After finishing the 2025 NFL season with a 7-9-1 record, the Dallas Cowboys have the 12th and 20th overall picks in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
However, analysts insist that the Cowboys could trade up in the draft, specifically for defenders Caleb Downs or Rueben Bain Jr.
Cowboys Motivated to Move Up in 2026 NFL Draft
During the 2025 season, the Cowboys were one of the best offensive teams in the league. In PFSN’s NFL Offensive Impact Metric, they finished ranked sixth in the league with an impact score of 84.8 and a letter grade of B.
However, defensively, they ranked dead last in PFSN’s NFL Defensive Impact Metric. Aside from ranking last, they finished with an impact score of 62.1 and a letter grade of D-.
Last year, Jerry Jones and company made headlines for trading All-Pro standout edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and draft capital.
Aside from Clark, they also traded for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams from the Jets during the season to form a treacherous duo on the inside line with Clark. Additionally, they completed another trade with the Packers this offseason to acquire defensive end Rashan Gary.
Yet it’s apparent the Cowboys aren’t done, and to add a blue-chip defender like Downs or Bains, Dallas is one team that could trade up in the draft.
“Trading up continues to be a possibility, especially if there’s a player they have high on their board who backslides a tad,” ESPN’s Jordan Reid wrote. “Safety Caleb Downs (Ohio State) and edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. (Miami) are believed to be players whom the Cowboys would maneuver for, as Dallas reportedly sees both as instant-impact game changers on defense.”
Downs has been touted as one of the best prospects in this draft, and it’s understandable to see why. In three seasons (one with Alabama and two with Ohio State), Downs recorded 257 combined tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, six interceptions, 12 passes defended, one fumble recovery, and three forced fumbles in 44 career games.
In PFSN’s CFB Safety Impact Metric, he finished the 2025 season with an impact score of 83.5 and a letter grade of B. He’s also a two-time All-American and the 2025 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
Then there’s Bain, who’s also one of the highly touted prospects in the draft. However, his stock has fallen over the past couple of weeks due to concerns about his arm length, which ranked in the third percentile.
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In PFSN’s CFB Edge Impact Metric, he finished with an impact score of 82.7 and a letter grade of B- for 2025. In three seasons with the Miami Hurricanes, the edge rusher accrued 121 combined tackles, 33.5 tackles for loss, 20.5 sacks, one interception, two passes defended, and four forced fumbles. He is a one-time All-American and the 2025 ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
The Cowboys need to make a splash move on defense in the 2026 NFL Draft, and there’s hardly any better options to go for than Downs or Bain.
