The Dallas Cowboys are in a weird spot. Honestly, everyone knows it. After the 2025 season left more questions than answers regarding the longevity of the current core, the front office is staring down a roster that feels a bit like a Jenga tower. One wrong move and the whole thing wobbles. Jerry Jones talks about being "all in," but the fans know that usually means "all in on the guys we already have." That's why this Cowboys 7 round mock draft feels different. It isn't just about grabbing the best player available. It’s about survival.
Drafting for Dallas is a tightrope walk. You have the looming salary cap reality of massive contracts and the desperate need for cheap, rookie-scale starters who can actually play on Day 1.
The First Round Reality Check
With the 19th pick, the Cowboys cannot afford to get cute. Forget the "project" players or the guys with high ceilings but low floors. They need a plug-and-play starter at defensive tackle or along the offensive line. Looking at the current board, Kenneth Grant out of Michigan is the name that keeps popping up. He’s a mountain. A literal human eclipse.
If you’ve watched any Big Ten football, you know Grant isn’t just a space-eater; he has the kind of lateral quickness that makes guards look silly. Dallas has struggled with the run for years. It’s the Achilles heel. By putting a 340-pound anchor in the middle, you finally let Micah Parsons roam without being chipped by a pulling guard every single play. It’s a boring pick to some, but it’s the right one.
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Finding Value in the Second and Third
Round two is where things get spicy. The Cowboys need a wide receiver who can take the lid off the defense. CeeDee Lamb is a superstar, obviously, but he needs a running mate who isn't just a possession guy. Isaiah Bond has been linked to Dallas in several scenarios. He’s fast. Like, track-speed fast. Putting him in the slot or out wide forces safeties to respect the deep ball, which opens up those intermediate routes where Dak Prescott thrives.
Then comes the third round. This is usually where Will McClay finds a gem. Let’s talk about the offensive line again. Cooper Beebe was a steal in previous years, but the depth is still thin. Someone like Jonah Savaiinaea from Arizona provides that "position flex" the Cowboys obsess over. He can play tackle, but he might be an All-Pro caliber guard. You can never have enough big men. Seriously.
The Mid-Round Grind
The fourth round is often where the Cowboys 7 round mock draft starts to reflect the team's "special teams first" mentality for backups. They love guys who can tackle on punts. But they also need a linebacker who can actually cover a tight end.
Jay Higgins from Iowa is a tackling machine. He isn’t the flashiest athlete, and he might get beat in a footrace by a premier RB, but he’s always in the right spot. He’s a "football player" in the truest sense.
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- Round 4, Pick 120: Jay Higgins (LB, Iowa).
- Round 5, Pick 158: A developmental edge rusher like Jasheen Davis.
Davis is an interesting case. He has the production from Wake Forest, but he’s a bit undersized. In Dan Quinn’s old system, he might not have fit, but under the current defensive philosophy, his burst off the line is exactly what you want in a situational pass rusher. You develop him for a year, let him eat some protein shakes, and see if he can replace a veteran departure in 2027.
The Late Round Lottery Tickets
By the sixth and seventh rounds, you’re basically throwing darts at a board in a dark room. Sometimes you hit a bullseye like DaRon Bland. Most of the time, you’re just hoping the guy makes the practice squad.
In the sixth, Dallas should look at a bruising running back. The committee approach is fine, but they miss that "hammer" for short-yardage situations. Kaleb Johnson is a big-bodied back who doesn't dancing in the hole. He hits it. Hard. He’s the kind of guy who turns a 2-yard loss into a 1-yard gain just by falling forward.
Finally, in the seventh, take a flyer on a small-school cornerback. Quinton Newsome has the length that the Cowboys scouts drool over. He’s raw. He bites on double moves. But you can’t teach 6'2" with long arms and 4.4 speed. You stash him, coach him up, and pray he turns into a contributor on special teams while he learns the playbook.
Why This Strategy Matters More Than Ever
The NFC East is a gauntlet. Philadelphia isn't going anywhere, and Washington is finally starting to look like a real professional football team. The Cowboys can’t rely on "winning the offseason" with big trades anymore because they simply don't have the cap space. This Cowboys 7 round mock draft focuses on the trenches and cheap speed because that’s the only way to sustain a winning window in the modern NFL.
People always argue about whether you should draft for need or best player available. The truth? It’s always a mix. If the "best player" is a quarterback, the Cowboys aren't taking him. Not yet, anyway. They have to fix the infrastructure. You can't build a mansion on a swamp. Fixing the interior defensive line and the offensive front is how you stop being a "one-and-done" playoff team and start being a legitimate contender.
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Actionable Steps for Cowboys Fans
To really track how the draft might go, keep an eye on these specific indicators over the next few months:
- The 30-Visit List: The Cowboys are notorious for drafting players they bring in for official visits. If a name on this mock draft isn't on that list by April, the odds of them being picked drop significantly.
- Senior Bowl Standouts: Watch the offensive line drills. Dallas scouts almost exclusively live at the Senior Bowl. Any guard or tackle who dominates the 1-on-1s there will be high on their board.
- Post-Compensatory Pick Adjustments: Wait until the official compensatory picks are announced in March. Dallas usually nets a few extra selections in the 5th and 6th rounds, which could allow them to trade up in the 3rd if a blue-chip talent starts to slide.
- Cap Casualties: If the team releases a veteran linebacker or safety before the draft, expect those positions to move up at least two rounds in priority compared to this projection.
Understanding the Cowboys' draft philosophy requires looking past the star on the helmet and focusing on the specific traits—length, 10-yard split times, and "position flex"—that the front office has prioritized for over a decade.