{"id":228343,"date":"2026-03-31T09:37:23","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T09:37:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/228343\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T09:37:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T09:37:23","slug":"7-round-dallas-cowboys-mock-draft-with-trades-inside-the-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/228343\/","title":{"rendered":"7-Round Dallas Cowboys Mock Draft with Trades \u00bb Inside The Star"},"content":{"rendered":"

It may seem hard to believe, but we have only four \u201cMock Draft Mondays\u201d left in the 2026 NFL Draft cycle, so you have to make them count!<\/p>\n

Of course, the Dallas Cowboys desperately need to make their real-life picks count when Roger Goodell starts rattling off names on April 23rd, and that\u2019s what I\u2019ll cover in today\u2019s mock draft.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how I\u2019m going to conduct it: I\u2019ll be using PFF\u2019s Mock Draft Simulator tool, but for the first round, I\u2019ll be making each pick based on what I actually think is going to happen based on visits and noise floating around the draft world.<\/p>\n

As far as the other 31 teams are concerned, I\u2019ll let the simulator take over for rounds 2\u20137, but Dallas\u2019s first two selections will be based on where I believe things stand as of today, league-wide, not the randomness of a simulation.<\/p>\n

So, without further ado, let\u2019s get into this seven-round Cowboys mock draft!<\/p>\n

First Round<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

1.12: Dallas Cowboys select Caleb Downs, Safety, Ohio State.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s right: as things stand right now, my best guess is former Ohio State star, Caleb Downs, makes it to the Cowboys with the 12th pick, and they send his card in as fast as humanly possible.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve seen this happen with safeties before (Kyle Hamilton, most notably) and Downs, for all his on-field talent, isn\u2019t the biggest or baddest athlete, and there are at least some questions around the medicals on his knee.<\/p>\n

I think you could see two wide receivers and a guy like Auburn\u2019s Keldric Faulk go before 12, thus pushing Downs down the board just enough.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s still a good bit of time, of course, but I think we crossed Downs\u2019s name off the list of Dallas possibilities far too early.<\/p>\n

Trade: Dallas Receives: 1.29, 3.72, 2027 5th Round Pick \/\/ Kansas City Receives: 1.20. <\/p>\n

1.29 (via KC): Dallas Cowboys select Malachi Lawrence, EDGE, UCF.<\/p>\n

At 20, the Cowboys got on the clock with a plethora of options available that I think they\u2019d love after the Downs pick.<\/p>\n

Miami stars Akheem Mesidor and Keionte Scott, and Clemson\u2019s Aveion Terrell and TJ Parker, just to name a few, remain on the board for Dallas in my current scenario. Some would say that increases their odds of sticking-and-picking their favorite of the crop; I disagree.<\/p>\n

The Cowboys have long shown a liking to trading back in the 20s, and they\u2019ve even managed to pull it off recently, so why not do it again?<\/p>\n

Here, they slide down with the Chiefs and pick up the 72nd pick, and a future fifth in return.<\/p>\n

At 29, they select the best pass-rusher on the board, and a guy who could ultimately be a contender at 20, Central Florida\u2019s Malachi Lawrence.<\/p>\n

\"SleeperCFB<\/p>\n

UCF EDGE Malachi Lawrence has emerged in @MoveTheSticks<\/a>\u2018s Top 5p NFL Draft prospects<\/p>\n

Draft stock is rising after his impressive #NFLCombine<\/a> performance \ud83d\udcc8<\/p>\n

9.90 RAS (2nd among EDGE)
6\u20194\u2033 253 lbs
4.52 40-Yd Dash
1.59 10-Yd Split
40\u2033 Vertical\n <\/p>\n

I believe Dallas really does like him, and I\u2019m expecting he\u2019ll become a 30-visit guy as the list continues to come out over these next few weeks. Downs and Lawrence, plus an extra third, leave the Cowboys feeling really good heading into Day 2.<\/p>\n

Third Round
\n3.72 (via KC): Dallas Cowboys select Malik Muhammad, Cornerback, Texas.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve been digging deep into the Cowboys draft this year, you\u2019ve probably seen this fit before (plus, Dallas has visited with him twice), and it\u2019s for good reason.<\/p>\n

Malik Muhammad is a Dallas native and 21-year-old former Longhorn who will be one of the top third\/fourth round cornerback options if the Cowboys don\u2019t take one earlier.<\/p>\n

After going with Downs and Lawrence, they find Muhammad with the selection picked up in that earlier trade with the Chiefs, and I don\u2019t think you can waste much time turning his name in. He\u2019s young, fast, and physical, and while undersized, Dallas doesn\u2019t seem to be concerned about that in their cornerbacks under Christian Parker<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3.92 (via SF): Dallas Cowboys select Kaleb Elarms-Orr, Linebacker, TCU.<\/p>\n

With their final third-round selection, also picked up in a trade (a real-life one, of course), the Cowboys address the last of their big needs by finally bringing a linebacker into the fold.<\/p>\n

Kaleb Elarms-Orr is another local product, and he\u2019s also pretty clearly one of the best mid-round finds at the position in this year\u2019s class.<\/p>\n

A great athlete who plays with genuine physicality, has good instincts, and top-notch production? That sounds about right for the Cowboys\u2019 defense, and especially when you consider this pick came from dealing Osa Odighizuwa.<\/p>\n

They need to add an impact defensive player here, and I think this kid provides that. I do believe Dallas likes him, and we could hear more about that as the draft nears.<\/p>\n

Fourth Round<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

4.112: Dallas Cowboys select Michael Trigg, Tight End, Baylor.<\/p>\n

I think the 112th pick is a great spot for the first offensive pick in this year\u2019s Cowboys draft class, and I\u2019m starting to be convinced the position will be at tight end.<\/p>\n

Dallas seems to have a genuine interest in this tight ends class, and after that somewhat worrisome season by Jake Ferguson, the continued disappointment of Luke Schoonmaker, and the failure of any other depth options to stand out much, how can you blame them?<\/p>\n

Enter Michael Trigg, one of the more polarizing but fun prospects in this class.<\/p>\n

He could very well turn out to be a big-time weapon in an NFL offense, though there are some real effort and work ethic concerns that could drop him here.<\/p>\n

Fifth Round
\n5.152: Dallas Cowboys select Nick Barrett, Defensive Tackle, South Carolina.<\/p>\n

Now we\u2019re getting into the nitty-gritty of this mock draft, but if you\u2019re a true diehard, that\u2019s where the fun really begins.<\/p>\n

Starting with the first of Dallas\u2019s three fifth-round picks, I see them targeting former Gamecock defensive tackle Nick Barrett. He\u2019s a combine visit guy for the Cowboys, and he\u2019s got the kind of power that can play right away as a run stuffer in the NFL.<\/p>\n

You can never have enough IDL depth.<\/p>\n

5.177: Dallas Cowboys select Jam Miller, Running Back, Alabama.<\/p>\n

I feel fairly confident that the Cowboys will draft a running back at some point in this class, and that it will be with one of these fifth-rounders; the only question is who catches their eye.<\/p>\n

For me, I see Alabama\u2019s Jam Miller as the potential answer to that question.<\/p>\n

\"Dane<\/p>\n

RB official 40s:<\/p>\n

4.33 \u2013 Mike Washington Jr.
4.36 \u2013 Jeremiyah Love
4.37 \u2013 Demond Claiborne
4.42 \u2013 Jam Miller
4.44 \u2013 Eli Heidenreich
4.49 \u2013 Seth McGowan, Jadarian Price
4.50 \u2013 Adam Randall
4.52 \u2013 Robert Henry Jr.
4.56 \u2013 Emmett Johnson<\/p>\n

Aside from his really fun name, Miller surprised many with a low 4.4\u2019s 40-yard dash at the combine, carries an impressive build, doesn\u2019t have too much tread on his tires, and is a Tyler, Texas native. I think the Cowboys may see a lot to like with this guy.<\/p>\n

5.180: Dallas Cowboys select Alex Harkey, Tackle, Oregon.<\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t heard of Oregon\u2019s Alex Harkey, I can\u2019t blame you; this is a true deep-cut.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, if you do know this now-former Oregon Duck, it\u2019s probably because you recall his days playing at Texas State, or from his younger days growing up in Buda, Texas.<\/p>\n

Either way, the rundown on him is this: he blossomed in 2024 at Texas State, earning All-Sun Belt honors, but didn\u2019t quite live up to the hype as a big transfer for Oregon in 2025. Still, the talent is there, as is the size and ability to move in space.<\/p>\n

Dallas could use offensive line depth, and this guy matches up well as a project who could be molded into something legit.<\/p>\n

Seventh Round
\n7.218: Dallas Cowboys select Nyjalik Kelly, EDGE, UCF.<\/p>\n

Lastly, we have our second UCF EDGE of the draft class with Nyjalik Kelly; he also played for the Miami Hurricanes between 2022 and 2023.<\/p>\n

Dallas has a 30-visit scheduled with Kelly, so that shows their interest already, but additionally, I think it makes sense to add more than one pass-rusher in this class, and this guy has some collegiate production that proves worthy of a dart throw.<\/a><\/p>\n

He had 8.5 sacks and five forced fumbles over the past two seasons, and at 6\u20195\u2033, 256, nobody can deny he\u2019s got NFL size.<\/p>\n

Was this helpful?<\/p>\n

Thanks for your feedback!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It may seem hard to believe, but we have only four \u201cMock Draft Mondays\u201d left in the 2026…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":228344,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[21872,57671,88315,34582,102,7011,104,103,88316,88317,88318,88319,88320,62094,6183,88321,88322],"class_list":["post-228343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dallas","tag-2026-nfl-draft","tag-2026-offseason","tag-alex-harkey","tag-caleb-downs","tag-dallas","tag-dallas-cowboys-draft","tag-dallas-headlines","tag-dallas-news","tag-jam-miller","tag-kaleb-elarms-orr","tag-malachi-lawrence","tag-malik-muhammad","tag-michael-trigg","tag-mock-draft","tag-nfl-draft","tag-nick-barnett","tag-nyjalik-kelly"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=228343"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228343\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/228344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=228343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=228343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=228343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}