Perfect Picks 2026: Dallas Cowboys
By Rhys Knott
Nine of the Cowboys’ 14 upcoming unrestricted free agents play on the defensive side of the ball. According to Spotrac’s projection, they could be as much as $31.5 million over the salary cap in 2026! Jerry and the boys have no choice but to rebuild their defense in the draft.
After hiring new defensive coordinator Christian Parker from the Eagles, the Cowboys have themselves a bona fide defensive back whisperer. You didn’t know there was such a thing, did you?
The former Texas A&M defensive analyst served as the passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach for the Eagles from 2024-25. 34-year old wonderkid Parker is credited with developing both Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell during his time in Philly and must already be the favourite to be the Cowboys’ next head coach.
Six Cowboys defensive backs are going to hit free agency in April, and there’s a strong chance they all leave, especially if Jerry breaks the bank to keep George Pickens.
Fortunately, after the Micah Parsons trade, the Cowboys have two first-round picks, but they have traded away their second and third round picks!
Round 1 - Avieon Terrell (CB, Clemson)
Some cornerbacks are rated higher than Avieon Terrell in this class, but they shouldn’t be. If the 2026 defensive back class is heavy metal, then Caleb Downs is Slayer, but Terrell is Metallica.
In such a loaded cornerback class, A.J.’s younger brother stands head and shoulders above the rest. He rocks ball carriers when he tackles them, forcing eight fumbles in his last two seasons at Clemson!
21-year-old Terrell also recorded four sacks in his final two seasons as the Tigers sent him on blitzes.
During his 39 games, the former high school sprinter racked up 125 tackles in total with nine tackles for a loss, and he defended 29 passes. The Atlanta native also grabbed three interceptions and recovered three fumbles for the Tigers.
Clemson cornerbacks coach Mike Reed, who has coached both Terrell brothers, believes that Avieon is better developed than A.J. was at his age. If the younger Terrell continues that trajectory under Parker, the Cowboys will overtake the Eagles when it comes to having the best cornerback room in the NFC East.
Round 1 - Cashius Howell (EDGE, Texas A&M)
Texas A&M EDGE defender Cashius Howell looks like Micah Parsons as he dances past blockers, and he might even be better against the run than the former Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Physically, Howell is just an inch shorter than Parsons and two pounds lighter. The 22-year-old also has much better hair, but that probably won’t help him rush the passer.
A former Bowling Green Falcon, Howell made 27 sacks and 35.5 tackles for a loss in 56 college games! In his four final years as a starter, the unanimous All-American defended 15 passes, made an interception and also recovered three fumbles.
Parsons’ college career only lasted two seasons, but “Michael Parson”, as Jerry called him, defended just five passes and forced six fumbles while recording 6.5 sacks.
The major difference between Howell and former Cowboy Parsons is their 40-yard dash times. Howell’s 4.65-second time is in the 88th percentile of this EDGE class, but it’s over a quarter of a second slower than Parson’s blistering 4.39 seconds!
Parsons clocked the same time that Tutu Atwell did at his combine! Howell’s, however, is the same time Kyren Williams recorded. It’s the difference between being a total freak and just an elite athlete!
Kansas City native, Howell projects as the 22nd overall pick – lucky the Cowboys have a second first-round pick then.
Mid Round Gem - Anthony Lucas (EDGE, USC)
Drafting one EDGE defender in this draft won’t be enough to fix the Cowboys’ defense; fortunately, there’s no shortage of dynamic defenders in the 2026 class.
USC EDGE defender Anthony Lucas is one of those dynamic defenders.
He projects as a fourth-round pick when the Cowboys will pick 12th. Lucas’ injury history has seen him drop down draft boards, but he’s a very strong and talented lineman who can play in either a 3-4 or 4-3 defense.
21-year-old Lucas stands 6-foot-5 tall and weighs 285-pounds. His size and strength make him very difficult to block in one-on-one situations, and he is going to cause most offenses a problem lined up next to Quinnen Williams.
Late Round Sleeper - Ceyair Wright (CB, Nebraska)
23-year-old cornerback Ceyair Wright may not even be drafted, but he should be. The Nebraska product has a high ceiling, but an extremely low floor.
Nothing about Wright suggests he should be a great cornerback. He’s average height and slightly undersized (for this class) at 190 pounds, but the Cornhusker could be one of the fastest defenders in this draft class.
Wright is currently more famous for playing Bronny James in Space Jam 2 than he is for playing football. That is going to change in the next 12 months.
He’s reminiscent of Shavon Revel, whom the Cowboys drafted in the third round last year. Revel only started five games in Dallas as he recovered from injuries, but still ended the season with 35 tackles.
During his time in Nebraska, Wright predominantly played in the slot, but he also played as a deep safety, out wide, in the box, and he lined up on the line of scrimmage 17 times!
The former USC Trojan recorded 109 tackles, three tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks and three interceptions throughout his 49 games in college.
Final Draft
12 (R1) – Avieon Terrell (CB, Clemson)
20 (R1) – Cashius Howell (EDGE, Texas A&M)
112 (R4) – Anthony Lucas (EDGE, USC)
150 (R5) – Michael Taafe (S, Texas)
177 (R5) – Owen Heinecke (LB, Oklahoma)
215 (R6) – Ceyair Wright (CB, Nebraska)
221 (R7) – Diego Pavia (QB, Vanderbilt)
225 (R7) – Ryan Niblett (WR, Texas)
RHYS KNOTT
NFL/FANTASY FOOTBALL ANALYST
Rhys has been watching the NFL for 30 something years and still hasn’t managed to pick a team to support. When he’s not fixatED on pass rushers you can find him blithering on about most sports on Twitter @wrhys_writes