Cowboys’ biggest need to address in 2026 NFL Draft after failing to find it in free agency

While Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones floats trade ideas, the team has gone through a confusing offseason thus far. And here is the Cowboys’ biggest need to address in the 2026 NFL Draft after failing to find it in free agency.

The Cowboys made an average move to get edge rusher Rashan Gary, but made a better decision on signing safety Jalen Thompson. But their moves to get PJ Locke and trade Osa Odighizuwa were also average. The signing of cornerback Cobie Durant was also good.

But what are they looking for most in the draft?

Cowboys need to land a premier cornerback

It’s true that the Cowboys need a linebacker to take care of the middle of the field. And their pass rush isn’t scaring opponents at this point in the offseason.

But if the Cowboys don’t get a cornerback with pick No. 12 overall or No. 20, fans in Big D will be screaming until the season starts. And perhaps beyond.

Fortunately, the Cowboys should be able to get a good one.

At the top of their list will be Mansoor Delane of LSU and Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy. There seems to be a pretty good chance Delane will be off the board before the Cowboys’ pick comes around. And there isn’t a lot of chatter that they would trade up to get him.

However, Delane is a good one, according to theringer.com.

“Delane is a polished, experienced, scheme-versatile corner with outstanding instincts and good ball skills,” Todd McShay wrote. “He transferred to LSU in 2025 after three seasons at Virginia Tech, earned unanimous All-American honors, and was named first-team All-SEC. In 44 college games, including 40 starts, he had 41 passes defended, 33 pass breakups, and eight interceptions.

“His arm length is a red flag, he has small hands, and he is not a natural pass catcher. But he puts himself in position to make plays, tracks and frames the ball well, and finds ways to finish. He didn’t work out at the combine, but he runs well on tape. He gets his head turned around and stacks receivers, making it tough for them to get behind him. As a run defender, he steps up and cuts the legs out from under ballcarriers. His effort is excellent.”

However, McCoy has been mocked to the Cowboys in many drafts. And some NFL scouts have him ahead of Delane, according to ESPN.

“Teams love McCoy’s size (6-foot, 193 pounds) and his over 1-inch advantage in terms of arm length over Delane — 31¼ inches compared to 30 inches,” Matt Miler wrote. “And while Delane’s elite final season might keep him in the top spot, both players feel like top-12 locks.”

The Cowboys currently have Shavon Revel Jr. and DaRon Bland listed as starting corners. But Revel hasn’t proven anything at the NFL level yet, and Bland’s play dropped off over the last two seasons as he battled injuries.

To put an exclamation point on that, Bland had 14 interceptions over his first two NFL seasons. Over the last two combined, he totaled one.

Cowboys need to fix their defense

It’s not just a cornerback issue for the Cowboys. If they don’t get a full healthy season from DaMarvion Overshown at middle linebacker, they’re in trouble at that position. And Overshown needs to look like he did as a rookie in 2024.

Plus, the pass rush must be better. Gary and Donovan Ezeiruaku provide some hope as edge rushers. But there’s no guarantee they will provide enough pressure.

Head coach Brian Schottenheimer saw what it’s like to have a great offense and a poor defense. The Cowboys limped to a 7-9-1 finish in his first season leading the team. The run defense should be better with a full season from Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark on the other side of the defensive line.

However, all three levels must work together. And the biggest need is a cornerback. That’s why it figures to be their first pick.

The pairing with Bland would be important. The Cowboys need to have Bland get back to an elite level, according to a post on X by Nick Harris.

“At the end of the day, we’d love to have a guy that would allow us to keep DaRon outside,” Schottenheimer said. “We feel like DaRon’s got the ability to kind of shut off a side of a field. We’d rather keep him outside than move him inside.”

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