{"id":51432,"date":"2026-04-15T12:59:30","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T12:59:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=51432"},"modified":"2026-04-15T12:59:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T12:59:30","slug":"cowboys-7-round-mock-draft-how-dallas-can-be-a-title-contender-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=51432","title":{"rendered":"Cowboys 7-Round Mock Draft: How Dallas Can Be a Title Contender Again"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The Dallas Cowboys’ draft strategy isn\u2019t much of a secret, or at least it shouldn\u2019t be. They had one of the very best offenses in the NFL last season and a defense that was dead last in points allowed.<\/p>\n

So yeah, they need to draft defensive players. Lots of them. As many as they can. In fact, every time they\u2019re about to draft an offensive player, someone in their room should ask, “Isn\u2019t there a defensive player we can take instead?”<\/p>\n

Plugging that big, black hole has to be their priority next week. It\u2019s also their only path back to title contention. So with that in mind, here\u2019s a seven-round mock of how their draft should go, with a focus on \u2026 well, you get the idea.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> <\/i>2026 NFL Draft Big Board: The Top 150 Overall Prospects<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Round 1 (No. 12 overall): CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee<\/h2>\n

The Cowboys\u2019 pass defense was ranked 31st last season, and their coverage was as bad as their pass rush. DaRon Bland hasn\u2019t lived up to the promise he showed in 2023 as an All-Pro corner with nine interceptions (he has one pick in 19 games since). And he\u2019s the only one with a lock on a starting spot in the secondary.<\/p>\n

So assuming the top edge rushers are gone (which will be the case, unless Rueben Bain starts to fall), drafting the 6-1, 188-pound McCoy is a no-brainer. Yes, he missed all of last season with a torn ACL, but he had four picks as a sophomore the year before and NFL teams seem convinced that he\u2019s fully healthy. He may need some patience as he continues his recovery, but he\u2019s the ball-hawk with top coverage skills that the Dallas defense desperately needs.<\/p>\n

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Jermod McCoy #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers looks on before the AFLAC Kickoff Game against the Syracuse Orange on August 30, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Joe Robbins\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n

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Round 1 (No. 20): Edge Akheem Mesidor, Miami<\/h2>\n

The Cowboys have been searching for anyone who can rush the pass rusher since they traded away Micah Parsons, and the situation is even more dire since they chose not to re-sign Jadaveon Clowney (8.5 sacks). Their trade for Rashan Gary helps, but he\u2019s one man (and an inconsistent one). And with two first-round picks, they better come out with at least one player off the edge.<\/p>\n

Mesidor is a 6-3, 259-yard pass-rush machine who had 12.5 sacks for the Hurricanes last season and 26 in his three years and three games in Miami. He has shown an ability to rush from the interior and off the edge, and is decent against the run, too. He does have a history of foot injuries and will be 25 as a rookie, which is why he should still be available here. But the Cowboys certainly shouldn\u2019t worry about his age, since their window to be a contender again is small.<\/p>\n

Round 3 (No. 92): CB Davison Igbinosun, Ohio State<\/h2>\n

Yes, another corner. That\u2019s how big the need is there. He\u2019s a strong, 6-2, 189-pounder with good speed and strong coverage skills, and he can be fearless as a run defender. The one big issue that might limit his upside is that he commits an inordinate amount of penalties. The coaching staff will need to tame his handsy tendencies so he doesn\u2019t become a liability.<\/p>\n

But skills-wise, he can be an immediate third corner and eventually a No. 2, which is big for a team that really only has one. He\u2019s another prospect who will require some patience because the penalty count could be high as a rookie, which will limit the nature of how and when he can be used. But that\u2019s correctable and coachable. If he fixes that, he can be a fixture on the defense for a while.<\/p>\n

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Davison Igbinosun #DB15 of Ohio State during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine \u00a0at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Cooper Neill\/Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n

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Round 4 (No. 112): LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr,\u00a0TCU<\/h2>\n

He has always been a sure tackler with blazing speed (4.47 40) that makes him a true sideline-to-sideline threat. He had 92 tackles at Cal in 2023 and increased that to 130 with 11 for loss (and four sacks) for TCU last season.<\/p>\n

Elarms-Orr is probably a bit undersized (6-2, 234), but his speed makes up for that. The bigger problem is scouts don\u2019t see him as very instinctive, mostly because he didn\u2019t play football until high school and wasn\u2019t an inside linebacker until 2023. So there\u2019s a learning curve, for sure. But put a man his size with that speed on the field and he\u2019ll run down a lot of ballcarriers for the Cowboys.<\/p>\n

Round 5 (No. 152): OL Keagen Trost, Missouri<\/h2>\n

The Cowboys have a good offensive line, but certainly could use some depth and some more young players to develop at the position. Trost, at 6-5, 311 pounds, has the size to go earlier than this, especially since he was an all-SEC blocker last season. But he\u2019s another older prospect who\u2019ll be a 25-year-old rookie after seven collegiate seasons.<\/p>\n

Add in some inconsistent mechanics, questions about whether he should play tackle or guard in the NFL, and the fact that he didn\u2019t really hit the NFL\u2019s radar until this past season, and not every team will want to invest the time to develop him, especially at his age. But again, the Cowboys\u2019 window is closing. They can take a shot and see if he can give them at least a few good years.<\/p>\n

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Keagen Trost of the Missouri Tigers participates in a drill during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 01, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere\/Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n

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Round 5 (No. 177): WR Kevin Coleman, Missouri<\/h2>\n

He\u2019s a speedy and elusive slot receiver, not unlike Kavonte Turpin, and no, this isn\u2019t a big position of need. But the 5-10, 179-pounder not only gives them a backup receiver and returner for Turpin, but it also gives them future insurance considering Turpin is about to turn 30. He is a playmaker who can be a danger on inside passes, but also has the speed and hands to be a downfield threat. If he\u2019s used in the right way, he can be a threat any time he touches the ball.<\/p>\n

Round 5 (No. 180): Edge Max Llewellyn, Iowa<\/h2>\n

The 6-5, 258-pounder led the Hawkeyes last season with 45 pressures, and he had 12 sacks over the past two seasons. He plays hard and can be a handful for slower tackles when he comes off the edge. But on Day One, he\u2019s probably a situational pass-rusher who needs to improve against the run. He did have 17.5 tackles for loss in 2025, but scouts think that reflects more on his ability to read plays and find gaps than his explosiveness and strength. It won\u2019t be nearly as easy for him to do that in the pros.<\/p>\n

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Max Llewellyn #DL49 of Iowa participates in a drill during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 26, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Cooper Neill\/Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n

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Round 7 (No. 218): DT Tim Keenan, Alabama<\/h2>\n

The Cowboys are top-heavy at defensive tackle with Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams, but they were comfortable enough with their situation to trade away Osa Odighizuwa. What they do need at this spot is depth and some young talent, and Keenan could fill both. He\u2019s a 6-1, 327-pounder who can clog lanes in the rushing defense. He won\u2019t do a lot more than that at first, but there\u2019s an upside to him, and he\u2019s known as a team-leader and a hard worker. That\u2019s worth a shot in the seventh round.<\/p>\n

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