Jerry Jones
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Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
The 2026 NFL Draft is under two months away and the Dallas Cowboys hold two first-round picks.
Due to the trade that sent superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers last offseason, Jerry Jones has an extra pick to play around with. Many believe that he could consider trading one of the two selections.
With that being said, the Cowboys have a lot of work to do. They’re focused on just one goal heading into the offseason. Dallas wants to get back to being a Super Bowl contender.
Keeping that in mind, a new trade suggestion has been made that would see the Cowboys and New York Jets come together on a trade that would shake up the first round of the NFL Draft.
Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets Linked in Potential NFL Draft Trade
ESPN’s Jordan Reid has come up with an idea that would see Dallas ship the No. 12 overall pick to the Jets in exchange for the No. 16 overall pick, a fourth-round pick, and a seventh-round selection as well.
He also noted that the Cowboys and New York have recently worked together in trade discussions.
“A few months after teaming up in the Quinnen Williams trade, the Jets and Cowboys can make another deal,” Reid wrote. “New York sends Dallas the first-rounder it acquired in the Sauce Gardner trade (No. 16), a fourth-rounder and a seventh-round selection to move up to the No. 12 pick.”
With the No. 12 pick the Jets would acquire from Dallas in this mock draft, Reid has them taking USC wide receiver Makai Lemon. As for the Cowboys, the ESPN mock draft has Jones and the front office focusing heavily on defense in the first round.
ESPN’s Mock Draft Has the Cowboys Doubling Down on Secondary
At No. 16 overall, which Dallas would acquire from New York in the trade, Reid thinks that Oregon standout safety Dillon Thieneman would be the right pick for the Cowboys. After that, he has Dallas taking Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell at pick No. 20.
Both of those players would help fill a clear need for the Cowboys.
Last season, the Dallas secondary was porous at best. Adding young talents like Thieneman and Terrell would help fill that hole both for the 2026 season and for years to come. This would be a major win for the Cowboys.
Of course, it’s just a hypothetical idea that may not be of any interest to either Dallas or the Jets. They have worked together recently on the Quinnen Williams trade, but might not be looking to shift around in the NFL Draft.
Expect to hear plenty of rumors about the Cowboys as the offseason continues forward. Jones and the front office have their work cut out for them to turn Dallas into a Super Bowl contender for the 2026 season.