Dallas, TX
Cowboys draft: First-round recap and needs heading into Day 2
The Dallas Cowboys did what they hoped to do entering the first round—they traded out of pick No. 24 with the Detroit Lions to get another top-100 pick. The Cowboys traded No. 24 and a seventh-round pick in 2025 to get No. 73 in the third round from the Lions. The Lions overpaid for the pick but were eager to select one of the top cornerbacks in Terrion Arnold. Credit to Patrik Walker for proposing the trade in his mock draft this week.
So where did America’s Team go? With the 29th pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected offensive tackle Tyler Guyton from Oklahoma. At nearly 6’8” and 322 pounds, the team gets an absolute mountain of a man at offensive tackle. On the first day of practices at the Senior Bowl, Guyton was the talk of the town.
There might not be as much of a ripple effect as people could expect. Guyton is still raw as a player. He has all the traits to be an All-Pro tackle, but there’s still a way to go in his development. That doesn’t mean he can’t start from day one, but he might take time to develop. If the worst happens, Tyler Smith could move to the left tackle and let T.J. Bass and whoever else compete at left guard while Guyton gets a bit more seasoning.
From listening to the Dallas Cowboys Draft Show, it sounds like the team was willing to select Guyton at pick No. 24. Instead, they took him five picks later while also picking up an extra third-round pick. There’s not a lot to be upset about, especially with the way the Cowboys have been able to develop first-round offensive linemen over the years (Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, Zack Martin, Tyler Smith).
So what’s next?
Needs entering Day 2: RB, C, LB, DT, CB, WR
Day 2gets more interesting for the Cowboys now that they pick three times at No. 56, 73 (from the Lions), and 87. The last time Dallas gained another third-round pick in the first round was in 2021 from the Philadelphia Eagles to take Osa Odighizuwa, and that’s turned out pretty well for them.
Jane Slater of NFL Network connected running back Jonathan Brooks to the Cowboys early in the draft process and doubled down on that potential before round one.
Dallas won’t be taking Brooks in the first round, but could they trade up from No. 56 and use draft capital from next season to do so? Michael Gehlken noted that it could be a possibility with the potential compensatory picks coming their way in 2025.
If there’s no running back they love in the second round, the team could prefer to take a linebacker if players like Junior Colson, Payton Wilson, or Edgerrin Cooper are there. The third round could be an area where Dallas double dips at the offensive line if they feel like a center prospect is too good to pass up, and having the extra pick allows them to even take a look at running backs if they haven’t hit that position yet.
All of the possibilities are on the table now that the Cowboys filled their need at left tackle and can go into day two with three picks looking to fill more needs as we get closer to the 2024 season.
Dallas, TX
Former Cowboys QB Craig Morton passes away at age 83
Morton started 15 games in 1972 for an injured Staubach, who eventually returned in the playoffs. The Cowboys decided to trade Morton in 1974 to the Giants, who sent back a first-round pick, which turned out to be the No. 2 overall pick in 1975. The Cowboys used that selection to take Randy White, a 10-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer.
Ironically enough, White’s best game was likely Super Bowl XII, when he was named Co-MVP with Harvey Martin. The Cowboys’ Doomsday defense dominated the Broncos, who were quarterbacked by Morton.
Overall, Morton played for the Cowboys, Giants and Broncos before officially retiring at the end of the 1982 season.
His career ended with 27,908 passing yards, ranking him 71st in NFL history, just ahead of Hall of Famer Joe Namath (27,663).
Dallas, TX
Dallas Cowboys Announce Opponent, Date & Time for Week 1 of 2026 NFL Season
With the official NFL schedule coming this week, the Dallas Cowboys have revealed when, where and against who their Week 1 contest will be.
The Cowboys announced that they will square off against the New York Giants on the road in Week 1, with the game set for Sunday, Sept. 13, at 7:20 p.m. CT. So, it’s prime time for the Cowboys to start the season.
This is the second game we know about for the Cowboys this year. Of course, we know they will be playing on Thanksgiving, also.
The official schedule will drop on May 14, the NFL announced last week. Schedules for all 32 teams will be revealed on ESPN and the NFL Network, but each team will unveil its own schedule on social media, also.
The Cowboys were always likely to play a road game in Week 1 because of an Usher and Chris Brown concert taking place at AT&T Stadium that week.
Dallas will also be impacted by an Ed Sheeran concert in Week 7, so that’s another potential road game. They could also play on Monday or Thursday that week, or have a bye.
Cowboys’ strength of schedule
According to Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis, the Cowboys are not going to have an easy road to make the postseason.
The Cowboys have the fourth-toughest schedule in the NFL going into the 2026 season, with only the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers having tougher slates.
Dallas’ schedule is also the third-toughest in the NFC, and the most difficult in the NFC East.
Sharp does his strength of schedule rankings based on win totals from Vegas oddsmakers rather than utilizing the previous season’s records because that metric doesn’t factor in offseason changes.
The Cowboys will play home games against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders.
On the road, Dallas will square off against the Giants, Eagles, Commanders, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers.
Of those opponents, seven of them made the postseason in 2025, a list that includes the Jaguars, 49ers, Eagles, Texans, Rams, Seahawks and Packers.
All of those teams should be as good in 2026, and teams like the Colts, Titans, Ravens, Bucs, Giants and Commanders have a very real chance to be improved as well.
It won’t be an easy road for Dallas to get back to the playoffs in 2026, but there’s at least hope following a defensive overhaul.
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Dallas, TX
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