Latest NFL mock draft shows exactly what a Dallas Cowboys dream scenario looks like, and the magic number they need

The 2026 NFL Draft is starting to look quite scary for the Dallas Cowboys.

With the No. 12 overall pick, they need a difference-maker on defense, and frankly, almost all of them are starting to look like long shots.

Linebacker Sonny Styles and safety Caleb Downs look like guaranteed top-10 picks. Cornerback Mansoor Delane established himself as CB1 after running a 4.35 40-yard dash. Top EDGE prospects like David Bailey Rueben Bain Jr. are also unlikely to be there when the Cowboys go on the clock.

And yet, there's a chance. That's the beauty of the draft, isn't it?

As NFL Network's Bucky Brooks showed in his latest mock draft, the Cowboys could find themselves a defensive gem at No. 12. And his simulation shows exactly what needs to happen for such a dream scenario.

The magic number for the Cowboys draft

Brooks has Bain Jr. falling all the way to No. 12, which is a feasible yet unlikely scenario. The Miami edge-rusher is projected to go in the top 10 by most draft analysts. So what drove his fall in this particular mock?

The magic number: Six.

In Brooks' mock, six offensive players go in the top 11 picks.

We all but know Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza is going to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 1 overall, but the key for the Cowboys to find a dream scenario at No. 12 is for these players to also be off the board: RB Jeremiyah Love, WR Carnell Tate, WR Jordyn Tyson and OT Francis Mauigoa.

If you're counting, that's five. In Brooks' mock, the surprise is OL Olaivavega Ioane from Penn State landing at No. 11 with Miami.

In this case, the Cowboys land Bain Jr. But as long as they land that true difference-maker at No. 12 overall, it will be a positive outcome. For that to happen, they likely need a similar run of offensive players in the top 11. We'll see if it happens.

Cowboys picks in Brooks' mock:

Below are the picks the Cowboys made in the mock draft, as well as Brooks' breakdown of them.

• Pick No. 12: EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. (Miami) — "The seasoned pass-rusher can energize a veteran-laden front that features Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark and Rashan Gary. Bain’s rugged game could prompt new defensive coordinator Christian Parker to push for the Brandon Graham-like disruptor."
• Pick No. 20: CB Colton Hood (Tennessee) — "The Cowboys need more playmakers on the perimeter to improve a defense that struggled mightily in 2025. Hood’s instincts, awareness and physicality would make him an ideal fit in the team’s new defensive scheme under Christian Parker."