The Dallas Cowboys have had several holes to fill on their roster this offseason, and several of those voids have been addressed with the 2026 NFL Draft less than one week away. While the wide receiver position has been a prominent subject surrounding America's Team since the 2025 campaign ended, the team is still working towards a long-term pact with George Pickens to avoid the receiver playing out the season on the franchise tag.
For several reasons, this has held up what Dallas has been able to accomplish with its wide receiver room. Whether this is a good thing or not for the Cowboys remains to be seen. However, it sure seems to be the best-case scenario for Jonathan Mingo, as the former No. 39 overall pick still finds himself in the 2-deep on the team's projected depth chart.
Mingo Appears Set to Receive Another Chance from Cowboys in 2026
Plain and simple, Mingo has not lived up to expectations since setting foot in the NFL, let alone Dallas. In 38 games, the former Ole Miss standout has 61 total receptions on 132 targets for 610 receiving yards and zero touchdowns. Mingo has moved the chains regularly, as he's picked up a first down on 22 of those 61 receptions, but there is a reason why the Carolina Panthers were willing to trade him in 2024.
With that being said, he also has a chance to change the narrative surrounding his career if the Cowboys follow through on using their premium picks on defenders rather than WR prospects, which could ultimately threaten Mingo's potential playing time.
Dallas owns the No. 12 and the No. 20 overall picks in this coming Thursday's first round of the draft. Despite the expectation that plenty of quality receivers will be available with either of those picks, the consensus remains that the Cowboys will focus on the defensive side of the ball early and often in the draft, in hopes of elevating that group closer to the heights the Dallas offense enjoyed this past season.
There is also the possibility that the Cowboys elect to package those two first-round picks to move into the top-10 and target one of the elite pass rushers set to enter the league in this draft class. As of this writing, that is what Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN projects Dallas to do, as he has the Cowboys acquiring the Nos. 6 and 39 picks in a deal with the Cleveland Browns that sends Nos. 12 and 20 to Cleveland in exchange for that selection, which Kiper Jr. has Dallas using on LB Sonny Styles of Ohio State.
Regardless of whether it is a trade or simply two selections on the defensive side of the ball, the Cowboys don't own a second-round selection and could be deep into the third round by the time they are on the clock again. With that being the case, and other needs being more pressing, it would be surprising to see Dallas go receiver with that pick, either.
All of this adds up to a meaningful opportunity for Mingo to establish himself as a trustworthy option on the outside. He has the QB in place to make it happen; now it is on Mingo to get the job done when his number is called.
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