Dallas, TX
Cowboys Visit Hints at Potential Unexpected Day 2 Target in 2026 Draft
We have heard a lot about the Dallas Cowboys meeting with edge rushers, linebackers and cornerbacks over the course of the pre-draft process, but offensive linemen meetings have been at a minimum.
In fact, according to our most recent Cowboys visits tracker, Dallas had only met with one offensive lineman, James Brockermeyer out of Miami, before Tuesday.
But we can now add another offensive lineman visit to the mix, as NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports that the Cowboys are one of about six teams to host Iowa guard Beau Stephens on a visit. He goes on to add that Beau could be a Day 2 pick.
“Iowa G Beau Stephens had visits with the Cowboys, Seahawks and Falcons, and among a tour of a half dozen teams ahead of next week’s NFL Draft. A potential Day 2 pick, Stephens was a first-team AP All-America selection this past season,” Garafolo reported on Tuesday.
An unexpected pick
This pick would be unexpected for a few reasons.
For starters, the Cowboys have a slew of needs on defense and very little Day 2 draft capital. In fact, the Cowboys have just one pick, which falls late in the third round.
Another reason this pick would be unexpected is because the Cowboys figure to have their guard situation locked in with Tyler Booker and Tyler Smith. Sure, it’s possible Smith moves to left tackle, but he made it quite clear he doesn’t want to.
“I mean, bro, like, I’m an All-Pro guard,” Smith said. “You feel me? That’s the simple truth, just looking at stuff purely off of facts. So we’ll see what happens. We’ll have those conversations and kind of see where everybody is at.”
If anything, the Cowboys should be exploring their options at left tackle, where Tyler Guyton has struggled over two seasons. That said, we’d expect Guyton to get another year to figure things out.
Now, if the Cowboys go against Smith’s wishes and put him on the left side, anyway, then exploring options at guard make more sense, as T.J. Bass would be in line to replace Smith.
Beau Stephens scouting report
Stephens graded out as an elite pass-blocking and run-blocking guard last season. According to Pro Football Focus, Stephens posted an 85.1 as a run-blocker and 92.5 in pass protection, ranking fifth and first in those categories, respectively.
The concerns over Stephens have to do with his short arms, which are lacking even for a guard, and his lack of athleticism. Next Gen Stats ranked him 19th in Athleticism Score among guards at the combine.
For Stephens, finding the right fit will be everything at the next level. When it comes to the Cowboys, he’s a good fit because Dallas utilizes inside/outside zone, where Stephens excels.
— Sign up for the Cowboys Daily Digest newsletter for more free coverage from Dallas Cowboys on SI —
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
What Drake London’s new deal could mean for George Pickens
Falcons WR Drake London is now the NFL’s third-highest paid wide receiver in AAV, signing a four-year, $141 million extension with $100 million guaranteed and $35.26 million per year.
London, who is 25, is the same age as Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens, and both are heading into their fifth seasons in the NFL. Pickens too was seeking a long-term contract, but the Cowboys told him and his representation that would not happen this offseason, and he instead signed his $27.3 million franchise tag that keep shim under contract for the 2026 season.
Pickens’ one-year deal on the tag makes him the 17th highest-paid wide receiver in the league in AAV. Should Pickens go out and post a year similar to his 2025 campaign where he had more than 1,400 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, a deal similar to London’s may be in the ballpark of what Pickens could seek. For reference, CeeDee Lamb is the league’s fifth-highest paid WR at $34 million annually. If Pickens surpasses him and is closer to London’s $35 million per year mark, he and Lamb would become the highest-paid WR duo in NFL history, surpassing the Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, who currently combine for $69 million per year. – Tommy Yarrish
The Texas Department of Public Safety, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Garland Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abby Policastro and Marissa Aulbaugh prosecuted the case.
“This verdict should send a clear message to drug dealers that we will dismantle any effort to peddle deadly fentanyl in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their dedicated collaboration in taking thousands of fentanyl pills off the streets of Dallas.”
If the Dallas Cowboys want to get over the hump and back into the playoffs in 2026, they’ve got to see a massive improvement in the defense.
Owner Jerry Jones was brutally honest with just how much the Cowboys were held back by their defense in 2025, and the numbers very clearly spell that out.
How does a Cowboys team that ranked top 10 in passing, rushing and points on offense still miss the playoffs?
Well, Dallas also ranked 30th in total yards allowed, 32nd in passing yards, 23rd against the run and 32nd in points against, that’s how. That putrid showing rightly cost Matt Eberflus his job, which set the stage for Dallas to hire Christian Parker.
It also set the stage for a total overhaul of the defense, with Dallas making many additions to that side of the ball, including at corner, where the Cowboys were bad on the boundary and in slot last season.
Fow now, we’re more focused on the boundary competition, as the Cowboys appear set to roll with Caleb Downs in the slot.
Cowboys’ CB competition is crucial for 2026
The Cowboys won’t have much hope for a playoff appearance if the cornerback play doesn’t improve. Of the 10 teams that landed in the bottom 10 in passing yards allowed last season, only two of them made the postseason.
Of course, the pass-rush played a part in that, and while Dallas has made multiple additions to that group this offseason, there really aren’t any guarantees with Rashan Gary, Malachi Lawrence or Donovan Ezeiruaku.
If that trio fails to improve a pass-rush that was tied for the seventh-fewest sacks in the NFL in 2025, the cornerbacks become even more crucial.
DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel did not play well in 2025, and while the former appears safe for now when it comes to a starting job on the outside, his leash could be short if he struggles again.
Revel, on the other hand, isn’t locked into a starting job on the boundary and is competing with Durant and Caelen Carson. It’s also worth keeping an eye on who finishes in second in that battle because that player could replace Bland if he struggles or gets hurt again.
There is hope Revel can bounce back now that he’s another year removed from the torn ACL he suffered in his final year in college and can enjoy a full offseason, but we’ll have to see it first before we can believe it.
“It’s very beneficial,” Revel said of having a normal offseason. “Just because I can clean up a lot of things, a lot of errors I didn’t see last year, or I did see last year, that I could clean up this year.”
“My knee is 100%, so now it’s time to focus on situational ball and I’ve got to see what I need to fix or get better at,” Revel added.
When training camp kicks off next month, we’re going to be locked into watching the battle at cornerback because it could very well make or break Dallas’ entire 2026 campaign.
Follow
-
Los Angeles, Ca42 minutes agoAir quality concerns remain as the Boyle Heights warehouse fire continues to burn
-
Detroit, MI60 minutes agoWenceel Pérez returns home, but when will he return to Detroit Tigers?
-
San Francisco, CA1 hour agoSan Francisco Supervisor Jackie Fielder to return following mental health leave
-
Dallas, TX1 hour ago
Impact: How Jeffery Simmons’ extension could affect Quinnen Williams
-
Miami, FL1 hour ago
Jaylen Brown bidding war? Haslem drove this? All the fallout from Antetokounmpo trade to Miami
-
Boston, MA1 hour agoYour next Uber ride in Boston could be a taxi
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoNuggets 2026 NBA mock draft tracker 2.0: What national experts predict Denver will do
-
Seattle, WA2 hours agoHow to watch Bosnia vs. Qatar in next Seattle World Cup match
