The Dallas Cowboys entered the 2026 NFL Draft with two first-round picks and were not afraid to use them to their advantage to navigate Round 1, coming away with two impact players who immediately upgrade the defense at areas of need. Dallas traded up from No. 12 to No. 11 to land Ohio State All-American defensive back Caleb Downs , before swinging a trade with the division rival Philadelphia Eagles to move down from No. 20 to No. 23 to select UCF pass rusher Malachi Lawrence , while picking up two fourth-round picks in the process. Some were puzzled that the Cowboys would trade with a division rival and help them land a target, but that's not something that crossed owner and general manager Jerry Jones' mind . Philadelphia may have landed USC wide receiver Makai Lemon , but Dallas still landed their guy in Lawrence, so it was worth the gamble. Teams generally don't want to help another team in the division, but Jerry does things his own way, even if it means ignoring advice from a legendary friend.…