Sportsvival’s draft outlook for every team starts in the same place: what did the franchise do in the offseason, what still needs to be fixed, and which prospect best matches the roster as it stands right now? For the Dallas Cowboys, the answer begins with a defense that badly needed reshaping after a miserable 2025 season. Dallas has been one of the more active teams of the offseason, and the moves make it clear the Cowboys are trying to get tougher, more flexible, and more reliable on that side of the ball before turning to the draft to finish the job.
Dallas also enters the 2026 NFL Draft with extra ammunition. The Cowboys now own eight total picks, including two first-round selections at No. 12 and No. 20, giving them the flexibility to address more than one major issue early. That matters for a roster that has improved in spots but is still not complete.
Cowboys attack the offseason with defense in mind
The Cowboys’ offseason additions tell the story. Dallas traded for edge rusher Rashan Gary, signed safety Jalen Thompson to a three-year deal, added veteran cornerback Cobie Durant, brought in safety P.J. Locke, signed defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia, added quarterback Sam Howell, signed offensive lineman Matt Hennessy, and brought back Tyrus Wheat, Sam Williams, Princeton Fant, Reddy Steward, and T.J. Bass. Dallas also kept key pieces in place by signing Javonte Williams and using the franchise tag on George Pickens, while Brandon Aubrey received a second-round tender.
This was not a random collection of moves. The Cowboys have clearly targeted players who fit a more versatile defensive structure under Christian Parker. Gary gives them a proven edge presence, Thompson and Locke add range and flexibility at safety, and Durant gives Dallas another experienced option in a cornerback room that still needed help. The theme has been obvious all month: Dallas wanted to renovate the defense first.
The departures still leave real holes
Even with all of those additions, Dallas also lost meaningful pieces. Osa Odighizuwa was traded to San Francisco for the 92nd overall pick, while Solomon Thomas was dealt to Tennessee in a seventh-round swap. At linebacker, Jack Sanborn signed with Chicago and Logan Wilson retired. At wide receiver, Jalen Tolbert agreed to terms with Miami. Payton Turner signed with Detroit, and restricted free agent safety Juanyeh Thomas agreed to terms with Indianapolis. The Cowboys also still have unresolved free agents such as Jadeveon Clowney, Dante Fowler, Donovan Wilson, Kenneth Murray, Corey Ballentine, and Miles Sanders.
That is why Dallas still feels unfinished. The Cowboys added recognizable names, but they also lost snaps, depth, and familiarity in key parts of the defense. The roster looks more stable than it did a few weeks ago, but it still does not look complete enough to avoid using premium draft capital on that side of the ball.
Dallas’ 3 biggest needs
1. Linebacker
This is still the biggest need on the roster. Stephen Jones openly identified linebacker as one of the spots where Dallas needed help, and the team’s own offseason coverage has pointed to a linebacker room that is still trying to find dependable answers around DeMarvion Overshown, Shemar James, and Marist Liufau. Losing Sanborn and Wilson only sharpens that concern.
2. Cornerback
Cornerback remains a major need as well. Team coverage has made it clear that the back end still needs help, and Dallas’ own offseason look at the position described the corner room as unsettled and in flux after the end of the Trevon Diggs era. Cobie Durant is a useful addition, but one veteran signing should not stop Dallas from taking a premium corner if the board lines up that way.
3. Edge rusher
Gary was a major addition, but edge still belongs in the top three. Dallas’ defensive-end situation was shaky entering the offseason, and several rotational pieces remain gone or unresolved. In a defense built around multiple fronts and pressure versatility, another young edge player still makes sense even after the Gary trade.
The pick: CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
With Dallas holding picks No. 12 and No. 20, Sportsvival’s projection here is simple: use the earlier first-round pick on Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy. The fit makes a lot of sense. Dallas still needs a long-term outside corner, and McCoy offers the kind of ball production and coverage upside that can justify a premium selection. On a roster that still needs more difference-makers in the secondary, this is the kind of pick that matches both value and need.
McCoy’s 2024 season at Tennessee showed why he belongs in this conversation. In his first year with the Vols, he started all 13 games, earned second-team All-America honors, was a Thorpe Award semifinalist, and led Tennessee with 13 passes defended, including four interceptions and nine pass breakups. Tennessee’s official bio also notes that his 89.6 coverage grade ranked third in the SEC and ninth among FBS cornerbacks, and that he allowed only one touchdown during the regular season on 640 snaps.
There is some risk in the evaluation, because McCoy did not play during the 2025 season while rehabbing the knee injury he suffered in January 2025 before declaring for the 2026 draft. But that is also why he is such an intriguing projection. The most recent full season of tape and production points to a corner with instincts, playmaking range, and the kind of football awareness that can turn the ball over and change possessions. If the medicals check out, Dallas would be adding a player with true first-round upside at one of its thinnest spots.
Final take
The Cowboys have spent this offseason trying to rebuild the identity of their defense. Rashan Gary, Jalen Thompson, Cobie Durant, P.J. Locke, Otito Ogbonnia, and several depth additions give Dallas a sturdier roster than it had when the offseason opened, but linebacker, cornerback, and edge still stand out as the biggest remaining needs. That is why Jermod McCoy feels like such a clean Sportsvival pick for Dallas. He fills a premium need, he fits the direction of the defense, and he gives the Cowboys a legitimate chance to come out of the first round with one of the roster’s most important future pieces.