The first pick of the 2026 NFL draft went exactly as expected with the Raiders selecting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. but things went off-script pretty quickly after that. Eight Thursday-night trades kept everyone on their toes, and more than a few surprising picks saw teams scrambling (on a shortened clock, no less) to adjust to a shuffled board.
The Cowboys were involved in two of those swaps, moving up one slot with their first pick and sliding back three spots for their second. The result? Two of the defensive players that had been frequently mocked to them all along, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Central Florida edge rusher Malachi Lawrence.
Those deals with the Dolphins and Eagles saw Dallas give away two of their fifth-round selections as well as their seventh-rounder and pick up a new pair of fourth-round picks. As it currently stands, the Cowboys will end up with seven players instead of eight, but according to the Jimmy Johnson trade value chart, the draft haul originally worth 2,326 points is now worth 2,346.1 after the wheeling and dealing.
And there’s still six rounds to go, meaning that could change yet again.
Here’s a recap of every first-round selection, an updated look at the order of second- and third-round selections, and a check of where the Cowboys fall (for now) in the rest of the draft’s proceedings.
Cowboys’ updated pick schedule
Round 1 recap
Round 2 draft order
Round 3 draft order
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys’ new pick schedule after trades, Round 1 recap, updated Day 2 draft order
Reporting by Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
