nick'S MOCK DRAFT
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nick'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON MAR 23, 2026

cowboys

  • nick DRAFTING FOR THE
    Cowboys
Draft Selections
Fernando Mendoza Head Shot
PICK: 1 RND: 1 (DAL)
Fernando Mendoza
QB Indiana
Jeremiyah Love Head Shot
PICK: 12 RND: 1 (DAL)
Jeremiyah Love
RB Notre Dame
Sonny Styles Head Shot
PICK: 20 RND: 1 (DAL)
Sonny Styles
LB Ohio State
Olaivavega Ioane Head Shot
PICK: 36 RND: 2 (DAL)
Olaivavega Ioane
OG Penn State
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren Head Shot
PICK: 92 RND: 3 (DAL)
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
S Toledo
Sam Roush Head Shot
PICK: 112 RND: 4 (DAL)
Sam Roush
TE Stanford
Nadame Tucker Head Shot
PICK: 152 RND: 5 (DAL)
Nadame Tucker
DE-EDGE Western Michigan
Cyrus Allen Head Shot
PICK: 177 RND: 5 (DAL)
Cyrus Allen
WR Cincinnati
J'Mari Taylor Head Shot
PICK: 180 RND: 5 (DAL)
J'Mari Taylor
RB Virginia
Keyshaun Elliott Head Shot
PICK: 218 RND: 7 (DAL)
Keyshaun Elliott
LB Arizona State
Draft Picks Received
Fernando Mendoza Head Shot
PICK: 1 RND: 1 (LV)
Fernando Mendoza
QB Indiana
Olaivavega Ioane Head Shot
PICK: 36 RND: 2 (LV)
Olaivavega Ioane
OG Penn State
Draft Picks Traded
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 1 (LV)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 1 (LV)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Players Gained
Head Shot
Jonathan Allen
DT
Head Shot
Ja'Marr Chase
WR
Head Shot
Maxx Crosby
DE
Head Shot
Eric Stokes
CB
Head Shot
Quay Walker
LB
Head Shot
Devin White
LB
Players traded away
Head Shot
Dak Prescott
QB
Head Shot
Jake Ferguson
TE
Draft Grade — Cowboys
Overall F
ValueB NeedB TradesF FutureF
The Cowboys bet the future on Mendoza. The board says F.

The phones were a trap the Cowboys kept walking into, shipping out surplus on nearly every deal.

They have staked the next five years on Fernando Mendoza, which is the only story that really matters here. That cornerback hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. That is a safety worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly.

They are betting Tucker proves the room right and everyone else wrong. They are betting the present roster is worth a lighter draft next spring.

There is no spinning it; the board won this weekend going away.

Pick Analysis
Pick1 Rnd1 Fernando Mendoza
In pick 1 they get the arm they will build around. A real need, handled.
Pick12 Rnd1 Jeremiyah Love
A tidy bit of business in the 12th overall pick, where Jeremiyah Love graded well above the range. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick20 Rnd1 Sonny Styles
In slot 20 they get the heartbeat of the defense at fair value. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Pick36 Rnd2 Olaivavega Ioane
They let Olaivavega Ioane come to them and pounced at the Round 2 slot. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick92 Rnd3 Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
Circle this one: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren at the 92nd pick is a fall that decides a draft. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Pick112 Rnd4 Sam Roush
Sam Roush in pick No. 112 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick152 Rnd5 Nadame Tucker
Nadame Tucker at Round 5, Pick 12 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Pick177 Rnd5 Cyrus Allen
Cyrus Allen at No. 177 is money in the bank, a wide receiver taken below his worth. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick180 Rnd5 J'Mari Taylor
J'Mari Taylor in the Round 5 slot is exactly on the number, no argument either way. It fills a real need, too.
Pick218 Rnd7 Keyshaun Elliott
Keyshaun Elliott at pick 218 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.