The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 NFL Draft. 

FRISCO, Texas — They did their best to act like they could take an offensive player early in this year’s NFL Draft, but the Dallas Cowboys didn’t have much of a choice. Too much needed to be fixed on defense.

Through the first three rounds, they have added four defensive players who should significantly impact games this season.

“We have been able to, as of right now, rebuild this defense,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said late Friday night. “We’ve put a newness to the system, a newness to the coaching staff. … We’ve changed this defense. If it were just last year the way we played on defense, then that might not have called for this. But this is a product of three, four, five years, maybe more, of not getting where we’re trying to go and be a contender.

“In general, when I lay my head down tonight, I’m going to say, ‘We’re doing something about (fixing) the defense on this team.’”

The most important moves were made on Day 1, drafting defensive back Caleb Downs at Pick 11 and edge rusher Malachi Lawrence at Pick 23. Although the Cowboys only had one pick on Day 2, they added two players at inside linebacker, their biggest area of need.

Before going on the clock late in the third round, Dallas traded its fifth-round pick, No. 152 overall, to the San Francisco 49ers for veteran linebacker Dee Winters. With the 92nd overall pick late in the third round, the Cowboys drafted Michigan linebacker/edge rusher Jaishawn Barham.

Winters (5-11, 227) was a 2023 sixth-round pick out of TCU. He started 17 games last season for the 49ers, recording 101 tackles and eight tackles for loss.

“This is a guy we’ve been watching play for a while,” Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “Rare speed and athleticism. He adds a veteran in that room for us, which is great. Dee’s athleticism jumps off the tape.”

Barham (6-3, 250) had 10 tackles for loss and four sacks last year at Michigan. He was ranked as the No. 100 overall player and No. 16 edge rusher in this draft class by Dane Brugler, The Athletic’s draft expert. While he’s expected to help at both spots, the Cowboys will start him off at inside linebacker.

“He’s a piece that has played both on the ball at Michigan and off the ball at Michigan and Maryland,” Schottenheimer said. “We think versatility with him is going to cause major problems for people that we play. Jaishawn’s physicality jumps off the tape. If you were doing the old Oklahoma drill, which my old man would love to see, I’d probably put Jaishawn out there on one of the first reps.”

More work is needed at inside linebacker, but the Cowboys have added to a group that only had DeMarvion Overshown, Shemar James and Justin Barron entering Friday.

The Cowboys enter the final day of the draft with four picks remaining. They feel very good about the players still available, especially with three of the picks being in the fourth round. They expect to keep them all, potentially getting multiple players who have third-round grades on their board.

What remains to be seen is if any will be spent on offense. Dallas had one of the NFL’s best offensive units last season and almost all of the group is returning. Defensively, the Cowboys could still use help at interior defensive line, inside linebacker and cornerback.

Late Friday night, Jones praised Schottenheimer, who is also the team’s offensive play caller, for how impartial he has been in the draft room, not leaning toward offensive players.

“At the end of the day, he’s gotta move that ball to have a job,” Jones joked.

After the laughter died down, Schottenheimer responded, “All offense (picks) tomorrow, guys.”

“We addressed two really big needs for us in free agency with Javonte (Williams) and George (Pickens),” he said. “We’re excited about some of the young guys that we get to develop. I’m not saying we’re not going to go offense, defense, or even special teams. We’re going to take the best player available that’s going to help us win and compete for a championship next year.”