FILE – Ohio State defensive back Caleb Downs plays against Minnesota during an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete, File)
Jay LaPrete/AP
The scouting process can leave a trail of bread crumbs. It’s worth noting, however, that not every bread crumb can tell the entire story.Â
Consider the case of Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy, for example. McCoy is known as one of the most talented players in the upcoming NFL draft. Some might even consider him the best cornerback prospect. The one caveat: McCoy didn’t play all last season after tearing his ACL in January 2025. He didn’t work out at the NFL Scouting Combine, but he did at Tennessee’s pro day.Â
Article continues below this ad
The Cowboys, potentially on the hunt for another cornerback, had McCoy in for one of their 30 allowed pre-draft visits. Some took this as a sign that Dallas could select McCoy. And while nothing is impossible, it feels more like the visit was about the team doing it’s due diligence and doing a medical check on a player who comes with medical questions — something the Cowboys are familiar with in their current secondary.
Related: How would injuries affect the Dallas Cowboys’ first-round plans in 2026 NFL draft?Â
That’s all to say that not every visit, or a meeting with a player equates to them ending up as a Dallas Cowboy during draft weekend.Â
Make Dallas News a preferred source so your search results prioritize writing by actual people, not AI.
Add Preferred Source
So, who are some potential targets for the Cowboys next weekend? Here are 30 prospects that make sense, split up into Day 1, 2, and 3 options.Â
Article continues below this ad
Day 1 prospects for the Cowboys
Ohio State edge Arvell Reese: Reese might be the most talented pass rusher in the draft, even if he’s one with little experience. He has rare talent and potential. He visited the Cowboys and has been working with Cowboys pass rush consultant B.T. Jordan.
Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles: Styles could be best answer to a big problem for the Cowboys. They badly need linebackers. Styles is an uber-athletic, big linebacker who really refined his game this season. He also visited with the Cowboys.
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs: There must be something in the water in Columbus, right? The one problem: the Cowboys might have to trade up for a chance at any of them. Downs might be the best overall player in this draft class. He thrived in multiple schemes in multiple ways at Alabama and Ohio State. He seems like the perfect fit for new Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker. He also visited.Â
Article continues below this ad
Related: Trading up wouldn’t be the biggest risk Cowboys, Jerry Jones could take in NFL draft
Texas Tech edge David Bailey: Bailey also has an argument for being the top edge rusher in the draft. He was an All-American in his one year at Texas Tech. The Cowboys were in Lubbock to see Bailey in person. His speed and his ability to get after the quarterback is something that would pair well with what the Cowboys are building inside. He also reportedly visited.
Miami defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. (4) runs a play during an NCAA football game against Louisville on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Doug Murray/AP
Miami edge Rueben Bain Jr.: Bain is one of the more polarizing players in the draft because of his arm length. He has sub-31-inch arms, which places him in the first percentile among edge rushers since 2011. The Cowboys would likely see him as an outside linebacker in their base 3-4. They have to figure out if that’s a good fit and if his arm length is an issue or not. The Cowboys were at Miami’s pro day in full force.
Article continues below this ad
Related: Rueben Bain Jr. crash revelation surprised many, but not NFL teams ahead of draft
Miami edge Akheem Mesidor: The other Hurricanes edge rusher is intriguing, too. Mesidor had a fantastic season for the Hurricanes this year. It looked like he put it all together, but it took some time. He’ll be 25 to start the season. Can teams justify selecting a potential one-and-done contract edge rusher high?
LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane: While some think McCoy could be the best corner in this draft, most believe it’s Delane. He was a shutdown corner last season and looks like the next great Tigers corner. They met with him formally at the combine. The last time the Cowboys took a LSU corner in the first round: Mo Claiborne in 2012. Delane warrants a potential trade up for the Cowboys like they did for Claiborne.Â
Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman: There’s been no reported meetings between the Cowboys and Thieneman. So why is he here? The former Oregon and Purdue safety could be a versatile piece in the Cowboys’ secondary this season and a potential replacement for Malik Hooker next year. National reports have also mentioned Thieneman as a fit with the Cowboys more recently than ever. Have the Cowboys kept potential their interest in him quiet for a reason?
Article continues below this ad
Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell: The Cowboys have made it known that they really missed slot corner Jourdan Lewis last season. Terrell might be the best comparison to him in this year’s draft. He’s smooth and feisty, though some have questions over a hamstring injury that’s caused him to miss a multiple testing opportunities. He also visited the Cowboys.Â
Texas A&M edge Cashius Howell: This is somewhat tied to Bain. Because if the Cowboys aren’t concerned about Bain’s arm length — and they might — then they wouldn’t be concerned about Howell, who actually has shorter arms than Bain. Howell has the speed and bend ability that helped him make up for short arms in college. Would it work in the NFL?
Auburn defensive lineman Keldric Faulk: Faulk is young, he’s large, and he has a ton of potential. It’s a profile that usually lands a player within the top 15 picks in the draft, where Faulk very well could go. The Cowboys, however, are in need of instant impact with their two top picks. Is Faulk ready now to do that while also adding developmental pass rush ability?Â
Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood: Hood is a Tennessee corner I think the Cowboys would select — even potentially in a situation at No. 12 if the Cowboys stuck and picked there, but many players were already off their board. Hood is looked at as a ready-to-go outside corner. He’s someone who could step in and help a Cowboys secondary that has questions still. He also visited the Cowboys.
Article continues below this ad
San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson: Johnson has been a rising draft prospect who is now looked at as a potential first round pick. He was a two-year starter for the Azetcs who had four interceptions last season. He’s another candidate to add to the Cowboys’ secondary.Â
Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper and Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson: I lumped these two together for a reason. The Cowboys’ best position group is probably their wide receivers. The Cowboys do keep mentioning, however, the 2020 NFL Draft slide that led to them selecting the leader of the room:Â CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys planned to go defense, but Lamb’s value was too good to pass up. Would the Cowboys consider something similar with Cooper and Tyson, especially with George Pickens currently on the franchise tag?Â
Related: Offense? Why you shouldn’t rule out Cowboys using a top draft pick on possible playmaker
Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez (10) warms up before the Big 12 Championship football game against the BYU at AT&T Stadium, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Arlington.
Chitose Suzuki/Staff Photographer
Day 2 prospects for the Cowboys
Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez: You’re going to notice a theme here. Linebacker, as of now, is the Cowboys’ biggest need. Outside of Styles there’s a question about the value of selecting one of the remaining off-ball linebackers at pick No. 20. Rodriguez is one of those candidates. The Cowboys went to dinner with Rodriguez in Lubbock and got to know his family. The Cowboys also want to improve their takeaway potential in 2026. Rodriguez led the nation in forced fumbles.Â
Article continues below this ad
Georgia linebacker C.J. Allen: The Cowboys met with Allen at the combine and his pro day. No surprise, a coach-on-the-field at Georgia who even called plays sometimes was impressive. There are questions about Allen’s on-field speed, but there aren’t questions about his processing ability, a major component of Parker’s defense. He’s another linebacker who would be preferred in a trade back into the second round.
Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr.: Hill is another linebacker the Cowboys have gotten to know through this draft process. They also went to dinner with him the night before his pro day. The smothered chicken and caeser salad he ordered? A nice choice. Hill, a former state champion at Denton Ryan, is incredibly athletic. He would give the Cowboys a ton of speed at linebacker and he would reunite with fellow former Texas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown.
Missouri linebacker Josiah Trotter: Could the son of Eagles great Jeremiah Trotter end up with one of Philadelphia’s rivals? It’s possible. Trotter was a first-team All-SEC linebacker in his first and only season with Missouri. He had 84 tackles and 13 tackles for loss this past season, adding to his downhill, thumping reputation. He also visited with the Cowboys.Â
South Carolina cornerback Brandon Cisse: Cisse is an athletic corner with a ton of potential. He mostly played outside at South Carolina, but he did dabble in the slot. He’s someone that likely falls in more of a developmental path rather than an instant impact one. The Cowboys met with him multiple times.
Article continues below this ad
Miami cornerback Keionte Scott: Remember what we said about the Cowboys missing Jourdan Lewis? Scott is another potential replacement who fits the bill. Scott is a playmaker who can make plays at all three levels of a defense. He had five sacks and two interceptions, including a pivotal pick-six in the College Football Playoffs to help lead the Hurricanes to the national title game. He also visited the Cowboys.Â
Indiana defensive back D’Angelo Ponds (5) makes an interception against Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston (12) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in Bloomington, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Darron Cummings/AP
Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds: Ponds is unique, because everything about him would suggest that he would play slot corner. He’s super athletic, quick-footed, a willing tackle, and 5-foot-8, meaning his best position is in the slot, right? Well, in college he mostly played outside corner. It’s going to be fascinating to see where NFL teams want to play him. He also visited the Cowboys.Â
Related: Is Indiana star D’Angelo Ponds a name to consider as Cowboys look to fill need at CB?
Article continues below this ad
Arizona defensive back Treydan Stukes: We know that Parker wants smart players with quick processing abilities. It sounds like Stukes fits the description. Dan Brugler of The Athletic called him an instinctive playmaker. He had four interceptions for Arizona last season. He’s another reported Cowboys visitor.Â
Texas Tech edge rusher Romello Height:Â Height and Bailey went right after each other during drills at Texas Tech’s pro day. I’m no scout, but to be honest, from a speed perspective, there wasn’t a huge difference between the two. Height is another older edge rusher, like Mesidor, who was extremely productive last season. He visited with the Cowboys, as well.Â
TCU safety Bud Clark: Clark is another older prospect, but that shouldn’t sway the Cowboys from looking at him on Day 2 or 3. Clark, just like Rodriguez, is a playmaker. He had 15 career interceptions at TCU. He’s another player who could be an eventual replacement for Hooker.
Stephen F. Austin defensive back Charles Demmings (07) runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Michael Conroy/AP
Day 3 prospects for the Cowboys
Stephen F. Austin cornerback Charles Demmings: One of the better stories in the draft. Demmings spurned multiple lucrative NIL offers from much larger schools to stay at Stephen F. Austin, where he wanted to build a legacy. He inspired others there but also proved to be a NFL-caliber corner. The Mesquite Horn alum visited with the Cowboys during Dallas Day.Â
Article continues below this ad
Related: Why Charles Demmings, NFL draft hopeful and college football rarity, picked SFA to leave his legacy
Texas Tech S Cole Wisniewski: Wisniewski is another intriguing option for the Cowboys on Day 3. He’s versatile with the ability to play as a big defensive back, or even a linebacker. He’s athletic, too. He’s someone who could be a valuable depth piece for the Cowboys. They saw him firsthand in Lubbock.Â
Louisiana LB Jaden Dugger: Dugger was one of the standouts from the East-West Shrine Bowl, which took place at The Star in Frisco. The 6-foot-5 linebacker had 13 tackles for loss a season ago. He also visited with the Cowboys.Â
By signing up, you agree to our Terms Of Use and acknowledge that your information will be used as described in our Privacy Policy.
Memphis offensive tackle Travis Burke: Burke is massive. He stands at 6-foot-9, but he has intriguing athleticism — so much so that he could actually rise into the second day of the draft. If he falls, however, he would make for a potential Day 3 pick for Dallas. The Cowboys could use some extra tackle depth and competition.Â
Article continues below this ad
SMU wide receiver Jordan Hudson: The Cowboys need some more receiver depth after the departure of Jalen Tolbert. It’s not out of the question that they could draft a receiver and a tight end in this draft. Hudson would make sense. He had 766 yards receiving this past season and six touchdowns despite missing the first three games of the season. His best games came against Clemson and Miami. He’s someone people at SMU believe is only going to get better at the next level. Could that be with his hometown Cowboys? He also went to dinner with them after his pro day.
Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.