B-
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys checked most of the boxes and earned a B-.
by rudy473 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 2 steals
· 1 reaches
The tape said wait; the Cowboys did not. Patrick Payton went at the 180th overall pick, a good 64 picks before the board was ready.
On value alone, Golday makes the weekend a net positive. They will regret leaving quarterback for another day if the season turns on it.
They went 4 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
Nothing here to lose sleep over, and plenty to feel decent about.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 12 they get a sideline-to-sideline linebacker. Exactly the need they had to hit.
In the Round 1 slot they get a green-dot type in the middle at fair value. The biggest hole, addressed.
The board fumbled Jake Golday all the way to pick No. 92, and they scooped it up. A minor itch, scratched.
A tidy bit of business in pick 112, where Bud Clark graded well above the range. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
A straight-up fair deal on Kage Casey at slot 152, value and slot in agreement. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
By-the-book stuff, Jeff Caldwell at the 177th overall pick squarely in line with his ranking. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Patrick Payton at No. 180 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
Good price on TJ Hall in slot 218, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.