B
Dallas Cowboys
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Cowboys a B.
by YELLA ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 3 steals
· 5 reaches
The rest of the league had time to spare on Quintayvious Hutchins; the Cowboys did not wait, grabbing him 94 spots ahead at No. 107. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B.
The dealing alone would carry a lesser class. They punted on quarterback, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
On value alone, Virgil makes the weekend a net positive.
Solid rather than spectacular, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a coverage-and-run second-level piece at fair value. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
In the 24th pick they get an enforcer at safety, though they paid up to get him. Need was not the driver here.
Caleb Banks in slot 49 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Keionte Scott at Round 3, Pick 6 is the proof. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They took Ja'Kobi Lane at par in the 92nd overall pick, which is nothing to complain about. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They talked themselves into Quintayvious Hutchins at pick No. 107, and the board did not agree. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
They paid up for Trey Zuhn III at the 116th overall pick when waiting would have done the job. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Kaleb Elarms-Orr at No. 152 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They paid sticker price for Zane Durant in the 177th pick, and that is fine. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
The board had Reggie Virgil higher than pick 180, and the wide receiver fell to them anyway. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Jaren Kanak in slot 196 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
A market-rate cornerback, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Thaddeus Dixon. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.