Could the Cowboys consider offense in the 1st Round?

From the moment the Dallas Cowboys traded Micah Parsons away for a pair of first-round picks, the assumption was a “double-dip” on defense in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Now, we’re just over a month away from the biggest event of the football offseason, and that assumption has stayed true. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a mock draft with Dallas going offense at either 12 or 20; my question is, should we start to rethink that?

Yes, the Cowboys’ offense is worlds ahead of its defense, and especially after failing to sign a notable linebacker or pass-rusher in free agency, they need some young, top-end help more than ever.

There is a scenario, however, where Dallas’s board gets wiped out at either of their two first-round selections, and they could be faced with either reaching for defense or getting some elite value on offense. Would they consider the latter?

Could Dallas Consider Offense At 12 or 20?

I’ll spare you any long-winded, anticipation-building lead-up: the answer to this question is a resounding yes, even if fans don’t want to hear it.

Picture everybody from Caleb Downs, to Sonny Styles, to Mansoor Delane off the board by the time Dallas is on the clock at 12. Guys like Makai Lemon, or perhaps Carnell Tate, or one of the draft’s top tackles have been pushed down due to a defensive run.

There will be a significant conversation in the war room to simply take one of those guys on the basis of crazy good value, potentially opening up a potential trade of George Pickens for defensive talent, and keeping the 20th pick as a fallback for a talented defender.