Cowboys ecstatic with ‘surgical’ first round: ‘Having a heart attack in there’
It’s hard to imagine a much better scenario for the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the NFL draft than the one we just saw.
After weeks and weeks of speculation of who could be available when the Cowboys were on the clock for their first selection in the first round, the board began quickly picking off talented defensive players. Three of the first four picks were surprisingly offensive players, but then the run began.
Arvell Reese to the Giants. Mansoor Delane to the Chiefs. Sonny Styles to the Commanders. Then, the Cowboys started to sweat things out while simultaneously making calls about moving into the top 10.
“We had conversations, but those fell apart,” executive vice president Stephen Jones said.
Those conversations were with the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs for the No. 6 and No. 9 overall picks. Ultimately, those two teams ended up swapping picks themselves.
The Cowboys desperately needed the following three picks to be on the offensive side of the ball. The Saints had been hunting down pass rush help, but they took wide receiver Jordyn Tyson off the board. Then, back-to-back offensive tackles went to the Browns and Giants.
At pick No. 11, a blinking light was not only staring at the Miami Dolphins, but also the rest of the league looking to make a move up: Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.
“He was a prize for us sitting there,” owner Jerry Jones said. “I was thinking of times when we had been the next pick [for a player we wanted], and somebody moved up to get him. We had every reason to think that that might be happening. We wore it for several minutes there.”
Dallas — unlike the strategy the front office has spoken so often about in the past — picked up the phone to call Miami about moving up one spot. The asking price? Two fifth-round picks.
“We didn’t want to lose him,” Jerry Jones said. The trade was made, and the Cowboys quickly turned in the card to take the talented defensive back. “We beat some odds to have him there,” he added.
“The cool thing was seeing how quickly these guys to my left [the front office] reacted,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “We had a high grade on this guy, we feel like he’s a multiplier. We think the versatility he brings to the defense is incredible. How quickly these guys reacted for a guy that we felt like was a difference-maker was surgical.”
Getting one of the most talented defensive backs in the draft — if not the most — would have been a successful night in their eyes in itself, but there was still work to be done. Another first-round pick was quickly approaching at No. 20 overall, and the team was down two fifth-round picks. Without knowing at the time if there would be an opportunity to trade back and pick up some more picks, the Cowboys went into the thought process aiming for a secure trade-back opportunity.
“We felt like we could maybe trade back a little,” Stephen Jones said. “We felt like we could still get our guy, and we could back up the draft capital we had given up. It was a big deal.”
When No. 20 rolled around, the Philadelphia Eagles came calling. The trade? Two fourth-round picks to move back three slots to No. 23. Easy decision.
“We felt like picking up the two fours after giving up the two fives was a big deal for us,” Stephen Jones said.
The Cowboys quickly moved back, and the Eagles took wide receiver Makai Lemon. Three picks later, the Cowboys ended up having the player on the board that they would have selected anyway at No. 20: Central Florida defensive end Malachi Lawrence.
“The guy we would have picked [at No. 20], we ended up picking [at No. 23],” Stephen Jones said. “It worked out for us.”
In all, the Cowboys traded up to grab a premier defender that they didn’t think would be attainable. And along the way, they somehow walked away with better draft capital (two fourth-round picks) on day three than they had going into the night (gave up two fifth-round picks).
For Cowboys vice president of player personnel Will McClay, who has been a part of a dozen drafts for the team, it’s a night he won’t forget.
“It’s unbelievable,” McClay said. “I was having a heart attack in there. We were doing what we thought potentially couldn’t happen. You want to get good players. To get a great one, I didn’t expect [it].”
This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 12:36 AM.
