Sportsvival is rolling full force into the 2026 NFL Draft cycle, and Dallas is one of the more fascinating teams on the board because the Cowboys are sitting on two first-round picks, No. 12 and No. 20. With the way this offseason has unfolded, this feels like a franchise that knows it had to get tougher, faster and deeper on defense, while still keeping enough flexibility to avoid reaching. Dallas has already added veteran help in the secondary and front seven, and with two first-rounders, it is in position to keep reshaping the roster in a major way.
As of March 31, Dallas has made a long list of additions and retentions: Rashan Gary via trade, Jalen Thompson at safety, P.J. Locke at safety, Otito Ogbonnia inside, Sam Howell at quarterback, Cobie Durant at corner, Matt Hennessy on the offensive line, Tyrus Wheat off the edge, Sam Williams back on a one-year deal, Princeton Fant back at tight end, Corey Ballentine back at corner, Derion Kendrick at corner, Jonathan Bullard on the defensive line, Javonte Williams back on a three-year deal, George Pickens on the franchise tag, T.J. Bass on his tender, Reddy Steward on his tender, and Brandon Aubrey on a second-round tender. That is a lot of traffic, and most of it points to one thing: Dallas spent this spring trying to patch depth issues and give itself options before the draft.
The departures matter too. Dallas traded Osa Odighizuwa to San Francisco for pick No. 92 and sent Solomon Thomas to Tennessee in a seventh-round swap. Jack Sanborn signed with Chicago, Jalen Tolbert agreed to terms with Miami, Rob Jones signed with San Francisco, Payton Turner signed with Detroit, Brock Hoffman signed with Pittsburgh, Juanyeh Thomas signed with Indianapolis, and Logan Wilson was waived in February. A few other veterans remained unsigned on the Cowboys’ official tracker entering the end of March, including Donovan Wilson, Kenneth Murray, Jadeveon Clowney, Dante Fowler, Miles Sanders, C.J. Goodwin and Hakeem Adeniji.
Dallas offseason additions
The Cowboys clearly attacked safety, corner depth and the defensive front. Thompson and Locke gave them experience on the back end, Gary gave them a proven edge presence, Ogbonnia and Bullard added size to the front, and Durant plus Kendrick helped reinforce a secondary that badly needed more answers. On offense, bringing back Javonte Williams stabilized the backfield, while Sam Howell and Matt Hennessy added depth at quarterback and along the line.
Dallas offseason departures
Losing Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas changed the look of the defensive interior, even if Dallas believed the scheme fit and cap math made those moves necessary. Sanborn and Logan Wilson leaving also helped create the hole now staring Dallas in the face at linebacker, while Tolbert’s exit trimmed some receiver depth.
Top 3 Cowboys needs
1. Linebacker
This is the biggest one. Brian Schottenheimer said linebacker is the most glaring need on the roster and noted it is the only defensive position Dallas had not added to in free agency at that point. The Cowboys have young talent there, but they still need another real answer in the middle of the defense.
2. Edge rusher
Rashan Gary helped, and bringing back Sam Williams mattered, but Dallas has still talked openly about wanting more on the edge and about the depth of this edge class. In a division where affecting the quarterback is everything, Dallas can still justify another impact pass rusher early.
3. Offensive tackle
This is the spot that can sneak up on people. The Cowboys’ own depth look made it clear that left tackle remains a concern because Tyler Guyton has to prove he can stay healthy and hold down the blind side. If that does not happen, Dallas risks having to shuffle Tyler Smith again. Even after the free-agent moves, tackle remains a smart long-term investment.
Why cornerback drops out of the top three
Before the draft, corner absolutely looked like one of Dallas’ bigger needs. The Cowboys themselves have repeatedly tied corner and linebacker together as positions that needed attention, and Schottenheimer has also said the nickel role still matters in this scheme. But if Dallas uses No. 12 on Jermod McCoy, that changes the picture. McCoy is a 6-foot, 193-pound defensive back who played 25 career games with 18 starts between Oregon State and Tennessee, totaling 75 tackles, 16 pass breakups and six interceptions. With McCoy added to a room that already includes DaRon Bland plus offseason additions like Cobie Durant, Derion Kendrick and Corey Ballentine, Dallas no longer has to treat outside corner as a top-three need at No. 20. It can still add another defensive back later, but it would not need to force it.
Pick No. 20: EDGE Akheem Mesidor, Miami (Fla.)
This is where Sportsvival would send Dallas next. If McCoy is already on the roster at No. 12, then No. 20 becomes the perfect place to hit the front seven again, and Akheem Mesidor makes a lot of sense. Mesidor finished his final Miami season as one of the nation’s more productive pass rushers, posting 63 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks and four forced fumbles while earning first-team All-ACC honors and becoming a Ted Hendricks Award finalist.
Mesidor would give Dallas another piece to pair with Gary and continue the defensive rebuild. He brings proven production, experience and a résumé that says he can finish plays in the backfield. For a Cowboys team that has already shown this offseason it wants to remake the secondary and front, doubling up with McCoy at No. 12 and Mesidor at No. 20 would be a clean, logical first-round plan. It addresses coverage first, then pass rush, and it lets Dallas push corner off the urgent-needs board because McCoy would already be handling that part of the equation.
Final Sportsvival call
Dallas has already done enough in free agency to avoid panicking on draft night, but not enough to ignore the holes that still exist. Linebacker remains the top need. Edge still needs another difference-maker. Offensive tackle still carries real long-term concern. And with Jermod McCoy already plugged in at No. 12, cornerback no longer has to be treated like a first-round emergency. That opens the door for the Cowboys to stay aggressive and take Akheem Mesidor at No. 20, giving them a two-pick defensive opening round that could help define their 2026 class.