So now that everyone has Dallas trading up high into the first round to grab one of the top three defensive players in the draft, what if they actually moved down instead? Or what if they did both and moved up with the 12th pick and down with their 20th?
Judging from the people they’ve brought in for interviews, that last scenario may be what the Cowboys are looking at, or else they just love talking to second-round cornerbacks even though they have no second-round picks.
The owner’s son (technically co-owner) went on the radio and outlined how Dallas views trades, with one takeaway being that the next trade will come on draft night, if it comes. Here’s what everyone is saying.
Stephen Jones Dallas Cowboys trade
Dallas Cowboys COO and co-owner Stephen Jones appeared on the Metroplex radio station 105.3 The Fan to discuss the widely-projected possibility that Dallas will move around in the draft.
As reported by Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Jones said, “Next week, people finalize their boards and have their strategy sessions. I’m a big believer that most of these trades happen as you’re on the board. Players fall off that you wanted, and then you’re willing to come out. Players are staying on the board that you thought might not be there, and then you’re attempting to move up a little bit.”
Elaborating on that, Jones said, “You might not be willing to give up what it costs to move way up in the draft. But if a player starts to fall, then you get a little thought that maybe we could move up, and it wouldn’t cost as much, and we would still get the guy that we think is the best player for us at a particular position for where we’re going to pick.”
Dallas Cowboys trade down
At this point, conventional wisdom has Dallas making draft-night trades, and mock drafts generally have them moving up to the top of the first round to get one of the big defensive names (Arvell Reese, David Bailey or Sonny Stiles).
But Dallas has needs everywhere and zero second-round picks at the moment (the Quinnen Williams trade). Nonetheless, they have given official 30 visits to six corners who are projected to go in the second round: Tennessee’s Colton Hood, South Carolina’s Brandon Cisse, San Diego State’s Chris Johnson, Indiana’s D’Angelo Pounds, Miami’s Keonte Scott and Arizona’s Treydan Stukes.
Reid D. Hanson of the Dallas Cowboys Wire draws an obvious conclusion. He writes: “The tea leaves also point to the Cowboys targeting a cornerback in the second round. The funny thing is, the Cowboys don’t have a second-round pick at the moment. They’ve reportedly met 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.”
Dak Prescott Troy Aikman
In terms of retaining their own free agents, the big news this offseason in Dallas has been about George Pickens and Brandon Aubrey, and money is going to run short with Dak Prescott ($60 million this year), CeeDee Lamb and Pickens taking up so many resources.
Dallas quarterback legend Troy Aikman recently appeared on KDFW Fox 4 in Dallas with sports anchor Sam Gannon with an interesting take on one way the Cowboys could fix this. He pointed to New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who repeatedly took pay cuts to help his team move resources around.
Aikman said, “Tom (Brady) understood that if he gave up a little bit and it made the team stronger and they won, that he would more than make up for whatever he was giving up in salary off the field or in other ways. I’m not suggesting that Dak should do that, I’m just saying when you’re paying CeeDee near the top of the market, George Pickens with the franchise tag, you’re directing all of your energy and resources on offense, there’s going to be some holes.”
Dillon Thieneman
Perhaps the deepest position in this year’s draft is safety, which is one of the Cowboys’ big needs. It perhaps isn’t as big of a need as cornerback, but what Dallas could use at safety is players with versatility to play several positions in the secondary.
The Dallas Cowboys website has been profiling potential draft targets and has one on Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman. Thieneman is typically mocked a few spots ahead of Dallas No. 20 pick, but Dallas would also be a reasonable spot for him to land.
His stock shot up at the combine when he ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash. On the field this past year, his first at Oregon after a transfer from Purdue, he had 44 tackles, two interceptions and five passes defended.
Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com writes: “The most valuable aspect of Thieneman’s game is his versatility to play just about every role in the secondary outside of straight up outside cornerback. He has the range to take away the deep part of the field and play center field, he can come down to the box and play the run and has the traits and experience necessary to line up in the nickel position and wear all of those hats at once.
“As NFL defenses continue to put a lot of value into versatile defensive backs that typically have played safety or a similar role like Thieneman, he could be the next in line of players that move around the field and make big impacts, like Nick Emmanwori when he was coming out of South Carolina in the last cycle.”
When is the 2026 NFL draft?
The 2026 NFL draft is set for April 23-26 in Pittsburgh. Coverage of the first round begins Wednesday, April 23, at 6 p.m. MT, 7 p.m. CT. Coverage of rounds 2 and 3 begins Thursday, April 24, at 5 p.m., MT/ 6 p.m. CT and coverage of rounds 4 through 7 begins Friday, April 25, at 10 a.m. MT/ 11 a.m. CT All rounds will be on ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network.
Aaron Rodgers to Cowboys
No, Aaron Rodgers is not going to the Cowboys. Per an AI overview, “Based on April 2026 reports, rumors suggest a potential, yet highly speculative, connection between Aaron Rodgers and the Dallas Cowboys, with some chatter involving a blockbuster trade or a move after his time with the Jets/Steelers. While some scenarios imagine him in Dallas to boost their playoff chances, other reports suggest the Cowboys are focused on other draft decisions.”
The idea of Rodgers going to Dallas is nonsense.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: What if the Dallas Cowboys traded down into the second round?
Reporting by Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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