FRISCO, Texas -- The 2026 NFL draft (8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ABC, ESPN App) will start on April 23 in Pittsburgh. The Dallas Cowboys are scheduled to make eight of the draft's 257 picks starting with the No. 12 overall pick in the first round on Thursday night.
During the three-day event (Rounds 2-3 on April 24 and Rounds 4-7 on April 25), we will update this page with analysis on every pick.
A full list of Cowboys' selections are below, in addition to positional needs.
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Dallas Cowboys 2026 draft picks
Round 1: No. 12 overall
Round 1: No. 20
Round 3: No. 92
Round 4: No. 112
Round 5: No. 152
Round 5: No. 177
Round 5: No. 180
Round 7: No. 218
Top three needs: LB, edge, CB
The Cowboys didn't answer all of their defensive questions in free agency. Even if they add a middle linebacker with a trade or signing, they'll need depth. Though they traded for Rashan Gary, their other projected starter on the edge, Donovan Ezeiruaku, is coming off hip surgery and will be limited during the offseason. They added Cobie Durant at cornerback, but they have to be mindful of the health of DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel Jr. The draft still has to be about helping the defense in every way.
Are the Cowboys definitely going to go defense with both of their first-round picks?
Definitely? With Jerry Jones? Nothing is definite. The Cowboys know they must address the defense, and the best way to do that is with their two first-round picks. They must find a linebacker, cornerback and pass rusher in this draft. But the Cowboys had similar defensive needs in 2020 and ended up with receiver CeeDee Lamb in Round 1. He was a top-10-graded player on their board and too much of a "blinking light" to pass up at No. 17. That's the only scenario where the Cowboys go with an offensive player at either No. 12 or 20.