Could Cowboys move up in 2026 NFL Draft order to grab this defensive star?

Recent reports have suggested that the New York Jets are planning to make Texas Tech defensive end David Bailey and not Ohio State star pass-rusher Arvell Reese the second overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. 

Meanwhile, Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones is presumably looking for a player such as Reese after Jones traded Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in late August 2025. For a piece published on Monday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated addressed whether or not the Cowboys could make a trade with the Arizona Cardinals to move up from the 12th pick of the draft to grab Reese at choice No. 3. 

What Cowboys may have to pay to be able to draft Arvell Reese

"The Cowboys could view Reese like they did Parsons in 2021," Breer explained. "They also have two first-round picks. On the draft value chart, the 12th and 20th picks add up to 2,050 points, which is in-between the value of the third (2,200) and fourth (1,800) picks. Would Arizona take a slight discount or ask Dallas for its third-rounder, which would leave the Cowboys with just one pick in the top 100?" 

For a mock draft posted back on April 1, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic revealed that information he had "gathered from coaching, scouting and agent sources over the past month-plus" led him to believe that the Cowboys would send picks 12 and 92 to Arizona for the right to draft Bailey at No. 3. However, Breer is among those who are seemingly now convinced the Jets will select Bailey instead of Reese. 

Why Cowboys' Jerry Jones may covet Arvell Reese

One unnamed executive who spoke with Breer said that Reese is "maybe as physically gifted as anyone" in this year's draft class. 

"It’s time on task — he’s never spent a ton of time at one spot," the executive added about Reese. "Off the ball, he’s got a ton of ability. He can rush the passer, and that’s probably where his greatest value is. You want to have a vision for the guy."

Jones reportedly wants to use the draft to bolster his defense and may be willing to spend both first-round picks he possesses on defensive players. Then again, history shows that Jones won't shy away from making a headline-generating trade if he becomes enamored with Reese before the night of April 23 arrives.