C+
Dallas Cowboys
The jury is out on the Cowboys. For now, C+.
by grady.s ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 1 steals
· 5 reaches
The Jack Pyburn selection is the head-turner. The Cowboys reached 62 spots for him, and it will define how this weekend is remembered. It lands right in the middle: a C+, no more, no less.
It is not that Thomas is a bad player; it is that the Cowboys had louder needs to answer first. That Farmer pick is the receipt they will wave around later. They punted on cornerback, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
So much rides on T.J. Parker that the real verdict is a season or two away.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 12th pick they get a premier pass rusher, though they paid up to get him.
A want over a need in pick 20: R Mason Thomas adds an edge rusher while cornerback, quarterback and other spots keeps waiting.
They liked Nicholas Singleton enough to skip the value, taking him in the 92nd overall pick. The roster fit checks out.
Fair-plus on Taurean York, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A real head-scratcher, Nyjalik Kelly in slot 152 is miles ahead of his ranking. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
They let Jalen Farmer come to them and pounced at pick No. 177. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Jeff Caldwell in Round 5, Pick 40 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A big swing on Jack Pyburn at slot 218, well ahead of any board in the building. Stacking talent where they were already deep.