In-depth Cowboys Draft Recap: 10 Draft Commandments came roaring back

When the Cowboys had their ridiculous pre-draft presser last Wednesday, interrupted by a visit from President Bill Clinton that led to Jerry Jones leaving the media hanging, the initial takes were that there wasn't much ground covered.

Au contraire mon frere.

In the past, the Cowboys have been amazingly revealing in these pressers, foretelling their strategies and plans. This year, three major things spoken on came to fruition.

• They were having multiple conversations about trading leading up to the draft.

  • The Cowboys traded up with the Dolphins to secure Caleb Downs
  • The Cowboys traded down with the Philadelphia Eagles to get two 4th-round picks
  • The Cowboys traded a Day 3 pick to San Francisco for 49ers LB Dee Winters

• They didn't want to use their 3rd round pick to trade up

  • The Cowboys waited to make a trade up from No. 12 until the costs made sense

• Not negotiating with WR George Pickens, he was going to have to play on the franchise tag

  • Two hours before the first pick, Pickens signed the tag to lock in his $27.3 million one-year salary

Commandment No. 8: Thou shall not covet small schoolers

One of the biggest tenets of the early Will McClay era was that he had major questions about the ability of players who didn't perform on the biggest college stages to excel when under the bright lights of playing for America's Team. Under McCarthy, that started to wane.

The Power 5 schools dominated the Cowboys' draft hauls, with at most one player from a Group of 5 conference in any particular class. But from 2022 through 2024, The MAC, Ohio Valley, Sun Belt (x2), the Mountain West (x2), the AAC and the Missouri Valley all saw prospects make their way to Dallas.

This year? With six picks through the first four rounds, it was all Power 4.

• Caleb Downs, Ohio State (Big 10)
• Malachi Lawrence, UCF (Big 12)
• Jaishawn Barham, Michigan (Big 10)
• Drew Shelton, Penn State (Big 10)
• Devin Moore, Florida (SEC)
• LT Overton, Alabama (SEC)

The one-off didn't come until the seventh-round flyer, ECU WR Anthony Smith (AAC).

RETIRED Commandment No. 7: Thou shall take huge risks in Round 2

They'd have to actually have a second round pick for this to still be evaluated. This was a popular commandment because it stemmed from a time when the local media wasn't calling the front office out on the trend. Sean Lee, Bruce Cater, Randy Gregory, Jaylon Smith, Trysten Hilll, Kelvin Joseph, Sam WIlliams... those were the risk-taking selections that Jerry Jones now admits to. When Dallas wasn't being risky on the prospect, they were trading the pick to move up. This past year they traded it in acquiring DT Quinnen Williams.

Commandment No. 6: Thou shall prioritize athleticism in your prospects

The Cowboys have enjoyed having athletic rosters over the years, but aside from 2022 they really haven't prioritized it in their overall approach. Relative Athletic Scores (RAS) don't attempt to tell the full story on a prospect. but it places them in historical context as far as how athletic a player is for his given position over decades worth of evidence.

The Cowboys knocked it out of the park in 2026 when it came to getting top-tier athletes. Caleb Downs didn't test and while he has good athleticism, it isn't off the charts. But outside of him? This group is ridiculously fast and explosive.

Cowboys 2026 RAS Card

What's better, is that even with Jaishawn Barham at edge, he has an upper-tier RAS of 8.83. But when he's moved to linebacker, which is where the Cowboys have already said he'll line up? His RAS jumps to 9.52. LT Overton isn't going to be asked to do athletic things, but taking him away from 4-3 DE and putting him in as a DT, he jumps from a lowly 2.47 to a respectable 7.16.

Jaishawn Barham at LB RAS 2026

LT Overton as DT RAS 2026

Commandment No. 5: Thou shall prioritize certain positions over others

The Cowboys have a long and storied history of not taking QBs at all, or RBs and TEs before Day 3. They generally love to take LBs, double-dipping at times, and prefer taking defensive linemen within their opening three salvos.

Commandment No. 4: Thou shall use first pick on draft's best player at his particular position

Ohio State safety Caleb Downs (2) intercepts a pass from Michigan quarterback Davis Warren (not in the photo) during the second half at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.

Caleb Downs isn’t just the best safety in this class, he’s arguably the best player in the draft but at a position that is undervalued. Positional value is a real thing that matters in most instances. Drafts are about getting talented play at wholesale prices, before that player requires a contract at retail numbers. When a player plays a premium position I've called the Money 5 since around the time of starting the Commandments, getting them at wholesale prices means you're getting the best bang for your buck.

But the counter theory is that by using premium picks on players at positions that are outside that group, the chances of finding the truly standout talent increases. That is what the Cowboys are banking on here with Downs, that they have grabbed a player who is going to stand above and beyond his peers at a greater clip than those chosen simply because they play positions that are more valued.

RETIRED Commandment No. 3: Dallas is a first-round trade team, but growing more in love with staying put. / Thou shall not covet trading 1st rounders.

One of my favorite chameleon commandments has changed back. Back when this all started in 2016, the Cowboys traded in the first round all the time. But they began a trend of staying put, not moving off their spot for five straight drafts from 2014 through 2018.

But then they traded their 2019 pick for Amari Cooper and it's been a mixed bag ever since, including moving in both directions this year with their two picks. In no uncertain terms, this commandment is retired.

Commandment No. 2: Thou shall follow the money

This is about drafting for positions the team is not likely to sign their entrenched starter when they hit free agency the following season. In essence, draft the replacement a year early.

Smart teams prepare for the future when they can. If a team is routinely making treks to the playoffs with a consistently solid roster, holes are at a minimum. That means that aside from drafting BPAPN, they can look ahead to future issues, planning for departures by getting young players into the system. Bad teams, which the Cowboys have been the last two seasons, don't always have that luxury.

But to get out of the ditch, they have to make sure they aren't always reacting; they need to employ the same mentality.

The Cowboys are going to have holes in their roster in 2027, plus they will likely need to consider getting out from under certain contracts that haven't aged well.

Malik Hooker and PJ Locke are on one-year deals at safety; the team is now prepared to move on from both Hooker, who's been in Dallas for years, and the rental Locke, with multi-year deals for both Jalen Thompson and now Downs.

The Cowboys have fought the good fight with Steele, recently reducing his pay. Meanwhile his bookend Guyton hasn't rewarded them for making him a first-round pick in 2024. The team gave themselves a potential replacement in drafting Shelton in the fourth.

Maybe most notably, the Cowboys might want to escape their contract with DaRon Bland. The selection of Devin Moore gives them the chance of replacing him in a year should he not bounce back to a form that meets the contract numbers he currently holds.

Commandment No. 1: Thou shall use thy official visits wisely

Apr 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; UCF Knights defensive lineman Malachi Lawrence is selected by the Dallas Cowboys as the number 23 pick during the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

This is one that has most stood the test of time. There are 32 clubs, and they all use their resources very differently. The Jacksonville Jaguars have one of the most unique processes in the league, in that they feel that meeting with prospects can have a negative effect on evaluations by introducing personal preference.

For the Cowboys, they want to make sure the players are perfect fits. Especially with Christian Parker's insistence on only bringing in highly intelligent players, these in-person meetings are a must. That's why it was no surprise that Downs, Lawrence and Basham were all on the club's 30-visit list this year. Tyler Booker and Donovan Ezeiruaku were on the list last year, and throughout their history over the last decade plus, the club selects players they've brought into the fold.

The issue is the club is very good at masking a solid percentage of their visits, so not all picks are tipped even though the public is now aware of this commandment that's been around for a decade.

This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys Recap: How the 10 Draft Commandments came roaring back in 2026