Dallas Went All-In on Defense and Nobody Saw Devin Moore Coming

The Dallas Cowboys are done with their 2026 draft class, and they made a statement: they want to change how their defense looks. Out of seven total picks, five landed on the defensive side of the ball. Owner and GM Jerry Jones didn't mince words about it either, saying flat out, "we've changed this defense." That's confidence. That's a plan.

Building a Defensive Wall From Top to Bottom

This wasn't some quiet rebuild. The Cowboys leaned hard into defensive upgrades across the board. First-round pick Caleb Downs set the tone early, and the comparisons to Ring of Honor member Darren Woodson had people talking immediately. The defensive momentum carried through: linebacker Jaishawn Barham came in the third round, cornerback Devin Moore landed in the fourth, and they even swung a trade to acquire Dee Winters from the 49ers to add another layer to Christian Parker's unit. That's three new defenders drafted plus a trade acquisition. They weren't messing around.

Shelton Breaks the Pattern, Smith Caps It Off

The Cowboys did eventually pivot to offense, but they waited until late to do it. Drew Shelton, an offensive tackle, became their first offensive selection in this draft class when they grabbed him in the fourth round. They clearly wanted to lock down the defense first, then think about the future up front. At the very end, with their seventh-round pick, they circled back and selected Anthony Smith out of ECU to close out the class. The final pick went to offensive line help, but make no mistake: this draft was always about fixing what was broken on defense.

With a revamped defensive roster and some fresh talent on the offensive line, Dallas feels like they've addressed their biggest weaknesses heading into next season.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.