Dallas Cowboys staff writers published an annual 7-round mock draft on Wednesday, laying out eight selections for a team scheduled to open Thursday night with two first-round picks. The exercise gives Dallas the No. 12 pick for the second year in a row and the No. 20 pick it gained in last fall's Micah Parsons trade, though the staff made clear the mock does not include trades.
One writer framed the board around offense, saying Jordan Tyson could be the pick at No. 12, while another argued Dallas should use its first pick on a receiver because there is a need at WR4. That same writer doubled down with Benson and Caldwell, calling the latter part of a plan that pushes concern over the future to 2027. Elsewhere in the mock, Wheatley was cast as a possible free safety successor in Dallas, while Reiger was described as a potential steal of the draft in this haul. Casey was projected to help sort out left tackle, and Jackson was billed as an athletic, very physical press corner.
The secondary also loomed large in another version of the board, where Caleb Downs was described as a plug-and-play defender who could strengthen the unit from multiple spots, and one writer said Dallas could even move up a few slots to get him. Another pick at No. 20 had the Cowboys doubling down in the secondary with Hood, while day 3 added depth on offense with Boerkircher, Cameron and Trost. The range of outcomes reflects a simple truth behind the mock: with two first-round picks and eight total selections, Dallas has enough capital to chase one direction early and still address defense later.
That is the tension inside the build. The mock is not an official roster move, and it comes before the real draft board starts to fall, but it shows how sharply the Cowboys' needs are being debated even before the first pick is made. If Dallas stays put at No. 12 and No. 20, the next question is whether it uses that early leverage to secure an immediate offensive help or to attack the secondary before the rest of the league gets a chance to do the same.