Cowboys draft rumors are heating up, but a potential move from No. 12 to No. 6 could cost Dallas too much and shrink its flexibility.
As Dallas Cowboys draft rumors ramp up ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, one idea making the rounds deserves a hard second look ... trading up from No. 12 to No. 6.
It’s the kind of splashy move that gets fans buzzing, but for Dallas, it could create more problems than it solves.
The reported framework floating around would send picks No. 12 and No. 20 to Cleveland in exchange for No. 6 and No. 70.
On paper, moving into the top six sounds aggressive and exciting. In practice, it feels like the Cowboys would be giving away too much premium draft value for too little in return.
That’s the real issue here. The Cowboys aren’t one player away from fixing everything, and surrendering two first-round picks would strip away a lot of the flexibility they currently hold.
Keeping both top-20 selections gives Dallas multiple paths to address major needs, whether that means adding help at edge rusher, defensive tackle, linebacker or in the secondary.
The move only makes sense if the Cowboys are convinced a true blue-chip defender is sitting there at No. 6 and that player can anchor the defense for years.
That’s a high bar. Moving that much draft capital for a prospect who’s simply “really good” is how teams end up regretting draft-night decisions.
Even if Dallas landed a talented defender at No. 6, the fallout would show up quickly.
Instead of adding two premium prospects in the first round, the Cowboys would be waiting until No. 70 for their next meaningful pick. That’s a steep drop, especially for a roster that still has multiple holes to fill.
There’s always temptation to chase the board when draft panic starts to build. But for the Cowboys, the smarter play may be the simpler one: stay put, keep both first-rounders and let the draft come to them.
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