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Our Least Favorite Dallas Cowboys 2026 NFL Draft Pick
It’s hard to find much fault at all with the Dallas Cowboys draft class this season.
Dallas shored up three of their biggest holes on defense by selecting safety Caleb Downs, EDGE Malachi Lawrence, and linebacker Jaishawn Barham with their first three picks. They also added another linebacker, bringing in veteran Dee Winters in exchange for a fifth-round pick.
We already dove into which selection was our favorite from the class, which was an easy decision. Downs checks every box and has been called a perfect fit for new defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
Least favorite pick has nothing to do with talent
Choosing Downs was easy when it came to a favorite pick, but deciding on which one is the least favorite is far more difficult. Dallas maximized value and filled needs at every position, but if there was one pick that had question marks, it was Devin Moore, the Florida cornerback who was taken at No. 114 in Round 4.
To be upfront, there’s nothing to dislike about Moore as a player. He’s a talented boundary cornerback and he proved himself against some of the elite players in the SEC. The only true concern is his injury history.
While Moore played in 11 games this past season, he never suited up for more than seven in his three previous campaigns. He missed roughly 20 games due to injuries, with shoulder issues ending his 2022 and 2024 campaigns early. Prior to the draft, Dane Brugler said Moore’s injury history is a “major red flag.”
Devin Moore could prove the doubters wrong
Despite the red flags, Brugler saw a player with “rare height and body length,” making him someone to keep an eye on.
The Cowboys decided it was worth the roll of the dice, but it’s not an easy gamble to make. Dallas saw multiple cornerbacks battle injuries in 2025, including DaRon Bland. They were unable to turn to 2025 third-round pick Shavon Revel Jr. as he was rehabbing a torn ACL.
That’s what makes this the “least favorite” selection, even though Moore has the talent to make the pick look brilliant.
Cowboys have shaky history when gambling on injury concerns
Of course, it’s going to be hard to sell fans on a player with so many injuries in the past.
Dallas hasn’t had a great track record when gambling in this department. They’re still waiting on Revel, but have also struck out with their own players.
In 2022, Michael Gallup signed a five-year, $62.5 million extension while recovering from a torn ACL. He was never the same player, and was released following the 2023 season.
They also bet on Terence Steele following a torn ACL suffered in 2022. He signed a new deal ahead of the 2023 season, landing a five-year, $86.8 million extension. While Steele has had more success than Gallup, he hasn’t lived up to that contract and has struggled to regain the form he had before the knee injury.
The good news with Moore is that it’s not a knee issue, and he isn’t on a massive contract. Still, there’s some risk here and it’s at a position where they need less risk.
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