Cowboys interested in trading up in 2026 NFL Draft: report

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FRISCO, TEXAS - APRIL 24: Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, COO Stephen Jones, Chief Brand Officer Charlotte Jones, Vice President of Player Personnel Will McClay, Vice President of Football Operations Todd Williams, head coach Brian Schottenheimer v

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DALLAS - The Cowboys have two first-round selections in next week's NFL Draft, and if one report is to be believed, they might try and use both of them to move up.

Cowboys NFL Draft rumors

What we know:

NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports on Twitter (X) that the Cowboys have significant interest in moving up in this year's NFL Draft.

The Cowboys own their own first-round pick, the 12th overall selection, and the Green Bay Packers' first-round pick, the 20th overall selection, in this year's NFL Draft.

Dallas acquired the Packers' pick in last year's Micah Parsons trade.

Schultz also mentions a player the Cowboys are interested in trading for is coveted by the division-rival New York Giants, but did not specify which player.

In a follow-up tweet, Schultz mentions several teams that hold top-10 selections in this year's NFL Draft are interested in trading down and acquiring more picks.

What they're saying:

Cowboys Executive Vice President Stephen Jones wouldn't tell hosts on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday if the team was interested in trading up.

He did tell the K&C Masterpiece that he believes any such action will happen once the draft has begun, and teams are on the clock.

"I'm still a big believer that most of these trades happen as you're on the board. Players fall off that you wanted, and then you're willing to come out. Players are staying on the boards that you might not think might be there, and then you attempt to move up a little bit," Jones told the K&C Masterpiece.

DETROIT, MI - APRIL 25: The Dallas Cowboys make their pick during Day 1 of the NFL Draft on April 25, 2024 at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza in Detroit, MI. (Photo by John Smolek/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

"You might not be willing to, you know, give up what it cost to go way up the draft. But if a player starts to fall, then you get a little thought that, hey, maybe we could move up, and it wouldn't cost as much. And we still get the guy that, you know, that we think is the best player for us in a particular draft, depending on where you pick."

Jones told the hosts that trades in the NFL Draft generally involve a team calling you when you're on the board, and not the other way around.

"When you're on the clock is when the activity starts, and usually, if someone calls you wanting to move up, that is usually how it happens," Jones continued. "Usually, if you're wanting to go down, and you're starting to have to call the next 15 teams below you, that's not a good sign."

Dig deeper:

FOX 4's Sam Gannon spoke with Cowboys legend and NFL on FOX broadcaster Troy Aikman about what the Cowboys should do in this year's NFL Draft last week.

Troy Aikman talks Cowboys NFL Draft needs, Dak's legacy

Troy Aikman, NFL Hall of Famer and 3x Super Bowl champion with the Cowboys, sat down with Sam Gannon to talk about the team's needs in the NFL Draft, why he's advising the Dolphins' front office and not the Cowboys, and if he thinks the team has let QB Dak Prescott down.

"I think there's enough good players that will be available that they'll make that decision, and there's enough holes that they have that they'll make that determination at 12 and decide whether they like the best player that they have on their board at that pick or if they trade down and accumulate more picks which wouldn't be bad either."

"You know, defense is the priority, and we'd all be shocked if they didn't go in that direction. But with that said, you look back, several years ago when they drafted CeeDee Lamb, they were not in the market for a wide receiver," Aikman said.