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Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones

The Dallas Cowboys wrapped up their NFL draft on Saturday, having come away with finishing touches on their defensive rebuild, as five of the seven players they drafted, including first-rounders Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence, will be slotted into roles on the defense. Additionally, the Cowboys traded away a fifth-round pick to add linebacker Dee Winters, another defensive addition.

To maneuver where they wanted throughout the draft, the Cowboys were aggressive with trades. They moved up a spot in the first round to pick Downs, at No. 11, and with a tussle on for receiver Makai Lemon, they were able to move back from No. 20 to No. 23 in a deal with the Eagles, paving the way for the Lawrence pick.

In doing so, of course, the Cowboys handed the Eagles–a hated divisional rival–a potential star playmaker at a time when Philadelphia is badly in need of potential No. 1 receivers and expected to trade AJ Brown.

Jones was asked about making a deal with Philadelphia, of all teams. He was ready for the question, answering: “If you eliminate all the teams who I wanna beat their (expletive), we’d have no one to trade with.”

Jerry Jones Ignored Advice

Still, it is always a tricky decision to make a trade with a team that you’re going to see twice a year, and when the Cowboys were seeking trade offers for star pass rusher Micah Parsons last season, they refused to get the Eagles involved.

Swapping picks is different than a player trade, though, and ultimately, the Cowboys netted two fourth-rounders from the deal, certainly worth the move back to 23. Maybe Lemon will become a star and the Cowboys will regret the move. But the picks were worthwhile.

Jones explained that he had gotten advice from former Raiders owner Al Davis when it came to making trades within the division–but he chose not to heed it.

“I don’t really pay much attention to who I’m talking to,” Jones said . “Al Davis, probably the first thing he tried to put in my head was, ‘Don’t even answer a call from your division. Jerry, this is all about strategizing against your division opponents because you play them twice and you can’t forget that edge there. That’s a very strategic edge.’

“So I didn’t take that lesson from Al.”

Cowboys Adding Up to 7 New Starters

In the big picture, though, the Cowboys certainly appear to have improved themselves over the past three days. It’s almost certain that Downs will be a starter in Week 1, and Winters will have a chance to earn the starting linebacker job–the Cowboys might yet still add one.

That’s two more new starters after the Cowboys added Jalen Thompson and Rashan Gary in March. Those two are sure starters, too. Cornerback Cobie Durant and safety PJ Locke will have  chance to start, too, as will defensive end Otito Ogbonnia. That’s as many as seven new starters for the Cowboys defense.

Cowboys Working on Super Bowl Drought

And that was the goal heading into the offseason, with new defensive coordinator Christian Parker taking over. The Cowboys have one of the best offensive units in the league and now, if Parker can get this defense–which gave up a league-high 511 points in 2025–to be even just above average, Dallas will be a contender.

In that context, Jones was asked abut the team’s 30-year Super Bowl drought.

“I haven’t been living like it was a 30-year drought. It’s been each year, the opportunity,” he said. “You would like to have done better, but we’ve done some good things around here that when I go to sleep at night I can hang my hat on that were good things over this last 30 years.

“In other disciplines, it isn’t failure to be second or third or fourth. It is in the NFL.”