The 2015 season was an utter disaster for the Dallas Cowboys. After his Week 1 heroics, Tony Romo went down the following week against the Philadelphia Eagles with a broken collarbone for the second time in his career. Then came the fun carousel of Brandon Weeden, Matt Cassel, and Kellen Moore. Things went so well in 2014; how could they go so wrong just a year later? Many were left wondering what the Cowboys’ future would look like.
Enter the 2016 draft class.
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Ezekiel Elliott brought the juice and rejuvenated the running game in Dallas in a way that wasn’t seen since the days of Emmitt Smith. The offense was shepherded by a compensatory fourth-round pick; a dart throw at quarterback in Dak Prescott. The rookie was as efficient as can be, and his infectious leadership connected with the entire locker room. The Cowboys went from the basement to the best record in the NFC overnight.
A decade later, the franchise hopes the 2026 draft class can have a similar impact. The team needs them to.
Heading into the 2016 season, the window for the franchise to compete for a championship with Romo and Witten leading the team was closing. That’s why Elliott was selected over Jalen Ramsey—to give the quarterback a running game unlike anything he had prior to that point in his career.
While Dallas didn’t take a skill player with their first, first-round pick (even though Jordyn Tyson was heavily rumored), one could argue that the team trading up for Caleb Downs should have a similar impact. After Emmitt Smith finished his career in Dallas, fans were waiting for the team to find the next guy. When Darren Woodson left the Cowboys, he was never truly replaced. That might have changed when the team picked Downs.
The former Ohio State safety was graded by some as the best player in the draft, and while Dallas could certainly have gone in a different direction based on positional value, they went with the player they felt could impact the team right away, not only on the field but as a leader in the locker room.
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Pairing Downs with defensive coordinator Christian Parker, in theory, will change the defense overnight in a way that Elliott changed the offense almost immediately. While the rookie curve is a real thing, Downs’ football intelligence hints he could be the exception to the rule.
Elliott and Prescott weren’t the only contributors from their draft class, and Downs won’t be the only one with high expectations either. Malachi Lawrence, who was selected with Dallas’ second first-round pick, should help elevate the pass rush immediately. The Cowboys lacked a true pass rusher last year after trading away Micah Parsons. The trio of Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku, and Lawrence should help.
The former UCF product had 27.5 sacks in the final three years at college, 11 of them coming as a senior. Lawrence was someone whom Christian Parker targeted as an integral part of his defense.
Defensive ends can take time to hit the ground running, but if you combine Parker’s specific vision for Lawrence, along with the player’s work ethic, there’s a chance he could be running with the first-team defense for most of training camp, depending on where Ezeiruaku is in his rehab. That would be a huge step in his projection as a rookie.
Malik Collins and Anthony Brown had significant roles as rookies, too. The 2026 class has a few guys who could have their stamp on the defense by season’s end. Jaishawn Barham was picked in the third round and could be used in a variety of ways in Parker’s defense. Even though he’s starting out at linebacker, he showed an ability to rush the passer at Michigan. The uncertainty around DeMarvion Overshown’s long-term health and the immediate impact of Dee Winters might vault Barham into a starting role sooner than later.
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LT Overton is a dark horse from the class that could fill the void left by Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas. Outside of Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark, the team doesn’t have much depth behind them as pass-rushing defensive tackles. Thomas and Odighizuwa had the flexibility to also kick inside or outside if needed. Overton talked about the team asking to play in a variety of positions and being comfortable with whatever they need him to do. That versatility and lack of depth behind the two starters could push him to play more than we think.
It’s a lot to ask for a rookie class to come in right away and change the identity of a team. However, for those that have hit, like the 2016 draft for the Cowboys, the 2017 draft for the New Orleans Saints, and the 2023 draft for the Detroit Lions, it’s possible to catch lightning in a bottle and achieve success. In this case, the Cowboys hope lightning strikes twice.
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