April 19, 2026, 8:55 a.m. CT<\/p>\n
It’s been a relatively quiet weekend for the Dallas Cowboys, as the front office continued finalizing its draft board, however movement elsewhere in the NFC East may have major ripple effects.<\/p>\n
The New York Giants made a bold move, trading Pro-Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for the 10th pick in next week’s draft. The deal gives New York two selections ahead of the Cowboys’ pick at No. 12, creating a new layer of complexity for draft boards across the league. More importantly for Dallas, the Giants now have two chances to grab players the Cowboys may be targeting with the 12th pick. This will force the front office in Dallas to reassess its draft strategy, including the possibility of trading up to get the player they want before the Giants have a second chance at them.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, NFL insiders continue to float their theories of a potential Cowboys trade up. While the Giants-Bengals trade may not have been known at the time, after this move, their predictions may turn into reality. Dallas is still looking for help on defense and could potentially have either Caleb Downs or Sonny Styles available, but the Giants newly acquired 10th pick complicates things. Forcing the Cowboys to decide whether to sacrifice stockpiling depth or land an immediate impact player who can help their defense on day one.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, the person making that decision will be owner and GM Jerry Jones, but heavily influenced by his new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. According to Jones, Parker will have a major say in who Dallas selects or trades up for. Parker has continued to impress the Cowboys owner, and both men believe they will fix a defensive unit that was one of the worst in the league last season.<\/p>\n
It will be interesting to see just how much say Parker will have on draft day, and with the draft only a few days away, we won’t have to wait much longer.<\/p>\n
Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.<\/a><\/p>\n \u220e Cowboys Lose Out on Major Trade After Dexter Lawrence News \u2237 Heavy.com (Link<\/a>)<\/p>\n \u220e 20.5-sack star named “best fit” for Cowboys in 2026 NFL Draft\u00a0\u2237 Sporting News (Link<\/a>)<\/p>\n \u220e How Dallas performs against the consen oys draft \u2237 Cowboys Wire (Link<\/a>)<\/p>\n \u220e NFL insiders continue to push idea Cowboys will trade up in first round \u2237 Blogging The Boys (Link<\/a>)<\/p>\n \u220e 3 Outside-the-Box Options for the Dallas Cowboys Second Draft Pick \u2237 Inside The Star (Link<\/a>)<\/p>\n \u220e Reacting to Cowboys Picks and Trade in Chad Reuter’s 7-Round Mock Draft \u2237 Sports Illustrated (Link<\/a>)<\/p>\n \u220e Taking Offense: Cowboys eyeballing top WR may challenge defensive path \u2237 Cowboys Wire (Link<\/a>)<\/p>\n \u220e Cowboys trade down and accumulate 11 players in mock draft \u2237 Blogging The Boys (Link<\/a>)<\/p>\n \u220e 1 Perfect EDGE Target for Cowboys in Every Round of 2026 NFL Draft \u2237 Sports Illustrated (Link<\/a>)<\/p>\n