Cowboys Prefer To Keep Tyler Smith At LG; LT Competition Expected
The Cowboys are returning all five of their starting offensive lineman from the 2025 season, but left tackle Tyler Guyton is not assured to keep his job after a disappointing start to his career.
Guyton, 24, played right tackle at Oklahoma before he was drafted by the Cowboys in the first round (No. 29 overall) of the 2024 draft. He was asked to flip to the left side in Dallas, a switch that clearly did not take right away. He allowed six sacks as a rookie with an overall grade of just 50.4, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), while also committing 18 penalties. There were some improvements in 2025, though he only started 10 games due to a season-ending ankle injury. Guyton surrendered two sacks, improved his grade to 57.5, and reduced his penalty count to seven. Still, that is not the level of play expected for a first-round pick or accepted for the protector of the blind side of the league’s most expensive quarterback.
As a result, the Cowboys are poised to hold a competition for the starting left tackle job this summer, according to The Athletic’s Jon Machota. 2024 seventh-round pick Nathan Thomas and Drew Shelton, a fourth-rounder in this year’s draft, will also vie for the job.
Thomas, 24, took over for Guyton after he landed on injured reserve, but was benched after allowing 23 pressures and three sacks with a 93.5 pass blocking efficiency, per PFF. 2022 first-rounder Tyler Smith moved over from left guard to close out the season and allowed just five pressures and one sacks across three games.
Dallas intends to keep Smith at guard, where he has earned three straight Pro Bowl nods after an uneven rookie year at left tackle, his college position. This would maintain a solid interior trio of Smith, center Cooper Beebe, and right guard Tyler Booker (with Terence Steele set to return at right tackle).
Sh
elton, 22, started at left tackle for the Nittany Lions for most of the last four years with some split duties on the right side in 2023. His grades steadily improved throughout his college career, up to 70.6 as a senior in 2025, when he allowed just one sack and zero quarterback hits. He is a solid athlete, but his 33.4-inch arms are below NFL standards for the position. Pre-draft evaluations pegged him for a swing tackle role early in his career with potential to grow into a starter, but he may have a shot at the job right away.
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer praised Shelton’s “smooth footwork” and athleticism at the team’s rookie minicamp and confirmed that he would be competing with Guyton and Thomas this summer.
“We just like the traits, and we bet on a guy that’s played, I think, 34 starts,” Schottenheimer said (via Machota). “We think we can get him in here to compete with some of the guys we got.”
A relatively unheralded fourth-round pick seems like a long shot to start at left tackle as a rookie, but the team’s other options do not inspire much confidence. And if none of the three can emerge as a starting-caliber player, Dallas could still pivot back to Smith and put a different player at left guard, though again, that is a situation they would prefer to avoid.
Cowboys Sign 11-Man UDFA Class
Though many of the Cowboys’ draft picks in recent years have been shipped off to other franchises in a series of ground-shaking trades, the team still ended up with seven picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. To their benefit, six of them came in the first four rounds, and all but one of them addressed the defensive side of the ball. By signing these 11 undrafted free agents, Dallas evened things out a bit while continuing to explore big bodies for the defensive line:
- Camden Brown, WR (Georgia Southern)
- Tommy Dunn, DT (Kansas)
- Sidney Fugar, T (Baylor)
- Kelvin Gilliam, DT (Virginia Tech)
- Jordan Hudson, WR (SMU)
- Langston Patterson, LB (Vanderbilt)
- Shiyazh Pete, T (Kentucky)
- Dominic Richardson, RB (Tulsa)
- D.J. Rogers, TE (TCU)
- Michael Trigg, TE (Baylor)
- D.J. Withers, DT (Kansas)
Tight end was a position the Cowboys had intended to address during the draft, but when the early run started on Day 2, they had bigger priorities to take care of. Still, they walk away here with two high-ceiling prospects without having to commit full drafted rookie contracts to either. Trigg was the top prospect on many “Best Available” lists at the conclusion of Day 3. One of only six FBS tight ends to eclipse 50 receptions in 2025, he was very productive and ranked highly within his position group, but major questions on his maturity and accountability were apparently enough to keep him off draft boards.
Rogers needs quite a bit of seasoning to develop into a weapon at the next level, but strong physical traits were enough to make him a coveted UDFA. Both tight ends UDFA contracts came with $200K of guaranteed money, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. Hudson was another prospect that many expected to come off the board on Day 3. In three years at SMU (after transferring from TCU), he never quite jumped off the page, but he showed consistent production averaging just around six touchdowns in each year with the Mustangs. A lot of his potential in the NFL will be dependent on the coaches and system around him, so being in a room that currently rosters weapons like CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens is a good sign.
Cowboys Sign S Caleb Downs, Five Other Draft Picks
The Cowboys are among the teams which have moved quickly in signing the bulk of their draft classes. All but one of Dallas’ draft picks are now under contract.
The team announced on Friday that safety Caleb Downs has been signed. The same is also true for each of the Cowboys’ other draftees except for fellow first-rounder Malachi Lawrence. Downs and Co. will take part in Dallas’ rookie minicamp this weekend.
Downs – who will collect $28.9MM guaranteed – spent the entire pre-draft process as one of the most highly-regarded prospects from this year’s class. As was the case for many others, though, the matter of positional value threated a drop down the first-rounder order. Downs slid out of the top 10, something which promoted the Cowboys to move up one spot and select him after executing a trade with the Dolphins.
Known for his production and high football IQ, Downs will be counted to play an immediate role within Dallas’ new-look secondary. The Cowboys still have Malik Hooker in place, but the team added Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke in free agency. An All-American in both of his Ohio State seasons, Downs will be expected to serve as an impact member of that group right away and for several years to come.
In addition to Downs, third-round edge rusher Jaishawn Barham, fourth-round tackle Drew Shelton, fourth-round cornerback Devin Moore, fourth-round edge rusher LT Overton and seventh-round receiver Anthony Smith have each inked their rookie contracts. Each of those deals will be four years in length. Downs’ pact will also run through 2029, but the team will eventually have a fifth-year option decision to make in his case.
Lawrence was drafted 23rd overall after Dallas moved down the board from No. 20. ESPN’s Todd Archer notes his contract should be finalized once more players selected in a similar range wind up being signed, adding no issues are anticipated. Lawrence could take part in rookie camp without a contract in place, but in any event his pact can be expected to be signed shortly.
Texans, LB Azeez Al-Shaair Agree To Extension
APRIL 30: The deal includes $34.2MM in new guarantees and $45.75M in total guarantees, per Wilson. Al-Shaair now ranks third at his position in guarantees, trailing the Ravens’ Roquan Smith ($60MM) and the 49ers’ Fred Warner ($56.7MM).
APRIL 29, 11:15pm: This Al-Shaair extension is worth $54MM, Rapoport and Garafolo report. That $18MM average annual value ranks third in the NFL among inside linebackers. Al-Shaair will be counted on to remain one of Houston’s most impactful defenders for the foreseeable future with this new deal in hand.
12:20pm: The Texans are signing linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair to a three-year extension, per Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, keeping the leader of Houston’s defense under contract through the 2029 season.
Al-Shaair, 28, first arrived in Houston in 2024 on a three-year, $34MM deal and immediately took over a starting role in DeMeco Ryans‘ defense. He only appeared in 11 games in his first year – due in part to a three-game suspension – but made 16 starts in 2025 with a team-high 103 tackles. The ex-49er did not stuff the stat sheet otherwise, but his consistency in the middle of the Texans’ league-leading defense earned him his first career Pro Bowl selection. That gave Al-Shaair significant leverage when negotiating his new deal, which should be a solid raise over his first contract with the team.
The Texans are certainly happy to keep their star linebacker and defensive green-dot wearer around for a few more years. Today’s agreement represents their continued commitment to their elite defense after signing edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter to new deals this offseason.
It was reported in March that Al-Shaair and the Texans had mutual interest in reaching an extension as he entered a contract year. The Cowboys still made an attempt to trade for the seven-year veteran during their pursuit of linebackers this offseason, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. Houston, though, had no desire to move Al-Shaair, according to KRPC2’s Aaron Wilson, and Dallas pivoted to former 49ers Dee Winters and Curtis Robinson.
Al-Shaair will continue to partner with 2023 fifth-round pick Henry To’oTo’o as the Texans’ starting linebackers. To’oTo’o is entering the final year of his rookie deal and could be another extension candidate, as Houston has demonstrated a clear desire to retain their top defenders. The 25-year-old has racked up 200 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, seven passes defended, and four sacks over the last two years, making him a solid all-around complement to his veteran teammate.
The details of Al-Shaair’s contract have yet to be reported, but a raise over his current $11.33MM AAV would almost certainly propel him into top-10 linebacker pay. That is an excellent result for the former 49ers undrafted free agent, who developed under Ryans in San Francisco with a one-year stint in Tennessee before the two reunited in Houston.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/29/26
Wednesday’s midweek minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: FB Ben VanSumeren
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed franchise tender: WR George Pickens (story)
Detroit Lions
- Signed: LB Joe Bachie, DT Jay Tufele
Kansas City Chiefs
- Received international exemption: T Chukwuebuka Godrick
- Waived: RB ShunDerrick Powell
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: DT Leki Fotu
Los Angeles Chargers
- Received international exemption: TE Thomas Yassmin
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: DT Eric Johnson II
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: TE Harrison Bryant
The Seahawks are adding some depth in their tight ends room by bringing in the former Mackey Award winner out of FAU. Seattle relied heavily on a two-man crew featuring AJ Barner and Elijah Arroyo until a knee injury placed the second-round rookie, Arroyo, on injured reserve for most of the rest of the team’s Super Bowl run. When Arroyo went down, veteran Eric Saubert came in to supplement Barner with minimal contributions from undrafted Minnesota rookie Nick Kallerup.
In his rookie year, Bryant looked like he might displace David Njoku as TE2 behind Austin Hooper in Cleveland. He found himself third in the pecking order in Year 2, but returned to TE2 duties, this time behind Njoku, after Hooper was no longer on the team.
Cowboys To Sign WR Tyler Johnson, LB Curtis Robinson
The Cowboys made the NFL’s first high-profile post-draft move by signing veteran wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
They have now added another player at the position – 2020 fifth-round pick Tyler Johnson – as well as former 49ers linebacker Curtis Robinson, according to Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star Telegram. Both players were in Dallas for visits on Monday, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
Johnson, 27, played for four different teams in his six year career. He appeared in 12 games with the Jets in 2025, catching 12 of his 18 targets for 197 yards. He was originally drafted by the Buccaneers, where he played for two years, before spending time with the Texans, Raiders, and Rams. He saw significant usage in 2021 in Tampa Bay (612 snaps, 55 targets) and 2024 in Los Angeles (361 snaps, 41 targets), but has been unable to sustain that volume in subsequent seasons.
In Dallas, he will join Valdes-Scantling, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, KaVontae Turpin, and Jonathan Mingo in the Cowboys’ wide receiver room. Lamb and Pickens are the clear-cut top two options, but a pecking order behind them has not been established. Turpin should stay in his slot/gadget role, leaving Johnson to compete for a backup role on the outside.
Robinson, 27, signed with the Broncos as an undrafted rooke in 2021. He appeared in three games as a practice squad elevation in Denver and did the same in San Francisco later in the year. He then spent the next four years on the 49ers’ practice squad, using up his maximum of three elevations each season and playing almost exclusively on special teams. In 2025, he again began the season on the practice squad, but he was promoted to the active roster in September after injuries in the team’s linebacker room. Those continued throughout the season, resulting in career-high participation on defense (248 snaps) and special teams (194 snaps).
Robinson is the second 49ers linebacker to move to Dallas this offseason – 2023 fifth-rounder Dee Winters was traded to the Cowboys just before the draft. The two will now join a linebacker room that currently features DeMarvion Overshown as a clear No. 1 starter and little clarity behind him. Marist Liufau and Shemar James are both returning from last year’s squad, though both struggled to thold down the middle of the team’s defense. After getting his first major taste of regular season action in 2025, Robinson will be looking to establish a role for himself in Dallas this year.
Cowboys To Sign WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
The Cowboys have one of the NFL’s premier receiving duos, rostering CeeDee Lamb and the franchise-tagged George Pickens. The team lost auxiliary pass catcher Jalen Tolbert in free agency and will make a depth addition Monday.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling is joining Dallas on a one-year deal, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. The journeyman wide receiver spent last year with a few teams, moving from the Seahawks to the 49ers to the Steelers. The Cowboys are the ex-Packer draftee’s eighth NFL team. The contract will count $1.26MM on the Cowboys’ cap sheet and come with $188K guaranteed, ESPN’s Todd Archer adds.
[RELATED: Cowboys Have ‘Zero Intention’ To Trade Pickens]
The first six years of Valdes-Scantling’s career featured stability. He joined the Chiefs in free agency shortly after they traded Tyreek Hill, collecting two Super Bowl rings and making some crucial plays for both Kansas City championship iterations in 2022 and ’23. The Chiefs cut MVS in 2024, however, sending him on a nomadic course.
After a Bills signing, Valdes-Scantling played seldomly and was released. He made his way to the Saints and helped a depleted receiving corps to close the 2024 season. Those contributions led Seattle, which had hired 2024 New Orleans OC Klint Kubiak as its new play-caller, to sign off on a one-year deal worth $4MM. Valdes-Scantling, however, did not make the Seahawks’ 53-man roster and ended up on the 49ers’ practice squad. After San Francisco released MVS with an injury settlement in mid-October, a Steelers workout led to a reunion with Aaron Rodgers — as Pittsburgh searched for post-Pickens production alongside D.K. Metcalf.
Dallas did not draft a wideout until Round 7 (East Carolina’s Anthony Smith), and Tolbert signed with the Dolphins (one year, $1.4MM). Even with Pickens on a franchise tag — likely for all of 2026 — the Cowboys did not bring back Tolbert despite the low Miami salary. The team returns Ryan Flournoy as a supplementary target while also rostering All-Pro returner KaVontae Turpin and veterans Parris Campbell and Jonathan Mingo. The latter, a former second-round pick acquired in a trade, accepted a pay cut to stay in Dallas last month.
Mingo’s reworked deal includes no guaranteed money for 2026. Campbell also has no guarantees on his contract. That leaves the door open for Valdes-Scantling to earn a backup role. All three figure to be options for Dallas’ 16-man practice squad as well.
Valdes-Scantling, 31, caught 14 passes between his time in San Francisco and Pittsburgh last season. The Steelers turned to the former Rodgers Green Bay deep threat late in the season. With Metcalf suspended for the final two regular-season games, the Steelers used MVS on at least 81% of their offensive snaps in Weeks 17 and 18. He helped the team to a division-clinching win over the Ravens with five receptions for 34 yards.
The NFL’s yards per reception leader in 2020 (20.9), Valdes-Scantling topped 100 receiving yards in the 2022 AFC championship game — as the Chiefs deployed a skeleton crew at WR by game’s end — and then made some pivotal catches against the Bills, Ravens and 49ers to help the Chiefs to the Super Bowl LVIII title. MVS averaged 22.6 yards per catch in eight Saints games (all starts) two seasons ago, scoring four touchdowns. The Cowboys will hope to see some of that form this offseason.
2026 NFL Draft Results: Team By Team
Here is every team’s haul from the 2026 NFL Draft:
Arizona Cardinals
- Round 1, No. 3: Jeremiyah Love (RB, Notre Dame) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 34: Chase Bisontis (G, Texas A&M) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 65: Carson Beck (QB, Miami)
- Round 4, No. 104: Kaleb Proctor (DT, Southeastern Louisiana)
- Round 5, No. 143: Reggie Virgil (WR, Texas Tech) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 183: Karson Sharar (LB, Iowa) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 217: Jayden Williams (T, Ole Miss) (signed)
Atlanta Falcons
- Round 2, No. 48: Avieon Terrell (CB, Clemson) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 79: Zachariah Branch (WR, Georgia) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 134 (from Raiders)*: Kendal Daniels (LB, Oklahoma) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 208 (from Bills via Jets and Raiders): Anterio Thompson (DT, Washington) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 215) (from Eagles)*: Harold Perkins (LB, LSU) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 231: Ethan Onianwa (T, Ohio State) (signed)
Baltimore Ravens
- Round 1, No. 14: Vega Ioane (G, Penn State) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 45: Zion Young (EDGE, Missouri) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 80: Ja’Kobi Lane (WR, USC) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 115: Elijah Sarratt (WR, Indiana) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 133 (from 49ers)*: Matthew Hibner (TE, SMU) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 162 (from Chargers): Chandler Rivers (CB, Duke) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 173*: Josh Cuevas (TE, Alabama) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 174*: Adam Randall (RB, Clemson) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 211 (from Broncos via Jets, Vikings and Eagles): Ryan Eckley (P, Michigan State) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 250: Rayshaun Benny (DT, Michigan) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 253: Evan Beerntsen (G, Northwestern) (signed)
Buffalo Bills
- Round 2, No. 35 (from Titans): T.J. Parker (EDGE, Clemson) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 62: Davison Igbinosun (CB, Ohio State) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 102 (from Raiders): Jude Bowry (T, Boston College)
- Round 4, No. 125 (from Bears via Chiefs and Patriots): Skyler Bell (WR, UConn) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 126: Kaleb Elarms-Orr (LB, TCU) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 167 (from Texans): Jalon Kilgore (S, South Carolina) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 181 (from Lions)*: Zane Durant (DT, Penn State) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 220 (from Jets): Toriano Pride Jr. (CB, Missouri) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 239 (from Eagles via Jaguars, Browns and Bears): Tommy Doman (P, Florida) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 241 (from Bears): Ar’maj Reed-Adams (G, Texas A&M) (signed)
Carolina Panthers
- Round 1, No. 19: Monroe Freeling (T, Georgia) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 49 (from Vikings): Lee Hunter (DT, Texas Tech) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 83: Chris Brazzell II (WR, Tennessee) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 129 (from Bears): Will Lee III (CB, Texas A&M) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 144 (from Titans via Panthers): Sam Hecht (C, Kansas State) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 151 (from Dolphins): Zakee Wheatley (S, Penn State) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 227 (from Dolphins): Jackson Kuwatch (LB, Miami (OH)) (signed)
Chicago Bears
- Round 1, No. 25: Dillon Thieneman (S, Oregon)
- Round 2, No. 57: Logan Jones (C, Iowa)
- Round 3, No. 69 (from Giants via Texans, Bills and Titans): Sam Roush (TE, Stanford)
- Round 3, No. 89: Zavion Thomas (WR, LSU) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 124 (from Jaguars via Panthers): Malik Muhammad (CB, Texas) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 166 (from 49ers via Eagles and Panthers): Keyshaun Elliott (LB, Arizona State) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 213 (from Seahawks via Jaguars, Lions and Bills): Jordan Van Den Berg (DT, Georgia Tech) (signed)
Cincinnati Bengals
- Round 2, No. 41: Cashius Howell (DE, Texas A&M)
- Round 3, No. 72: Tacario Davis (CB, Washington) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 128 (from Texans via Lions and Bengals): Connor Lew (C, Auburn) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 140 (from Bengals): Colbie Young (WR, Georgia) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 189: Brian Parker II (C, Duke) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 221 (from Giants via Cowboys): Jack Endries (TE, Texas) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 226: Landon Robinson (DT, Navy) (signed)
Cleveland Browns
- Round 1, No. 9 (from Chiefs): Spencer Fano (T, Utah) (signed)
- Round 1, No. 24 (from Jaguars): KC Concepcion (WR, Texas A&M)
- Round 2, No. 39: Denzel Boston (WR, Washington) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 58 (from 49ers): Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (S, Toledo) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 86 (from Chargers): Austin Barber (T, Florida) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 146: Parker Brailsford (C, Alabama) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 149 (from Bengals): Justin Jefferson (LB, Alabama) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 170 (from Broncos): Joe Royer (TE, Cincinnati) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 182 (from Jets via Browns, Jaguars, Raiders, Bills and Broncos): Taylen Green (QB, Arkansas) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 248 (from Seahawks): Carsen Ryan (TE, BYU) (signed)
Dallas Cowboys
- Round 1, No. 11 (from Dolphins): Caleb Downs (S, Ohio State) (signed)
- Round 1, No. 23 (from Eagles): Malachi Lawrence (EDGE, Central Florida)
- Round 3, No. 92 (from 49ers): Jaishawn Barham (EDGE, Michigan) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 112: Drew Shelton (T, Penn State) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 114 (from Falcons via Eagles): Devin Moore (CB, Florida) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 137 (from Eagles)*: LT Overton (EDGE, Alabama) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 218 (from Titans): Anthony Smith (WR, East Carolina) (signed)
2026 NFL Draft Results By Round
From the No. 1 overall pick to Mr. Irrelevant (No. 257), here are the results from the 2026 NFL Draft:
Round 1
1) Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza (QB, Indiana)
2) New York Jets: David Bailey (EDGE, Texas Tech)
3) Arizona Cardinals: Jeremiyah Love (RB, Notre Dame)
4) Tennessee Titans: Carnell Tate (WR, Ohio State)
5) New York Giants: Arvell Reese (LB/EDGE, Ohio State)
6) Kansas City Chiefs (from Browns): Mansoor Delane (CB, LSU)
7) Washington Commanders: Sonny Styles (LB, Ohio State)
8) New Orleans Saints: Jordyn Tyson (WR, Arizona State)
9) Cleveland Browns (from Chiefs): Spencer Fano (T, Utah)
10) New York Giants (from Bengals): Francis Mauigoa (T, Miami)
11) Dallas Cowboys (from Dolphins): Caleb Downs, (S, Ohio State)
12) Miami Dolphins (from Cowboys): Kadyn Proctor (T, Alabama)
13) Los Angeles Rams (from Falcons): Ty Simpson (QB, Alabama)
14) Baltimore Ravens: Vega Ioane (G, Penn State)
15) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Rueben Bain Jr. (EDGE, Miami)
16) New York Jets (from Colts): Kenyon Sadiq (TE, Oregon)
17) Detroit Lions: Blake Miller (T, Clemson)
18) Minnesota Vikings: Caleb Banks (DT, Florida)
19) Carolina Panthers: Monroe Freeling (T, Georgia)
20) Philadelphia Eagles (from Packers via Cowboys): Makai Lemon (WR, USC)
21) Pittsburgh Steelers: Max Iheanachor (T, Arizona State)
22) Los Angeles Chargers: Akheem Mesidor (EDGE, Miami)
23) Dallas Cowboys (from Eagles): Malachi Lawrence (EDGE, Central Florida)
24) Cleveland Browns (from Jaguars): KC Concepcion (WR, Texas A&M)
25) Chicago Bears: Dillon Thieneman (S, Oregon)
26) Houston Texans (from Bills): Keylan Rutledge (G, Georgia Tech)
27) Miami Dolphins (from 49ers): Chris Johnson (CB, San Diego State)
28) New England Patriots (from Texans via Bills): Caleb Lomu (T, Utah)
29) Kansas City Chiefs (from Rams): Peter Woods (DT, Clemson)
30) New York Jets (from Broncos via Dolphins and 49ers): Omar Cooper Jr. (WR, Indiana)
31) Tennessee Titans (from Patriots via Bills): Keldric Faulk (DE, Auburn)
32) Seattle Seahawks: Jadarian Price (RB, Notre Dame)
Round 2
33) San Francisco 49ers (from Jets): De’Zhaun Stribling (WR, Ole Miss)
34) Arizona Cardinals: Chase Bisontis (G, Texas A&M)
35) Buffalo Bills (from Titans): T.J. Parker (EDGE, Clemson)
36) Houston Texans (from Raiders): Kayden McDonald (DT, Ohio State)
37) New York Giants: Colton Hood (CB, Tennessee)
38) Las Vegas Raiders (from Commanders via Texans): Treydan Stukes (S, Arizona)
39) Cleveland Browns: Denzel Boston (WR, Washington)
40) Kansas City Chiefs: R Mason Thomas (EDGE, Oklahoma)
41) Cincinnati Bengals: Cashius Howell (EDGE, Texas A&M)
42) New Orleans Saints: Christen Miller (DT, Georgia)
43) Miami Dolphins: Jacob Rodriguez (LB, Texas Tech)
44) Detroit Lions (from Cowboys via Jets): Derrick Moore (EDGE, Michigan)
45) Baltimore Ravens: Zion Young (EDGE, Missouri)
46) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Josiah Trotter (LB, Missouri)
47) Pittsburgh Steelers (from Colts): Germie Bernard (WR, Alabama)
48) Atlanta Falcons: Avieon Terrell (CB, Clemson)
49) Carolina Panthers (from Vikings): Lee Hunter (DT, Texas Tech)
50) New York Jets (from Lions): D’Angelo Ponds (CB, Indiana)
51) Minnesota Vikings (from Panthers): Jake Golday (LB, Cincinnati)
52) Green Bay Packers: Brandon Cisse (CB, South Carolina)
53) Indianapolis Colts (from Steelers): C.J. Allen (LB, Georgia)
54) Philadelphia Eagles: Eli Stowers (TE, Vanderbilt)
55) New England Patriots (from Chargers): Gabe Jacas (EDGE, Illinois)
56) Jacksonville Jaguars: Nate Boerkircher (TE, Texas A&M)
57) Chicago Bears: Logan Jones (C, Iowa)
58) Cleveland Browns (from 49ers): Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (S, Toledo)
59) Houston Texans: Marlin Klein (TE, Michigan)
60) Tennessee Titans (from Bills via Bears): Anthony Hill Jr. (LB, Texas)
61) Los Angeles Rams: Max Klare (TE, Ohio State)
62) Buffalo Bills (from Broncos): Davison Igbinosun (CB, Ohio State)
63) Los Angeles Chargers (from Patriots): Jake Slaughter, C (Florida)
64) Seattle Seahawks: Bud Clark (S, TCU)
Cowboys Acquire LB Dee Winters From 49ers
The Cowboys are acquiring linebacker Dee Winters from the 49ers, Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Jane Slater of NFL Network report. San Francisco will get a fifth-round pick (No. 152) in return, per Pelissero.
A native of Brenham, Texas, and a TCU product, Winters is returning to his home state after spending the first three years of his career with the 49ers. They spent a 2023 sixth-round pick on Winters, whose role increased in each of his seasons in their uniform.
Winters played 15 games as a rookie, but he did not register a start. Almost all of his work (226 of 286 snaps) came on special teams. That changed during another 15-game season in 2024 for Winters, who amassed 398 defensive snaps and 162 on the ST unit. He finished the season with 44 tackles and four passes defensed.
Last year, after Dre Greenlaw joined the Broncos in free agency, Winters took on a full-time starting role. Playing on an injury-riddled team that lost superstar linebacker Fred Warner for the season in October, Winters managed his first 17-game campaign. He placed second among 49ers defenders in snap share (91.52%) and totaled 101 tackles, eight TFL, five passes defensed and an interception. Pro Football Focus ranked Winters’ performance a middle-of-the-pack 47th among 88 qualifiers at his position.
The 49ers reunited with Greenlaw in free agency last March, and they expect Warner to return to full strength after suffering a brutal ankle injury. They also count Tatum Bethune, 2025 third-rounder Nick Martin and Luke Gifford among their depth options, leaving Winters as the odd man out.
Meanwhile, after one of the worst defensive campaigns in franchise history, the Cowboys entered the offseason in desperate need of help at linebacker (among other areas). Hoping to find a partner for DeMarvion Overshown, they swung and missed on high-profile free agent targets such as Devin Lloyd, Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker. The team considered trading for Steelers’ Patrick Queen earlier in the offseason, but it will now turn to Winters as he enters the last year of his rookie contract. The addition of Winters continues a busy couple of days for Dallas’ defense, which previously picked up safety Caleb Downs and edge defender Malachi Lawrence in the first round of the draft.