The 2025 season was the first since 2004 in which the Dallas Cowboys recorded a losing season despite their starting quarterback starting at least 10 games. Despite that, there is reason to be optimistic in Dallas, with a high-powered offense, some solid additions, and two first-round picks to address areas of need in late April.
Using PFSN’s Mock Draft Simulator as the foundation for this exercise, the outlook becomes even clearer when mapping out how those picks can reshape the roster.
With a full season as the team’s head coach under his belt, Brian Schottenheimer should also have a good idea of what he needs entering the NFL Draft. Below is my blueprint for rebuilding Dallas’ defense through this year’s draft, with a couple of offensive playmakers thrown in.
Mansoor Delane, LSU | CB
Round 1, Pick 12
Whether Mansoor Delane falls to Dallas will likely depend on how aggressive the top 11 teams are at offensive tackle and wide receiver, with several needy teams in that range. If not, Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy would be a worthy consolation.
The Cowboys were seventh in points scored in 2025 (471), but the 511 points they allowed were the most of any team in the NFL. Their 4,276 net passing yards allowed were also the most of any team, and fixing that has to be the priority in this draft.
Delane is widely considered to be the top cornerback in the class, and could be of interest to both the Kansas City Chiefs (Pick 9) and Cincinnati Bengals (Pick 10). He makes his way to Dallas here, though, and immediately improves the Cowboys’ defense.
Akheem Mesidor, Miami (FL) | EDGE
Round 1, Pick 20
With a stud corner already in the bag, Dallas can focus elsewhere at Pick 20. Akheem Mesidor would be going far higher than this if it weren’t for his age (he recently turned 25), but his ferocious approach to edge play makes him another instant impact player.
Playing opposite Rueben Bain Jr. in Miami, Mesidor tallied 12.5 sacks, 17.5 tackles for loss, and 4 forced fumbles in 2025.
While the player’s age will put some teams off, with Dak Prescott turning 33 years old in July, the Cowboys can prioritize ability over longevity.
Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh | LB
Round 3, Pick 92
Cowboys fans may want their team to pick up a stud linebacker earlier than this, and they could well trade into the top 10 to land Sonny Styles. For the sake of this exercise, though, I’ve stuck with the picks on offer, and I don’t mind how this played out at all.
Over his final two years in college, Kyle Louis accumulated 182 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 6 interceptions, with 1 pick-six. His lack of prototypical size (6’0″, 220 lbs) is the only reason for his fall to the third round. Still, like with Mesidor, Dallas takes the value and lands another prolific defensive playmaker.
Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State | WR
Round 4, Pick 112
The Cowboys have a great offense, but depth, rotation, and versatility are always important. Mississippi State’s Brenen Thompson wouldn’t challenge CeeDee Lamb or George Pickens for targets, but he’d be an explosive weapon that defenses would have to keep an eye on.
Thompson’s 4.26-second 40-yard dash was the fastest of any player at the NFL Combine, and it’s not just straight-line speed. Thompson is equally explosive with the ball in his hands, and with the aforementioned Lamb and Pickens on the field, he’d have plenty of space to operate.
Max Llewellyn, Iowa | EDGE
Round 5, Pick 152
Max Llewellyn’s testing numbers don’t jump off the page, but his college production suggests he’d be a steal in the fifth round. In his final two years at Iowa, Llewellyn totaled 12 sacks, 17.5 tackles for loss, 3 forced fumbles, and 9 pass breakups.
With Mesidor likely starting opposite former Green Bay Packer Rashan Gary in this scenario, Llewellyn slots in as a promising rotational piece from Day 1.
Nicholas Singleton, Penn State | RB
Round 5, Pick 177
Javonte Williams surprised many with his impressive performances in 2025, earning himself a three-year deal in the process. The team has no depth behind Williams, though, and Nicholas Singleton could immediately see time as an explosive part-time playmaker.
Singleton is a great rotational option in the short term and, with no guaranteed salary in the third year of Williams’ new deal, a potential long-term starter given time.
Kendal Daniels, Oklahoma | LB/SAF
Round 5, Pick 180
Like Louis, Kendal Daniels has demonstrated an ability to make plays against both the pass and the run, having impressed at both safety and linebacker in college. He is the perfect fit for the more heavily disguised defenses in today’s NFL and will keep quarterbacks guessing on every down.
Over the past two seasons, Daniels accumulated 5.5 sacks, 19.5 tackles for loss, and 10 pass breakups. He also has 5 career interceptions, and carries enormous potential with remarkable explosiveness for a 6’5″, 242-pound athlete.
Andre Fuller, Toledo | CB
Round 7, Pick 218
Andre Fuller could be long gone by this pick, but his missed 2024 season and subsequent six-year college career make him a hard player to project. Nevertheless, Fuller proved himself a true playmaker in his 2025 comeback season, tallying 11 pass breakups, an interception, and 2.5 tackles for loss.
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Even after the addition of Delane in Round 1, the Cowboys are short of depth at cornerback, and taking a seventh-round flyer here makes sense.
