Who is Drew Shelton? Introducing the Cowboys’ fourth-round pick
With the No. 112 overall selection in the 2026 NFL draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected Penn State offensive tackle Drew Shelton, adding some immediate competition at the left tackle position for Nate Thomas and potentially Tyler Guyton.
“I’m so thankful and excited to be a part of the Dallas Cowboys,” Shelton said. “I’m ready to be a part of it. I’m going to do whatever the team needs me to do to succeed ... It’s just the culmination of all the work that you’ve put in from being a little kid and the dreams and aspirations to be an NFL football player. This is everything that I’ve ever wanted to do, everything I’ve ever wanted to be, and it’s finally coming true.”
“We really like his smooth footwork,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “He’s a good athlete, plays well in space. We think he is a guy that’s going to go out there and he’s got a really good understanding of angles and how to get in people’s way. We just like the traits, and we bet on a guy that’s played 34 starts. We think we can get him in here to compete with some of the guys we got. We’re looking forward to throwing him in the mix with [Tyler] Guyton and Nate Thomas and those guys, and he’ll be a left tackle that’s got some guard versatility, but we also expect him to be able to swing to the other side as well.”
He reunites with Cowboys offensive line coach Conor Riley who recruited him out of high school when he was at Kansas State.
“He’s a great coach, and he’s going to get the best out of me every single day,” Shelton said.
Shelton attended the Cowboys’ game against the Los Angeles Chargers last season, his first time at AT&T Stadium.
“That stadium is crazy,” he said. “It’s an awesome atmosphere, and it’s just the people around, they’re invested and that’s the kind of organization you want to play for.”
Shelton also reunites with former high school teammate Tyler Booker, as the two played at the prestigious IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. together for one spring. He also trained alongside Cowboys starting right tackle Terence Steele in Frisco during the draft process.
“[Booker] was the main reason I went down there,” Shelton said. “He’s a great competitor, and I’m excited to get down there with him ... I got to work out with Terence Steele. Great dude, really good person, good football player, and got to pick his brain a little bit and just excited to play with him now.”
Shelton, a four-year player at Penn State, played three seasons at left tackle and one at right tackle. In 2025, he allowed just one sack and 18 quarterback pressures over the course of 356 pass block snaps. In his senior season, he committed just one penalty. Across his career, he also took snaps at left guard and right guard.
A native of Downington, Pennsylvania, Shelton played in a balanced zone/gap run scheme for the Nittany Lions. Shelton shined at the combine aside fellow tackles with a 31-inch vertical jump and a 5.16 40-yard dash. He did deal with a hamstring injury during the draft process.
Shelton joins a Cowboys’ draft class that includes Ohio State defensive back Caleb Downs, UCF defensive end Malachi Lawrence and Michigan linebacker Jaishawn Barham. The Cowboys are slated to pick three more times in the fourth round.
This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 11:57 AM.
