Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love runs after a catch against the Pittsburgh Panthers. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Cowboys predicted to make shocking trade for draft's 'best player' in new mock

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Randy Gurzi | Last updated Apr 4, 2026 7:36 PM ET

With two picks in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys are expected to add two defensive players as they aim to rebuild one of the worst defenses in the league.

While that's the expectation, head coach Brian Schottenheimer said he's not ready to rule out selecting an offensive player. Such a move might surprise fans, but SB Nation's Doug Farrar is predicting an even more shocking decision from Dallas.

In his new two-round mock draft, Farrar is predicting a blockbuster move between Dallas and the Arizona Cardinals. In this trade, the Cowboys send picks No. 12 and 20 to Arizona for the third and 34th overall picks. They don't do this to take a defensive game-changer, however, with Farrar selecting Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.

"Okay, here’s where it gets good. The Cowboys trade their 12th and 20th overall picks to the Arizona Cardinals for Arizona’s third and 34th picks this year. For all of that, Dallas acquires the best player in this class (in my humble opinion) in Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love," Farrar wrote.

"It’s not out of the question for Jerry Jones to pull the trigger on such a deal, given his history of being flexible with his first-round picks, and his general derision of positional value. In this case, Dallas’ offense becomes absolutely ridiculous — perhaps the NFL’s best — and while there’s obviously a metric crapton of work to do on the other side of the ball, I wouldn’t be completely surprised if such a thing actually happened."

It would surely be a shock since the Cowboys just signed Javonte Williams to a three-year, $24 million deal following a breakout campaign in 2025. That said, Farrar isn't alone in calling Love the best player in this class.

Love is a franchise back in every sense of the word. He not only ran for 35 touchdowns the past two seasons, but turned heads with a 4.36 in the 40-yard dash during the NFL Combine. Selecting him might not be popular at first, but fans would surely be excited to see him take the field wearing the star.

Cowboys still land starting defender with second pick

Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Farrar does add help to the defense for the Cowboys with the second-round pick they acquired in his hypothetical trade. At No. 34 overall, Dallas adds Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell.

While Terrell is a solid option, it's interesting to see Farrar leave Cashius Howell on the board and target a defensive back. Such a move would leave them thin on the EDGE, but it's hard to say they wouldn't be improved with this haul.

This article first appeared on Dallas Cowboys on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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