rudy473'S MOCK DRAFT
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rudy473'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON MAR 24, 2026

5th

  • rudy473 DRAFTING FOR THE
    Cowboys
Draft Selections
Arvell Reese Head Shot
PICK: 12 RND: 1 (DAL)
Arvell Reese
LB Ohio State
Sonny Styles Head Shot
PICK: 20 RND: 1 (DAL)
Sonny Styles
LB Ohio State
Jake Golday Head Shot
PICK: 92 RND: 3 (DAL)
Jake Golday
OLB Cincinnati
Bud Clark Head Shot
PICK: 112 RND: 4 (DAL)
Bud Clark
S TCU
Kage Casey Head Shot
PICK: 152 RND: 5 (DAL)
Kage Casey
OT Boise State
Jeff Caldwell Head Shot
PICK: 177 RND: 5 (DAL)
Jeff Caldwell
WR Cincinnati
Patrick Payton Head Shot
PICK: 180 RND: 5 (DAL)
Patrick Payton
DL-EDGE LSU
TJ Hall Head Shot
PICK: 218 RND: 7 (DAL)
TJ Hall
CB Iowa
Draft Grade — Cowboys
Overall B-
ValueB NeedB TradesB- FutureB-
The Cowboys checked most of the boxes and earned a B-.

The tape said wait; the Cowboys did not. Patrick Payton went at the 180th overall pick, a good 64 picks before the board was ready.

On value alone, Golday makes the weekend a net positive. They will regret leaving quarterback for another day if the season turns on it.

They went 4 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.

Nothing here to lose sleep over, and plenty to feel decent about.

Pick Analysis
Pick12 Rnd1 Arvell Reese
In Round 1, Pick 12 they get a sideline-to-sideline linebacker. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Pick20 Rnd1 Sonny Styles
In the Round 1 slot they get a green-dot type in the middle at fair value. The biggest hole, addressed.
Pick92 Rnd3 Jake Golday
The board fumbled Jake Golday all the way to pick No. 92, and they scooped it up. A minor itch, scratched.
Pick112 Rnd4 Bud Clark
A tidy bit of business in pick 112, where Bud Clark graded well above the range. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Pick152 Rnd5 Kage Casey
A straight-up fair deal on Kage Casey at slot 152, value and slot in agreement. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick177 Rnd5 Jeff Caldwell
By-the-book stuff, Jeff Caldwell at the 177th overall pick squarely in line with his ranking. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick180 Rnd5 Patrick Payton
Patrick Payton at No. 180 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
Pick218 Rnd7 TJ Hall
Good price on TJ Hall in slot 218, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.