The Dallas Cowboys have had a lot to ponder in the offseason in terms of uplifting their roster and making course corrections before entering the 2026 season. However, they now believe their offseason work has given them a much clearer path heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, and head coach Brian Schottenheimer says that flexibility could prove crucial when the board starts to fall next month.
How Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer Is Approaching the Dallas Cowboys’ 2026 Draft
Dallas has spent the spring heavily involved on the Pro Day circuit, with Schottenheimer, defensive coordinator Christian Parker, and top personnel staff evaluating talent across the country.
Speaking about the team’s roster-building approach with Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com, Schottenheimer explained that the front office’s work in free agency and player retention has helped Dallas avoid entering the draft boxed into one or two urgent needs.
“I think it starts with the guys we brought back first and foremost. I’m always going to start with George and Javonte, guys like that that we’ve signed back on the offensive side of the ball,” Schottenheimer said, reflecting on the players already secured by the mighty Cowboys.
He also highlighted some of the team’s defensive additions, adding, “Getting a chance to get a guy like Rashan Gary, who I’ve had to compete against a lot, he’s just an incredible football player, has been from the time he was a senior in high school through Michigan.”
According to Schottenheimer, the roster work has improved Dallas’ draft position massively. Even so, he noted the Cowboys are not finished shaping the roster.
“I think we did a really good job of setting ourselves up to be able to draft natural and draft pure, which is what you want to do. You don’t want to have to be forced to reach for a player, that’s when you make mistakes,” Schottenheimer said.
“We’ve added some really good pieces, we’ve got some good depth,” he added. “There’s still a few positions that we need to address, that’s all part of the process … We’re never stopping to look, we’re always open for business.”
According to PFSN’s metrics, Dallas enters the draft with a far more urgent need on defense than offense. The Cowboys finished 7-9-1 last season, but their offense still ranked sixth in the league with an 84.8 OFFi and earned a solid B grade, underlining that the unit remained one of the team’s strengths despite an inconsistent campaign.
Defensively, however, the picture was far more concerning. Dallas posted a 62.1 DEFi, ranking 32nd in the NFL, with a D- Defense Impact Grade and an overall historical impact rank of 806, clearly highlighting the defense as the roster’s biggest problem area and one that still demands serious attention.
Schottenheimer also revealed that the team’s evaluation process goes far beyond athletic testing, explaining what matters most on these scouting trips.
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“I think it starts with getting to know the young man,” Schottenheimer said. “We try to get in early and take them to dinner, get a chance to kind of see them in an environment other than in the facility where they’re talking football, doing football things that they love. That’s really important to us.”
With the draft approaching, Dallas appears focused on staying disciplined, trusting its board, and using its offseason upgrades to attack value rather than desperation.
