The Cowboys are on a clock with Dak Prescott, which means the players Dallas drafts have to be starters straight away.
The Dallas Cowboys, like every other NFL team, have pressure to "hit" on their first-round draft selections.
But Dallas has a different kind of pressure. Why? Because the offense is so elite, the defense has to be just competent, and this is a playoff team.
Plus, the defense was so bad last season that the Cowboys have to bring in players to start from Day 1. There can be no Shavon Revel Jr. this offseason, and Jerry Jones even stated the team can't draft redshirts.
So the Cowboys have two first-round picks, and we have seen several scenarios put forward over the past couple of weeks.
Some have Dallas trading up to as far as No. 3 to select a star pass rusher, others have the Cowboys staying put at No. 12 and taking whoever falls to them.
But for NFL analyst Bucky Brooks, who was a guest on DLLS Cowboys, regardless of who the Cowboys select, they have to be starters and productive from Day 1.
"When you're the Cowboys, you have to tie this to Dak Prescott," Brooks said. "I think there's a three or four-year window with Dak Prescott's going to remain in his prime. I don't have a lot of patience to wait for somebody.
"When you think about what they're doing, George Pickens on the franchise tag, CeeDee Lamb in the middle of a big deal, you don't have time to wait for two or three years for this guy to finally decide, hey, I'm ready to be an elite pass rusher.
"The players they take in this draft, they need to be ready to play because this division is open. They need right now players, they don't need wait-and-see players."
Brooks isn't wrong.
And it isn't only because of Dak. The defense needs starters, and the Cowboys are likely banking on their two first-round picks to slot into Christian Parker's defense from Day 1.
Dallas can't afford another Mazi Smith scenario here. That's nightmare fuel.
So whoever Dallas selects will be viewed as a starter and expected to hit the ground running in their rookie season, one because the defense needs them to be. The other because Dak needs his defense to play complementary football.
If that happens, 2026 could be rather fruitful for the Cowboys. If it doesn't, we could be looking at another poor season in Dallas with no playoff football, regardless of what Dak does.