The Dallas Cowboys, as we all have seen thus far, have made some notable defensive changes, even dating back to last season when they traded Micah Parsons but added Quinnen Williams. The coordinator got a new face, too, as Matt Eberflus was not retained, but instead, Christian Parker was brought in.
Parker comes from the Vic Fangio tree and was most recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, so this was an example of Dallas not only plucking from a wildly successful defensive tree, but they also 'stole' from a NFC East rival as well.
And even with the likes of Rashan Gary and Jalen Thompson now in the picture on defense, this side of the ball still needs some more notable additions. Dallas finds those additions in this updated mock draft.
Updated Dallas Cowboys mock draft with the NFL Draft less than a month away
12. Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
Jermod McCoy is going to be one of those cornerbacks who will be successful no matter what team he ends up on. He'll head to the Cowboys at pick 12 in this mock draft and likely have a shot to start right away. Over the years, Dallas has had a ton of talent at this position in particular, but the group just was not able to stay healthy.
It's time for the Cowboys to invest more NFL Draft capital in the backend of the defense, so McCoy could not only be the best player available here, but he'd also address a huge need.
20. Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State
Kayden McDonald is an ideal nose tackle prospect in Round 1 of this year's draft, so Dallas could look to snag him at pick 20, rounding out this defensive line for the present and future. Just turning 21 years old earlier this month, the sky is the limit for this player, but he immediately becomes a plug-and-play run stuffer in this defense.
92. Kyle Louis, LB, Pittsburgh
Kyle Louis is one of the more interesting prospects in this year's NFL Draft. He's undersized for a linebacker but is also someone who kind of profiles as one of those linebacker-safety hybrids in the NFL. This is someone who could be a 'Joker' on defense, for lack of a better term.
Louis had 179 total tackles 10 sacks, six interceptions, and six passes defended the past two years in college, so he was a productive player.
112. Joe Royer, TE, Cincinnati
Dallas has to address the offense at some point, so they'll snag Joe Royer from Cincinnati at pick 112. The Cowboys were able to throw the ball better than most teams in the league in 2025, and at this point, you'd feel confident in the major defensive additions, so Dallas will address the other side of the ball.
152. JC Davis, OT, Illinois
Now taking a developmental tackle, the Cowboys take JC Davis at pick 152. The Dallas offensive line has typically been in a good spot year over year, and to be fair to this front office, they have done a heck of a job at building this unit.
177. Max Llewellyn, EDGE, Iowa
Back to the defensive line, now, the Cowboys take Maxx Llewellyn from Iowa at pick 177 and perhaps get some rotational depth here. Depth is what wins late in the season, so while teams likely won't find a starter this late, depth is never a bad thing.
180. Jeff Caldwell, WR, Cincinnati
The 6-5 Jeff Caldwell could immediately become a red zone threat for the Cowboys, so he could see the field quite early on just due to his ideal height.
218. Cole Payton, QB, North Dakota State
Finishing up with Cole Payton, the Cowboys take a quarterback and simply add a talented arm into the room.