The Dallas Cowboys are set to make some noise during the 2026 NFL Draft. Dallas will enter the draft with two first-round picks, giving them some nice flexibility. One recent mock draft suggested the Cowboys should make an aggressive trade to land a blue-chip defensive player.
The Athletic's Bruce Feldman published a new mock draft on Wednesday. It included a huge trade between the Cowboys and Cardinals to finally give Dallas a Micah Parsons replacement.
Feldman proposed that the Cowboys should trade the 12th overall pick and a third-round pick (92nd overall) in exchange for the third overall pick. The Cowboys then used that pick on Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey.
“He has such a great combination of speed and agility. … He’s also so physical and can bull-rush right through you and put an offensive lineman on their back,” one Big 12 offensive coordinator said about Bailey. “He’s also good against the run. He’s a super smart guy, too. You could see on film that he knew where he fit in the defense, and he wasn’t just freelancing. He’s doing his job. He’s a complete player. Really special.”
Feldman argued that Arizona could be tempted to grab an offensive lineman in the first round. However, there is no player in this year's draft class that merits the third overall pick. That explains why the Cardinals accepted the Cowboys' trade offer in his mock draft.
Bailey had a breakout season in 2025, logging 52 total tackles and 14.5 sacks for the Red Raiders. He has steadily risen up draft boards throughout the pre-draft process.
If the Cowboys did add Bailey, he would immediately become a Week 1 starter opposite of Rashan Gary. That would leave Donovan Ezeiruaku, Sam Williams, and James Houston as rotational players.
Feldman also mocked Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston to Dallas with the 20th overall pick.
