The Dallas Cowboys have the 12th pick in the NFL Draft when Round 1 begins April 23 in Pittsburgh. The Cowboys own eight total picks in the seven-round draft, including two in the first round.

Cowboys’ draft picks
RoundPickOverallNotes

1

12

12

1

20

20

From Packers

3

28

92

From 49ers

4

12

112

5

12

152

5

37

177

Compensatory pick

5

40

180

Compensatory pick

7

2

218

From Titans

“The Beast”: Dane Brugler’s NFL Draft guide scouts 402 prospects

Full draft order

Every pick in the seven-round NFL Draft.

NFL Draft details

• Round 1: April 23, 8 p.m. ET
• Rounds 2-3: April 24, 7 p.m. ET
• Rounds 4-7: April 25, noon ET

About the Cowboys

• General manager: Jerry Jones
• Head coach: Brian Schottenheimer (second season with team)
• Last year’s record: 7-9-1 (missed playoffs)

The Cowboys are coming off their second consecutive season with only seven wins and a playoff miss. They are entering their second season with Schottenheimer as head coach and offensive play caller. They are coming off arguably the worst defensive season in franchise history and have hired first-time defensive coordinator Christian Parker to turn things around. The face of that side of the ball is defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. He needs more help, which is why this is expected to be a defense-heavy draft for Dallas. The offense, led by Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, should again be one of the NFL’s best groups.

Scouting the decision-makers

Jones is the owner and general manager. He has the final say on all picks. However, vice president of player personnel Will McClay is the one Jones leans on the most. Schottenheimer and the coaching staff get plenty of say, but McClay remains the most important draft voice in the room.

• The Cowboys’ 2025 NFL Draft class

Cowboys’ key free-agent signings

• WR George Pickens: Franchise tag, one-year, $27.3 million
• S Jalen Thompson: Three-year, $33 million deal
• CB Cobie Durant: One-year, $4 million deal
• S P.J. Locke: One-year, $4 million deal
• DT Otito Ogbonnia: One-year, $2.75 million deal
• QB Sam Howell: One-year, $2.5 million deal

Cowboys’ key positions of need

Inside linebacker: The Cowboys do a good job of at least filling holes in free agency, so they aren’t forced to draft a certain position. That’s not the case this year at inside linebacker. They came up short in their attempts to sign free agents Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker and Devin Lloyd. There’s now a significant hole in the middle of their defense. The position group needs at least one starter and some depth, but probably two starting-caliber players. Jones said at the recent league meetings in Arizona that there are some trade possibilities if they are unable to fill that hole in the draft.

Edge rusher: They made a serious attempt at trading for Maxx Crosby before he was moved to Baltimore in a deal that later fell through. While it’s unlikely, they may make another run at the All-Pro veteran now that he’s back in Las Vegas. The Cowboys traded for Rashan Gary last month and are expecting a second-year jump from Donovan Ezeiruaku, but more help is needed. There’s a good chance this position is targeted with one of Dallas’ two first-round picks.

Cornerback: Their current Week 1 starters would likely be DaRon Bland, Shavon Revel Jr. and Cobie Durant. Bland and Revel have had some injury concerns. Durant is only under contract for one season. A standout young corner would make a lot of sense early in the draft, especially because the defensive backfield is Parker’s biggest area of expertise. While Parker was in Denver, the Broncos drafted Patrick Surtain II. While he was in Philadelphia, the Eagles drafted Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.

Cowboys draft analysis

Cowboys 7-round 2026 mock draft: A bold trade to get defender they need

Final Cowboys big board: 50 players who could be fits from Day 1 to 3

Would it make sense for Cowboys to trade up to No. 3 pick in NFL Draft?

Would it make sense for Cowboys to trade up to the No. 3 pick?

Cowboys NFL Draft big board: 25 possibilities with their 2 first-round picks

Mailbag: Which position has the greatest appeal in the first round?

‘The Beast’: Dane Brugler’s scouting reports and player rankings

Consensus draft rankings: Six defensive players in Top 8

Cowboys projected depth chart: Why 3 positions remain biggest needs

The Athletic’s latest mock drafts

April 6: Predicting NFL Draft picks 1-100
Nick Baumgardner predicts Dallas will look to the defensive side for both first-round picks, with Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy and Georgia LB CJ Allen.

April 1: Mock draft based on intel from coaches, scouts, agents
The Cowboys trade up to No. 3 for Texas Tech pass rusher David Bailey and then nab Washington receiver Denzel Boston in Bruce Feldman’s reported mock draft.

March 25: Beat writer mock draft
The Cowboys again land two defensive players in the first round: LSU CB Mansoor Delane and Allen, the Georgia linebacker.

March 6: Cowboys 7-round mock draft
This team-specific exercise also has Dallas taking Delane, but in this scenario, the Cowboys trade back out of the No. 20 slot.