The Super Bowl is two weeks away, which means for 30 other NFL teams it’s “look to the NFL draft” season.
The Cowboys have a new defensive coordinator and plenty of holes to fill on defense, and most of the early mock drafts have Dallas taking an impact defensive player with each of the two first-round picks they have in this year’s draft.
The latest from NFL media analyst Daniel Jeremiah has Dallas taking a pair of SEC defenders at No. 12 and No. 20. Here’s what Jeremiah had to say:
Pick No. 12: Colton Hood
Cowboys
Tennessee defensive back Colton Hood (8) breaks up a pass intended for New Mexico State tight end Joshua Goines, right, during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)
Wade Payne / AP
Cornerback, Tennessee
Comment: “I expect Dallas to draft an edge rusher in Round 1 (SEE: Pick No. 20 in this mock), but I’d like to see the Cowboys upgrade the secondary, too. Hood would be a plug-and-play starter for them.”
Pick No. 20: Keldric Faulk
Edge, Auburn
Comment: “Faulk is a tough evaluation. He has great size and is a smooth athlete, but I’d like to see him play with a little more urgency. The upside is tremendous.”
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With the departure of Trevon Diggs and the Cowboys’ inability to keep DaRon Bland on the field over the past two years, they’ll likely need another cornerback or two in the offseason. Hood is a 6-0, 195-pound corner who spent a season each at Auburn, Colorado and Tennessee before declaring for the draft.
With the Volunteers last year, Hood totaled 50 tackles in 12 games with an interception, a forced fumble, a recovered fumble and eight passes defended. He scored two defensive touchdowns last season, one on his interception and one on a scoop-and-score in the season opener vs. Syracuse.
Hood is projected as the third cornerback off the board in Jeremiah’s mock.
Faulk is an interesting prospect, one that Jeremiah isn’t alone in struggling to get a bead on.
At 6-6, 285 pounds, he’s massive for a defensive end and has a body type that profiles more as a defensive tackle, though Faulk’s premier athleticism allows him to compete out on the edge.
He spent all three of his seasons at Auburn, compiling 10 total sacks, two in 2025. He’s one of the youngest prospects in the draft and won’t turn 21 until September. The Cowboys would be banking on upside if they were to take Faulk in the first round.
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