a possibility at 11, it’s a probability.

Selecting No. 12 overall, the Cowboys are in a difficult position in the draft order. If there’s a run on defensive players, the number of first-round graded players could run dry before Dallas goes on the clock. This situation would represent a worst-case scenario and force the Cowboys to either reach on a defensive player, or pivot to the less urgent offensive side of the ball.

With the suddenly WR-starved Dolphins picking one spot ahead of the Cowboys, this could be wildly impactful for Dallas’ draft prospects. The more offensive players that can go in the top 11 the better for the Cowboys.

Dallas has backed themselves into a corner in many ways heading into the draft. They need to add starting level talent on defense and with no picks in the second round, they likely have to rely on 12 and 20 in the first round to do the heavy lifting.

Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.

There’s no guarantee the Dolphins are going to be targeting WR with their first pick, but the odds just tilted heavily into that direction after the Waddle trade. At the very least this could have dropped a top two offensive tackle into Dallas’ lap. That might not be appealing for them but in class that has few starting caliber OTs, this could be trade fodder in case the Cowboys want to trade back. This was good news for Cowboys fans, let’s hope more dominos start to fall in their favor.

You can follow Reid on X @ReidDHanson and be sure to follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!