C
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys bled value on every deal, hence the C.
by bbg ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 1 steals
· 4 reaches
The Cowboys did not so much draft Aiden Fisher as overpay for him, 78 picks clear of his grade. It sets an uneasy tone for the weekend. Some smart calls, some head-scratchers, and a C in the wash.
Overpaying at the table undid a lot of the good work elsewhere. For all the activity, quarterback went untouched, which is hard to explain. Landing Haulcy that late papers over a lot of smaller sins.
The roster is better shaped than it was, with wide receiver chief among the fixes.
If Akheem Mesidor and a couple of the gambles land, hindsight will be kinder than this grade.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 25 they get a problem off the edge, reach and all. Need was not the driver here.
In the Round 1 slot they get a ballhawk on the outside. Exactly the need they had to hit.
A big swing on Jacob Rodriguez at pick No. 39, well ahead of any board in the building. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A.J. Haulcy is a better player than the 64th overall pick suggests; smart patience, rewarded. A minor itch, scratched.
No edge and no loss on Deontae Lawson in Round 3, Pick 18; it is a wash and a sensible one. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They paid a round early for CJ Daniels in the 129th pick, more than the board wanted. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Aiden Fisher in slot 152, miles early. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They took Keagen Trost at par in the Round 5 slot, which is nothing to complain about. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Seth McGowan in Round 5, Pick 40 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Riley Nowakowski in No. 218 is fair value, right on his grade. A need, and now a little less of one.