mgsmith100'S MOCK DRAFT
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1 16 2026

  • mgsmith100 DRAFTING FOR THE
    Cowboys
Draft Selections
Arvell Reese Head Shot
PICK: 18 RND: 1 (DAL)
Arvell Reese
LB Ohio State
Brandon Cisse Head Shot
PICK: 20 RND: 1 (DAL)
Brandon Cisse
CB South Carolina
Dillon Thieneman Head Shot
PICK: 49 RND: 2 (DAL)
Dillon Thieneman
S Oregon
Malachi Lawrence Head Shot
PICK: 112 RND: 4 (DAL)
Malachi Lawrence
DE-EDGE UCF
Max Iheanachor Head Shot
PICK: 151 RND: 5 (DAL)
Max Iheanachor
OT Arizona State
Jermaine Mathews Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 178 RND: 5 (DAL)
Jermaine Mathews Jr.
CB Ohio State
Dijon Johnson Head Shot
PICK: 215 RND: 6 (DAL)
Dijon Johnson
CB Florida
Fernando Carmona Head Shot
PICK: 221 RND: 7 (DAL)
Fernando Carmona
OT Arkansas
Malachi Nelson Head Shot
PICK: 225 RND: 7 (DAL)
Malachi Nelson
QB UTEP
Draft Picks Received
Arvell Reese Head Shot
PICK: 18 RND: 1 (MIN)
Arvell Reese
LB Ohio State
Dillon Thieneman Head Shot
PICK: 49 RND: 2 (MIN)
Dillon Thieneman
S Oregon
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 3 (MIN)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Mansoor Delane Head Shot
PICK: 12 RND: 1 (MIN)
Mansoor Delane
CB LSU
Draft Grade — Cowboys
Overall B
ValueC+ NeedB+ TradesB FutureB
Nothing loud, just a tidy B for the Cowboys.

The Cowboys treated their own grade as gospel and everyone else's as noise, spending the 112th overall pick on Malachi Lawrence a full 32 spots early.

Whatever else happened, they won the night they took Nelson. They punted on wide receiver, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. The roster is better shaped than it was, with cornerback chief among the fixes.

The back end got a real overhaul.

Good work on the whole, with wide receiver the one box left unchecked.

Pick Analysis
Pick18 Rnd1 Arvell Reese
In No. 18 they get the heartbeat of the defense at a price that makes it sweeter. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Pick20 Rnd1 Brandon Cisse
In slot 20 they get a ballhawk on the outside, though the board says they badly overpaid. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Pick49 Rnd2 Dillon Thieneman
A clean, defensible pick in the 49th pick with a little surplus value in Dillon Thieneman. A minor itch, scratched.
Pick112 Rnd4 Malachi Lawrence
Malachi Lawrence at the Round 4 slot is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Pick151 Rnd5 Max Iheanachor
Max Iheanachor at pick No. 151 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick178 Rnd5 Jermaine Mathews Jr.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Jermaine Mathews Jr. at pick 178 is the proof. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick215 Rnd6 Dijon Johnson
A premium they did not need to pay, Dijon Johnson a notch or two before his time. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick221 Rnd7 Fernando Carmona
Fernando Carmona at the 221st overall pick is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick225 Rnd7 Malachi Nelson
Circle this one: Malachi Nelson at slot 225 is a fall that decides a draft. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.