The Cowboys have two first-round selections in the upcoming NFL Draft, and the franchise can't afford to waste them.
The Dallas Cowboys will enter the NFL Draft with eight selections to help Brian Schottenheimer fill out his roster ahead of the 2026 season.
But the big-ticket item is Dallas' two first-round picks. At No. 12 and No. 20, the options for the Cowboys vary.
We have seen mock drafts where the Cowboys stay at those positions, while others have them trading up to No. 6. We even have some where Dallas trades a pick for a player.
So there are multiple avenues the Cowboys can go down, but one thing is certain: the franchise has to hit on its two first-round picks.
Granted, this is the case every year, but it feels even more important now, given how potent the offense is. So getting a competent defense gives Dallas the best chance at getting back to the playoffs.
And for Sports Illustrated's Eva Geitheim, the Cowboys are one of six NFL teams that simply have to nail the draft.
"Once again, the Cowboys were not super active in free agency, putting more pressure on them to hit on their draft class," Geitheim wrote. "Owner Jerry Jones has emphasized that the Cowboys want to draft players who are ready to play right away, a key for a Dallas defense that ranked last in points allowed per game last season and needs to improve to capitalize on the potential of their offense.
"The Cowboys have a good hit rate on their first-round selections, which they need this year as they build their defense."
The thing for the Cowboys is that those first-round picks have to be Day 1 starters for Parker.
The franchise can't afford another Mazi Smith or Luke Schoonmaker. Not this season, so who Dallas targets will tell us a lot.
LSU's Mansoor Delane, Ohio State duo Caleb Downs and Sonny Styles, Miami's Rueben Bain Jr., and Texas Tech's David Bailey are all players the Cowboys could have their eye on.
Granted, some of those would require Dallas to trade up and give up significant draft capital, but either way, these first-round picks have to hit.
The offense, you can make the case, is Super Bowl-caliber, but the defense, which was one of the worst in football last season, simply has to be far better.
And nailing both first-round picks with defensive players goes a long way to achieving that.