The Cowboys aren’t done yet. Dallas adds a veteran defensive end to provide more depth.
FRISCO, Texas – The Cowboys have added some more depth on their defensive line, agreeing to terms with veteran Jonathan Bullard on a one-year deal. Bullard, 32, will play his 11th NFL season in 2026. Since being drafted by the Bears in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Florida, Bullard has played for six different teams in the Bears, Cardinals, Seahawks, Falcons, Vikings and Saints.
Last season, Bullard played in 15 games for New Orleans, starting six, and tallied 26 total tackles, four tackles for loss and two pass breakups. With the addition of Bullard, the Cowboys have now added seven external players on the defensive side of the ball this offseason. Bullard is the third addition on the defensive line, joining nose tackle Otito Ogbonnia and OLB Rashan Gary.
In Dallas, Bullard will reunite with his former defensive line coach Marcus Dixon, who coached him with the Vikings in 2024. That season, Bullard started in all 17 games for Minnesota and posted 41 tackles, seven tackles for loss, three pass breakups and a sack. The defensive line room is one that has seen a lot of change this offseason heading into Christian Parker’s first year as defensive coordinator. Dallas traded Osa Odighizuwa to the 49ers for a third-round pick, and Solomon Thomas to the Titans for a seventh-round pick swap.
Under Dixon in 2024, Bullard had arguably the best season of his career. Dixon’s coaching style is one that puts a lot of the responsibility on his players to execute what’s being taught, and it comes from his own background of playing in the NFL.“Creating those one-on-ones, and then putting ownership on them to understand, ‘Hey, we’re doing this for you to go win,’” Dixon said at the NFL combine of his coaching style. “And then coaching style, I played the game. Maybe not at their caliber, but I understand some of those situations and how we’ve got to play up front, and it’s all a mindset, and we have the guys for that… you put them in position, and understand we’re still attacking.”
If the Cowboys wanted to add more help early to an already explosive offense, here are a few names to look for.
The Dallas Cowboys are doing their diligence this pre-draft season. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer has been attending pro days all over the country, which gives the team an up-close look at potential picks. And while the consensus is the Cowboys will look to select a defensive player with the No. 12 overall pick, there’s a chance the best options will be wiped off the board. What if the prevailing top choices — cornerback Mansoor Delane, edge rusher Rueben Bain, linebacker Sonny Styles, or safety Caleb Downs — aren’t available?
If that does happen, there should be some premium talent on offense that falls into the Cowboys’ lap. Here are the five best offensive players the team could be interested in drafting if they don’t love the remaining defensive players when they’re on the clock.
RB Jeremiyah Love
The team did just re-sign starting running back Javonte Williams, but his contract and guarantees wouldn’t stop them from drafting Love. According to most draft scouts, Love is one of the best running back prospects in years, on par with Saquon Barkley and Adrian Peterson, and ahead of last year’s top RB, Ashton Jeanty. Williams had a career season in 2025, but that shouldn’t stop the Cowboys from drafting the Notre Dame standout.
Love brings a level of playmaking ability that Williams cannot match and having both RBs in the backfield would give the offense a top one-two punch at RB in the league. Williams is good, Love is projected to be better. RB isn’t a need in Dallas, but passing on Love, who might be the best overall player in the draft, could be a tough proposition. It’s unlikely that Love is still around, but strange things happen and the Cowboys would need to seriously consider drafting the him if available.
It’s not going to happen.
Well, if you haven’t been on social media or looking around, the last few days, the Browns reworked the contract of Myles Garrett, and now everyone and their mother think that Cleveland will take calls for the best defensive player in the world. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the Browns pushed back the due date for Garrett’s option bonuses. It was originally due on Wednesday, but it “has been pushed back to seven days before the regular season each year.”
And what was the first thing everyone tried to say: he is going to be traded to the Dallas Cowboys! Well, like all other realist Dallas fans, I am here to crush the dreams, just like Jerry Jones has been doing to all of us for the last 30 years. And let me tell you, I just turned 30 last week, so I did not even get to experience the fun that most of you reading this did in the late 90s.
Sorry to burst the bubble, but tell me again why the Browns would do that. He is the best defensive player in all of football and has been for the last five years. Dallas traded Micah Parsons for two first-round picks and a good player, and if the Maxx Crosby deal would have went through the Ravens were about to give up two first round picks as well, what do you think the Browns would ask for Garrett, I mean sure, the Cowboys COULD do it, but it is not happening.
In this hypothetical trade for Garrett, the Cowboys go all in, sending George Pickens to Cleveland along with a first-round pick in 2027 (via Green Bay), a first-round pick in 2028, and a third-round pick in 2028. Last year, Garrett requested a trade out of Cleveland but stayed after signing a massive four-year, $160 million extension. The Browns would get their no. 1 wide out, while the Cowboys get the player that would replace Parsons and while getting Williams, Clark and Gary all on the defensive line.
These prospects come with some warning signs.
As things stand right now, barring any trades, the Dallas Cowboys currently hold two first-round draft picks in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft in April. What they end up doing with those two selections is anyone’s guess right now, but one thing’s for sure, they can afford to miss on either one. The Cowboys need to come away with plug-and-play starter’s with their two first-round picks this year. They can’t afford to take a risk on players like they have done in the past and Jerry Jones has said as much. With that in mind, here are five buyer-beware prospects that they may want to avoid this year.
CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
McCoy is one of the most polarizing prospects in the entire 2026 draft class. Even after not playing a single snap in 2025 because of injury, he’s still considered one of the best CB prospects, maybe the best. If he has a strong showing at his Pro Day on March 31 his name will likely resurface in the CB1 discussion with Mansoor Delane. If he performs as expected, he could be a plug-and-play starter and perhaps the best CB on the roster with the Cowboys. Until he answers a lot of questions though, he’ll remain a buyer beware prospect for Dallas in the first-round.
Edge Keldric Faulk, Auburn
At just 20 years old, Faulk is one of the more intriguing edge prospects in the 2026 draft class. From a height, weight, length, and athleticism standpoint he checks all of the boxes teams look for in a prototypical edge prospect. Sadly though, the production didn’t match the intangibles during his time in Auburn. That hasn’t stopped him from being ranked as a first-round prospect though. He’s a buyer beware prospect because his impressive athletic traits may never equate to production at the next level, something Dallas has to consider.
Edge Akheem Mesidor, Miami
From a talent and production standpoint, Mesidor is without a doubt one of the best edge rushers in the 2026 draft class. He has the talent and skill set to be a plug-and-play starter as a rookie, but despite that he’s still very much a buyer-beware prospect. Not only is he one of the older (25) players getting first-round consideration, but he also has a well documented injury history with his feet. Those are some serious concerns the Cowboys need to take into consideration, but then the end, the talent may outweigh those red flags.
