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Under owner and general manager Jerry Jones, the Dallas Cowboys are always a team worth keeping an eye on during the offseason. With the NFL Draft this week, the Cowboys own two first-round picks: the No. 12 and 20 overall selections. What will Jones and Co. target in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday?

Kalshi, the very popular predictions market, has numerous markets available for those looking to make trades on different NFL Draft predictions. These include which position the Cowboys will draft with their first pick, as well as whether a specific player will end up being selected by Dallas. 

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Dallas featured a high-powered offense under first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer that ranked second in yards gained and seventh in points scored behind a big year from Dak Prescott and the additions of new receiver George Pickens and running back Javonte Williams. Add in CeeDee Lamb, who missed some time to injury in 2025, and a solid offensive line and the Cowboys figure to have another great offense in 2026.

The defense, on the other hand, was a problem once again and was a big reason why Dallas missed the postseason. The Cowboys allowed the most passing yards, third-most total yards and the most points in the league. The defense also recorded only 12 takeaways. 

Here, we break down what current Kalshi markets look like for the Cowboys and the 2026 NFL Draft. 

Dallas Cowboys first position drafted Kalshi prices

  • Cornerback or safety: Yes $0.61
  • Defensive line or edge rusher: Yes $0.50
  • Linebacker: Yes $0.44
  • Offensive line: Yes $0.16
  • Tight end: Yes $0.19
  • Running back: Yes $0.19

After such a lackluster season defensively, it's hardly a surprise to see that there's a lot of trading buzz on Dallas selecting a defensive player. The Cowboys need help at every level of defense after struggling to defend the run and pass and record takeaways in 2025. Most mock drafts have them targeting a defender, be it a cornerback, defensive lineman or even inside linebacker. 

Who could Cowboys draft in first round?

Not every player or first-round prospect has a trading market at Kalshi for their next team, but quite a few of the biggest names have popular markets at Kalshi, including a trio of Ohio State defenders. 

Downs figures to be the first safety off the board, and he's a possibility for Dallas at 12 given safeties often fall down draft boards even if they're as NFL-ready as Downs is. At $0.44 per share, Downs is viewed as the most likely player for the Cowboys to draft among players with Kalshi markets.

OSU's two linebackers -- Styles and Reese -- have both been popular names tied to Dallas, with Styles seen as the more likely fit at $0.36 per share compared to $0.21for Reese. Part of that is Reese is unlikely to be available at No. 12 overall, so Dallas likely will need to trade up to get him.

Two big-name edge rushers could also hear their names called when Dallas is on the clock with Miami's Bain Jr. and Texas Tech's Bailey. Bailey could stay in Texas after a dominant campaign for the Red Raiders while Bain Jr. had been viewed as a top-five pick, but short measurables pertaining to his arm size and a fatal car accident a few years ago could push him down boards and make him an option at No. 12 overall. Bailey is trading at $0.06 per share on Kalshi while Bain Jr. is more likely to land in Dallas at $0.13 per share.

The Cowboys could also use cornerback help given Daron Bland has been injury prone over the last few years and the team released Trevon Diggs last season. LSU's Mansoor Delane may be gone before No. 12 overall, but he's a name to watch for Dallas. He's trading at $0.10 per share.

While it would appear Dallas needs the most help on defense, they're among the leaders for some of the bigger-name offensive players. Love is the unanimous top running back in this class, and the Notre Dame product is trading at three cents a share to wind up in Dallas, which just extended Javonte Williams after a nice bounce-back season. 

And while the Cowboys on paper don't need receiver help given the team has a star duo of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, Pickens is playing on the franchise tag right now and could potentially be a trade piece during draft week. Dallas is seen as a top landing spot for some of the draft's top receivers, primarily Tyson and Tate.