B-
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys did the meat-and-potatoes work well: B-.
by Reeseboy ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 2 steals
· 3 reaches
The Cowboys did not so much draft Patrick Payton as overpay for him, 67 picks clear of his grade. It sets an uneasy tone for the weekend. No fireworks, but a solid B-.
The Sarratt steal is the beam this whole class leans on. The offensive lineman hole is the one line item this class does not answer.
They went 4 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
A clean, defensible pick in pick 12 with a little surplus value in Arvell Reese. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
In pick No. 20 they get the heartbeat of the defense, a steep price for the projection. Exactly the need they had to hit.
They read the board right and Deontae Lawson was the payoff at slot 92. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Elijah Sarratt in Round 4, Pick 12 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Demond Claiborne at No. 152 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Patrick Payton in the 177th pick is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Fair-plus on Domani Jackson, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Thaddeus Dixon at the 218th overall pick is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the cornerback. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.