Cowboys trade twice, pick two defensive rookies tonight
Read, Watch or Listen
Frisco, Texas. The Dallas Cowboys traded during the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday night, moving up from No. 12 to No. 11 to select Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and later trading their No. 20 pick to acquire No. 23 and select UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence. Wednesday’s pre-draft news conference included owner Jerry Jones confirming trade interest, and the moves immediately address Dallas’s league-high defensive points allowed (30.1 per game last season). The transactions involved sending mid-round assets to Miami and Philadelphia; the new rookies will enter offseason programs while the team evaluates depth and remaining draft capital in the coming weeks.
Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.
Timeline of Events
- Wednesday pre-draft: Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters the team had received trade calls.
- Thursday evening: 2026 NFL Draft first round began; Dallas held picks No. 12 and No. 20.
- Dallas traded pick No. 12 and two fifth-round picks to Miami to acquire No. 11.
- At No. 11 Dallas selected Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.
- Dallas traded pick No. 20 and a seventh-round pick to Philadelphia to acquire No. 23 and selected UCF’s Malachi Lawrence.
News Intelligence
- The Cowboys' trades aim to strengthen their defense. If you're a fan, this could mean fewer nail-biting games next season. Keep an eye on the rookies' performance during offseason programs.
- Articles Published:
- 11
- Right Leaning:
- 2
- Left Leaning:
- 0
- Neutral:
- 9
- Distribution:
- Left 0%, Center 82%, Right 18%
The Dallas Cowboys benefited by acquiring two defensive prospects—Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence—and by reshaping mid-round draft capital to address a league-worst defensive scoring problem.
Miami and Philadelphia acquired higher pick value and mid-round assets from Dallas in exchange for first-round access, while Dallas surrendered multiple mid-round selections to secure targeted players.
Coverage of Story:
From Left
No left-leaning sources found for this story.
From Center
Cowboys trade twice, pick two defensive rookies tonight
The New York Times CBS Sports The Lethbridge Herald - News and Sports from around Lethbridge FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth KXAN.com KTBS The New York Times The Dallas Morning News TSNFrom Right
2026 NFL Draft: Cowboys look to improve defense with two first round picks
FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth
Comments