B-
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys did the meat-and-potatoes work well: B-.
by Ron G ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 3 steals
· 4 reaches
The tape said wait; the Cowboys did not. Logan Fano went at the Round 7 slot, a good 40 picks before the board was ready. Call it a sensible B-, earned the boring way.
Virgil falling to them is the kind of break a good board is built to catch. They punted on running back, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
They went 5 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
Not a headline-grabber, but a perfectly good weekend's work.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 12 they get a three-down second-level presence, though the board says they badly overpaid. Exactly the need they had to hit.
In Round 1, Pick 20 they get an island corner at fair value. The biggest hole, addressed.
A market-rate cornerback, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Treydan Stukes. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Tyreak Sapp at the 112th overall pick is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Dametrious Crownover at the Round 5 slot is money in the bank, a offensive lineman taken below his worth. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
The board had Reggie Virgil higher than pick No. 180, and the wide receiver fell to them anyway. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Nice patience on Kaleb Elarms-Orr, who had no business lasting to the Round 6 slot. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Logan Fano in No. 218 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
They talked themselves into Jalon Daniels at pick No. 223, and the board did not agree. The roster fit checks out.