The Dallas Cowboys try to keep things close to the vest prior to the draft most years. Their close-knit community of family and staff in their front office rarely springs leaks, and when they do appear to, most information is taken with a grain of salt since misinformation runs rampant in the final days.
Sometimes reading the tea leaves can be better than leaks and if one knows what to look for, one can gain decent insight into what the strategy is heading into this annual three-day affair. Which players and what positions a team meets with during the pre-draft process can be very telling for fans eager to read the leaves. In the 2026 NFL draft, the Cowboys offer more than a few nuggets of information fans should find interesting.
Aside from having official visits with expected top five prospects David Bailey and Arvell Reese, the Cowboys have also met with top prospects Caleb Downs and Mansoor Delane. The first two are pass rushers mocked as early as No. 2 and No. 3, while the second two are defensive backs mocked between No. 5 and No. 12. Additionally, Dallas met with linebacker Sonny Styles, who has most often been mocked to No. 5 or No. 6. All of these early meetings could be preparation in case a great prospect somehow slips, but it could also signal the Cowboys’ intentions to move up into the top 10.
The tea leaves also point to the Cowboys targeting cornerback in the second round. The funny thing is, the Cowboys don’t have a second-round pick at the moment. They’ve reportedly meet with seven cornerbacks with consensus ranks between 23-67 during this process. Players such as Aveion Terrell, Colton Hood, Brandon Cisse, Chris Johnson, D’angelo Ponds, Keionte Scott and Treydan Stukes are all expected to go somewhere in and around Day 2. The interest could be preparation in case one slips, but it likely means the Cowboys are planning to acquire a second-round pick at some point.
Their scouting indicates the Cowboys are looking to trade up and down in the early portions of the 2026 NFL draft. They also show Dallas is scouting cornerbacks specifically on Day 2. With defense still a concern on obvious passing downs, investment in this area is critical to the Cowboys’ success. If they can add a pass rusher in the first round and a defensive back in the second, they will have addressed major concerns. It should be no wonder those positions in those rounds appear to be a focus.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys pre-draft visits indicate team likely to trade, enter 2nd rd
Reporting by Reid D Hanson, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
