Should the Cowboys Trade Up to the Third Overall Pick in the 2026 NFL Draft?
With April officially here, it signals to the average NFL fan that the NFL Draft is just around the corner. For Cowboys fans, that means another draft rumor has come up. Earlier in the offseason, a popular mock trade idea emerged involving the Dallas Cowboys and the Cleveland Browns, which proposed that the Cowboys would move up to the sixth overall pick. However, in this latest mock trade scenario, the potential value in return appears to be even greater. Now the Cowboys have been rumored to trade up with the Arizona Cardinals for the third overall pick in this year's NFL Draft. Dallas, in this hypothetical trade, would only give up the 12th overall pick and the third-round pick they got from San Francisco in the Osa Odighizuwa trade. The Cowboys would be making this trade for one reason, and that is to draft elite pass rusher David Bailey from Texas Tech.
The reason for the Cowboys’ trade is to draft Bailey, and he would instantly raise the level of this Dallas defense. The defense is still a ways away from being where they would like to be, but having key players like Quinnen Williams and DeMarvion Overshown scattered among the crop gives them hope. Adding Bailey into the mix gives the Cowboys the pass-rush element that they are currently missing on the roster. In Christian Parker's new 3-4 defense, edge pressure and play will be key, and while it may be a challenging switch for Bailey, he is more than capable of adjusting to new environments.
On paper, the trade seems like a good deal for the Cowboys, and trading is something they should consider. They'd be able to secure an elite player in this year's draft and only have to trade one single other pick. It hurts Dallas to lose a third-round pick, but adding a player with the qualities like Bailey’s makes up for it. While this deal seems appealing, turning it into a reality is a different challenge altogether. The Cardinals would have to obviously agree to the deal in the first place, and while it’s beneficial for Dallas to only give up one more pick, Arizona could easily ask for more capital, especially if it means moving to third overall. If Dallas could manage to make this trade happen, almost all Cowboys fans would agree to make it happen; however, in reality, it likely won’t. One thing is certain: for the next three weeks, until the NFL Draft, draft rumors will be rolling nonstop.
