The Dallas Cowboys have had a quiet free agency period, which isn't a surprise. They usually take the backseat route during this portion of the offseason and put their eggs into the NFL draft basket.
Considering that Dallas has two first-round picks (No. 12 and No. 20), this draft feels even more important, and the blockbuster trade that took place on Tuesday could have a positive ripple effect on Dallas.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Denver Broncos acquired Jaylen Waddle and a 2026 fourth-round pick from the Miami Dolphins in return for their first, third, and fourth-round picks in this draft.
The Dolphins have parted ways with both Waddle and Tyreek Hill this offseason, creating a huge void in their receiver room. And since Miami owns the No. 11 pick, right ahead of Dallas, they could be in the market to add a receiver, which could push another defensive player down the board for the Cowboys.
Jaylen Waddle Trade May Help Cowboys in 1st Round of 2026 NFL Draft
Leading up to this year's draft, the Dolphins have been mocked as a landing spot for LSU's Mansoor Delane and Tennessee's Jermod McCoy. When taking a look at Miami's CB room, you could see why they would look in this direction, but now their receiver room looks even worse. As of this writing, their top three receivers are Tutu Atwell, Jalen Tolbert, and Malik Washington.
That's not good enough, and several receivers could entice them. Ohio State's Carnell Tate, USC's Makai Lemon, Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson, and Indiana's Omar Cooper Jr. are just some options they may look at. And with them potentially adding a WR, the Cowboys could have their pick of the CBs.
Getting help on the defensive side of the ball is the priority for the Cowboys this offseason. And since they haven't done much in free agency, they will use the draft as the outlet to improve that unit. You can never predict how the NFL draft will go, but you can get a feel for what position teams might attack. And that's the case here with the Dolphins.
They have one of the worst WR rooms in the league, but with the extra draft capital they received in the Waddle trade, they should use some of their extra assets to improve that unit. The more offensive players that go ahead of Dallas pushes another defensive player down the board.
Some potential targets who have been mocked to the Cowboys are Delane, McCoy, safety Dillon Thieneman of Oregon, defensive lineman Keldric Faulk of Auburn, and defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor of Miami, to name a few. While things will still change between now and draft night, the odds that another defensive player falls to Dallas increased with this trade.