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Nick Saban was caught on a hot mic tripping the Dallas Cowboys for reaching on a player in the first round

The Dallas Cowboys were expected to go heavy on defense in the 2026 NFL draft, and that’s exactly what they did with their first three picks.

Dallas traded up one spot in Round 1 to grab Ohio State safety Caleb Downs — a player some felt was the most complete defensive player in the class. After trading back three spots with the Philadelphia Eagles, who picked USC receiver Makai Lemon, the Cowboys then grabbed UCF edge-rusher Malachi Lawrence.

The Cowboys went back to the edge-rusher well again in the third round, picking Michigan pass-rusher Jaishawn Barham. Dallas also added a linebacker via trade with the San Francisco 49ers, acquiring the team’s leading tackle Dee Winters in exchange for a fifth-round pick.

Nick Saban Not a Fan of Cowboys First-Round Pick

GettyThe Dallas Cowboys picked UCF DE Malachi Lawrence in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft

The Downs pick was praised by seemingly everyone across the board. Dallas added the best defensive back in the draft — a clear need this offseason.

But grabbing Lawrence was a decision that wasn’t met with the same fervor. In fact, fans now know ESPN analyst and former Alabama head coach Nick Saban didn’t like the pick either thanks to a hot-mic moment during the ABC broadcast.

“Wow, this is a reach,” Saban can be heard saying after the Lawrence pick was announced.

Once the broadcast panned for live analysis of the pick, Saban was singing a different tune.

“Actually, this guy was one of my sleepers for tomorrow,” Saban said. “But he is a good player. . . . This guy is a good player. I thought he was someone that was getting overlooked in the draft, but obviously the Cowboys didn’t overlook him.”

Lawrence was one of those players who was sitting on the first-round bubble entering the draft. Some scouts believed he was more of a Round 2 pick, which may be why Saban felt Dallas was reaching with the 23rd overall pick.

Mel Kiper Disagrees With Saban

GettyMel Kiper on ESPN’s set during the 2007 NFL Draft.

Unlike Saban’s knee-jerk reaction, ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper’s initial evaluation was that Dallas made a good move that may have flown under-the-radar.

“He had a really good year at UCF,” Kiper said. “Tested off the charts — I think he makes sense for the Dallas Cowboys, who needed defense. They couldn’t stop anybody.”

The 22-year-old edge-rusher had a productive college career. He totaled 96 pressures, 65 hurries, 28 tackles for loss, 22 sacks, 10 QB hits, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery, per Pro Football Focus.

Lawrence put up a career-high 40 pressures, 30 hurries, and 11 tackles for loss, in addition to 7 sacks. While it’s unrealistic to expect Lawrence to be Micah Parsons, that’s presumably what the Cowboys are hoping he turns into.

Suddenly, the Cowboys’ pass-rush doesn’t look nearly as bad as it did last year.

With defensive end James Houston returning (25 pressures, 10 QB hits, 9 hurries, 8 sacks last season), trading for former Pro Bowl edge-rusher Rashan Gary (60 hurries, 40 pressures, 13 QB hits, 7.5 sacks in 2025), and adding Lawrence and Barham, Dallas has a legitimate front-seven capable of putting pressure on on the passer.