Cowboys roundtable discussion: Answering more draft questions

Every week, we gather to discuss the latest news about the Dallas Cowboys and seek our writer’s perspective on each headline. Welcome back to the roundtable. This week we have Sean Martin, David Howman, and Jess Haynie.

What’s the most overlooked position group in this class for Dallas?

**Mike:**Running back. It’s easy to pencil in Javonte Williams as the guy and move on, but the room behind him is still a stack of question marks and what the ceiling is for each player. Cowboys do not have a proven RB2 who can handle 10–12 carries without the offense changing, they don’t have a consistent pass-protector that’s trusted on third down, and they certainly don’t have a true change-of-pace back who can manufacture explosive plays when blocking isn’t perfect. That’s why running back is the sneaky play in this class. The good news is they can add a Day 2/early Day 3 runner. It’s not the glamorous pick, but it’s one that keeps Dak Prescott out of 3rd-and-long and keeps the offense from being one-dimensional when Williams needs a breather.

Haynie: Based on what I hear people talking about, and not talking about, it might be quarterback. Our pipeline there is highly suspect, and Dak Prescott turns 33 this summer. Sam Howell and Joe Milton III may make an adequate QB2 competition, but do we really see either of them as a future starter? Granted, this is a rough QB draft class and maybe not the year to consider one. But if Schotty, Klayton Adams, and Steve Shimko really like a prospect in Day 3, why not add someone to the mix who could join that backup competition and maybe offer more developmental potential?

Howman: Offensive tackle. After this season, Terence Steele will be 30 years old and Tyler Guyton will have one year left on his rookie deal. Neither have been the model of consistency despite showing some flashes here and there. Unless the Cowboys feel absolutely confident in these two for the foreseeable future, they need to address the position somehow in the draft.

Sean: I’ve been banging this drum for a little while now, but it is still linebacker, even though it is not exactly “overlooked”. The draft is right upon us now, and talks of cornerback, safety, or pass rusher are still all the rave compared to finding a way for the Cowboys to address linebacker as early as possible. I understand how easy it is to want to just throw out the entire experience of witnessing the 2025 Cowboys defense, but if we actually try to remember what their strengths and weaknesses were on all three levels, linebacker was a horror show from nearly start to finish all season. The learning curve for players in a new scheme, which the Cowboys of course have under Christian Parker, can be steepest at linebacker, and someone from this position group may have to wear the green dot. Dallas needs to find answers right in the middle of their defense this draft.

Offensively, what is the bigger need heading into the draft, tackle depth or receiver depth?

Mike: Receiver has questions, especially with the uncertainty around George Pickens long-term. But the offense can survive a shaky WR2 week with scheme, it can’t survive leaky edges. With Terence Steele’s consistency still a week-to-week question on pass protection and Tyler Guyton not yet a lock to be a stable every-snap answer, Dallas is one injury or one bad matchup away from the entire playbook shrinking. When the tackles wobble, the offense loses its dropback menu, play-action gets rushed, the run game can’t set the edges, and Dak ends up living in 3rd-and-long. A swing tackle who can actually play isn’t a luxury, it’s insurance for the whole offense.

Haynie: I’d be more concerned about my starting tackles at this point than the backups, so that makes this a hard comparison. Talking strictly about backups, though, neither is in good shape. At WR, Turpin has proven to be more of a gadget player than a consistently reliable target. Mingo should probably be playing in the UFL at this point. Parris Campbell has barely played since 2023, and Traeshon Holden is an intriguing prospect but entirely unproven. At tackle, Nathan Thomas didn’t live up to the camp/preseason hype in the playing time he got last year. It was a redshirt rookie season for him, though, so you hope for some growth in 2026. Same for Ajani Cornelius, who was inactive for 16 games and only played seven special teams snaps the one time he dressed. But those are things to be hoped for, not relied on. Ideally, if Dallas is drafting an OT, it’s a guy who can provide an immediate depth boost and hopefully be a starter in the next few years. Even if Guyton works out, we’ll still need to replace Steele. So that’s the bigger need all around, even if WR depth ain’t pretty.

Howman: My answer to the first question probably makes this obvious, but I also think the wide receiver position is an underrated need. We know CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are your top two guys, but after that? Ryan Flournoy emerged last year but can he be the full time WR3? And what if anyone gets injured? Count me as concerned about the depth of the receiver room.

Sean: If we want to continue down the road of believing this team is in “win now mode”, the answer here is wide receiver. There will be a lot of teams around the league that can do worse on the depth chart at tackle than Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele as starters with upside on Nate Thomas, T.J. Bass, or Ajani Cornelius as backups. Receiver has been a perpetual need for a while, but having George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb together last year was also the closest the Cowboys have come to having the position locked up in some time too. The right win now move would be to continue fostering good depth here.

What’s the ideal strategy for Dallas on Day 2 of the draft? Trade up from pick 92, or trade down to add volume?

Mike: Trade down to add volume is the answer unless a very specific target falls into Dallas’ lap at a reasonable cost. Pick 92 is the part of the draft where Dallas needs to find tackle depth insurance, a rotational pass rusher, a functional RB2, or maybe another defensive back. The draft is a lottery, so the more tickets you have, the more chance you have at sticking rich, especially at the positions mentioned. If there’s a consensus top-60 talent sliding then fine go get him and move on. Otherwise, let the board come to you and stack picks with a trade down.

Haynie: If 92 get traded, it’s more likely that it gets used to help Dallas move up on Thursday night, as they could potentially go from 12th to 9th or 20th to 16th with that in the package. But I can’t say what the “ideal” strategy is until I see who falls. It may be that the perfect guy is right there at 92, making all trade talk moot. I know that’s kind of a non-answer, but in-game adjustments are usually what separate winners and losers.

Howman: I’m always on Team Trade Down, but I’m also a fan of letting the draft come to you. See what’s available at 92 – specifically, see who falls to you – and if there’s a big name at a position you don’t need, pick up the phone and start dialing.

Sean: As we get closer and closer to these picks actually being made, the momentum seems to be in favor of quality players lasting on the board longer and longer. The Cowboys can use all of the capital they can get, but at the end of the day need those quality players more than anything, so sticking with this top 100 pick will hopefully remain the best option after night one.