Drawing parallels to the 2005 draft, the Dallas Cowboys hope to have transformed their defense in the first round.
The Dallas Cowboys had a transformative draft for the defense in the first round – so they hope. The Cowboys traded up to land Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at No. 11 and later traded down to grab UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence at No. 23 overall. Owner Jerry Jones thinks it was a game-changing draft. They certainly hope so after a historically bad defense that allowed a franchise-record 511 points in 2025 and ranked No. 30 in yards allowed. Dallas is betting on two first rounders, drawing historical parallels to 2005, to transform their battered defense into a strength in 2026.
That 2005 draft saw the Cowboys select outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware and defensive end Marcus Spears in the first round. Ware went on to be the franchise all-time sacks leader while Spears was an eight-year starter for the team. They’ll see what they have now in Downs and Lawrence. Downs had 44 career starts between Alabama and the Buckeyes, totaling 256 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, 16 pass deflections, and six interceptions. He was the 2025 Jim Thorpe Award winner and is a two-time unanimous All-American. The nickel defender didn’t allow one touchdown as a primary defender for Ohio State.
Lawrence comes in as the Cowboys are switching to a 3-4 defense under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, fitting the outside linebacker profile in a strong pass rush rotation. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer pointed to his first-step quickness and ability to disrupt the quarterback and attack the ball as elite traits they coveted.
Here is the full story from Cowboys Roundtable writer Timothy Hamm on the team’s first round haul and how it can revamp the defense.
In trading up for Downs, Dallas lost two fifth rounders, but they gained Nos. 114 and 137 in their trade down with Philadelphia, gaining value with two fourth rounders. With defensive holes addressed, the Cowboys can turn their attention elsewhere, should they choose, as the draft transpires through the weekend.