Peter Schrager has spoken.
The ESPN host and reporter is somewhat rare in that he doesn’t crank out a new mock draft every week this time of year. He’ll do two total for this entire pre-draft cycle. And when he mocks, Schrager mocks for accuracy. There’s no “here’s what I would do” draft, no “let’s get crazy” draft, no “give the fans what they want” draft. The only rule for Schrager is making projections based on what he’s hearing directly from team sources.
Last week’s annual league meeting gave him ample opportunity to collect intel, and on Tuesday, Schrager released his first 2026 mock draft.
It’s worth paying attention to, if only because of his history of being right. Schrager has nailed the Cowboys’ first-round selections in each of the past two years, projecting them to select Tyler Booker at No. 12 in 2025 and correctly matching them up with Tyler Guyton at No. 24 in 2024.
He’ll do one more mock the week of the draft, but here’s his early crystal-ball look at the next two Cowboys.
12. S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
“Buckeyes defensive coordinator Matt Patricia told me on “The Schrager Hour” that Downs will be the smartest player on whichever team drafts him and should be a face of the franchise. The Cowboys need that on defense, even if safety isn’t valued the same as pass rusher or cornerback. Downs could team up with Jalen Thompson and Malik Hooker on the back end and help curtail the big plays that hurt Dallas last season (gave up 54 plays of 25-plus yards, most in the NFL). If he’s on the board, he would be a steal at No. 12.” –Schrager
Downs met with the Cowboys on an official 30 visit and appears fully capable of filling the nickel cornerback role in Dallas as needed. He seems, by all accounts, to be a star in the making. His availability at No. 12 may be the real long shot here; ESPN Analytics’ Draft Day Predictor puts the chances of Downs making it out of the top 10 in single digits.
20. EDGE Akheem Mesidor, Miami
“Mesidor is one of the older players in this class, having just turned 25 years old, but he also might be the prospect most ready to make an immediate impact. He was an absolute menace for Miami, and he’d immediately become one of Dallas’ top pass rushers off the edge. Mesidor tallied 12.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss in 2025.” –Schrager
The Cowboys had a formal meeting with Mesidor at the scouting combine, but the Canadian-born Mesidor didn’t run drills in either Indianapolis or at Miami’s pro day. According to ESPN Analytics, No. 20 is one of the five most-likely spots for him to be selected.
Todd is on X at @ToddBrock24f7. Also, follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Mock draft: Will ESPN’s Peter Schrager be right about Cowboys for 3rd straight year?
Reporting by Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
