Claiming the 12th and 20th overall picks in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys will emerge from Thursday as a better team. After allowing the most points in the NFL in 2025, many expect the Cowboys to turn their attention to defense with one or possibly both selections.
Of course, trading for a top prospect could change those plans. Still, given how well the Cowboys have drafted, they’d probably prefer to have two selections in the first round. The other interesting thing is that the Cowboys often target a player that some analysts believe is a reach, a surprise or even a shocking selection.
Recently, when Essential Sports’ NFL insider Tony Pauline was asked which teams and/or players could lead to a “shocking” selection in the first round of the draft, he didn’t hesitate to name the Cowboys.
“With just days to go before the draft begins, what teams are being surprisingly talked about right now? Most everyone I’ve talked to said keep an eye on the 20, 21 and 22 teams, which are currently owned by the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Chargers.
I’m told cornerback Chris Johnson and linebacker Jacob Rodriguez are playing for the Cowboys with the 20th pick, their second selection in the early round. Ideally, the team would like to trade down from that slot and then select one of the two. Last week, I mentioned that it was looking more and more like Johnson would be a first-round pick, and with Jermod McCoy dealing with injuries during the pre-draft process and the uncertainty surrounding Avion Terrell’s knee, it now seems like a sure thing.
Tony Pauline on the Dallas Cowboys
As mentioned, the Cowboys have a recent history of making surprise picks in the first round. One could argue they’ve done this in each of the last four drafts, selecting Tyler Booker, Tyler Guyton, Mazzie Smith and Tyler Smith.
If they select someone like Johnson or Rodriguez, especially at age 20, both would qualify as surprise picks, as both players are viewed as more likely to come off the board on the first, if not the second, day of the NFL Draft.
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