Rookies to see action at camp in May

By Josh Ortega

The 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, which came and went over the weekend, left fans with a healthy dose of surprises, storylines and excitement with the 2026 NFL season on the distant horizon. Unlike in the fall, no score is kept during the draft, but there are “winners and losers” as soon as the 257th pick is announced. Throughout draft weekend, the Dallas Cowboys walked away as one of the “winners.” 

Dallas focused five of its seven picks on defense after the Cowboys allowed the most passing yards to opposing offenses, and were in the bottom 10 in yards allowed against the run in 2025. Dallas Cowboys Owner, President and General Manager Jerry Jones spoke about how the team has changed its defensive strategy this offseason through its moves thus far. 

“We have changed the concept of what we are doing defensively,” Jones said during the Cowboys’ day-three post-draft press conference. “We got to see exactly how it’s going to be, but we have executed on a dramatic change.”

It started in the first round, where the Cowboys were able to trade up one spot with the Miami Dolphins to draft Ohio State safety Caleb Downs with the 11th overall pick. Downs reflected on the interest the team had during the pre-draft process at his introductory press conference. 

“I had a chance to meet Coach Ryan (Smith Secondary Coach), and I caught a genuine connection there,” Downs said. “It continued at my Pro Day and, when I came here for my 30 visit, I had a great feeling and vibe of meeting everyone. I would say I knew there was a big interest and knew it was a great opportunity for me.” 

Downs’ collegiate career initially started at Alabama under Nick Saban. As a true freshman, Downs played a crucial role in Saban’s secondary in Tuscaloosa, leading the unit with 70 solo tackles and 107 combined tackles. Downs helped Alabama finish 12-2 that season with a 27-20 loss in the Rose Bowl to eventual national champions Michigan, capping off the season. After Saban announced his retirement, Downs and many other Alabama players jumped into the transfer portal.

Downs eventually landed in Columbus at Ohio State. During his first season with the Buckeyes, Downs played a pivotal role in Ohio State’s reaching and winning the National Championship. He racked up 150 total tackles with 12.5 tackles for loss during his two seasons with Ohio State.

Last season, Downs was the first safety since 2016 to finish inside the top 10 in Heisman voting. In January, Downs decided to forego his senior season and declare for the draft. His versatility and continued excellence across his collegiate career have made him one of the best prospects in the class. 

Despite his positional label, Downs was one of the most versatile players in the draft, able to cover tight ends and wide receivers on passing downs while not being afraid to come down from his safety position to stuff the run. His ability to be a jack of all trades for the defense brings an immediate impact to the unit. The Cowboys also addressed the defensive line in the first round, drafting UCF edge rusher Malachai Lawrence with the 23rd overall pick after trading down one spot with the Philadelphia Eagles. Lawrence, who spent his entire collegiate career with the Knights, can also impact his new unit immediately. 

Dallas struggled to get to opposing quarterbacks in 2025. As a unit, the Cowboys only recorded 31, which was inside the bottom 10 across the league. Ironically enough, the pick used to trade back and draft Lawrence was the pick Dallas received from trading All-Pro defensive end Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, which, on the surface, is the primary reason why Dallas struggled mightily along the defensive line last season. 

With Lawrence now in the unit, this is another much-needed presence along the edge to get to the quarterback, even after the moves made to improve the front seven early in the offseason. 

Lawrence put up 7.0 sacks with a career high 11.0 tackles for loss for UCF last season. Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer spoke about how Lawrence’s playstyle can impact the team. 

“What we love about him is that he doesn’t just get the quarterback, he gets the ball,” Schottenheimer said. “It’s a big emphasis for us this year getting back right in the takeaway margin.” 

The Cowboys also added another vet to the made a mid-draft trade Friday, sending a fifth round pick to the 49ers for linebacker Dee Winters on day two. Dallas continued to add to the front seven across days two and three of the draft, drafting Michigan edge Jaishawn Barham in the third round and Alabama edge LT Overton in the fourth. The Cowboys took Florida corner Devin Moore to add to the secondary with its lone offensive draftees being Penn State tackle Drew Shelton and East Carolina wide receiver Anthony Smith, rounding out the draft.

How this new defensive revamp will play is a long way away. However, the rookies will see some early action at Rookie Mini Camp in early May. There is no question that Dallas has pushed all its chips into the defense this offseason.