The Dallas Cowboys were one of the teams seriously in the hunt for Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby until Crosby was traded to the Baltimore Ravens during the NFL offseason. Then, of course, that deal went bad, and now, Crosby is back with the Raiders.

But, even through all of that rigamarole, Crosby is once again being linked to the Dallas Cowboys ahead of the 2026 NFL draft. This time, he’s being floated as an option for an in-draft trade, where the Cowboys land Crosby from the Raiders in dramatic fashion.

In a piece published on Tuesday, April 14, for FanSided, Jake Beckman lays out seven players who he says should be traded in the 2026 NFL draft and their ideal landing spots. One of them is Crosby, and he names the Cowboys as a top landing spot for the defensive end.

Maxx Crosby is an ‘Ideal’ Trade in the 2026 NFL Draft for the Dallas Cowboys, Expert Says

In the piece, Beckman notes that when the Ravens cut out of their deal with Crosby due to medical concerns, his value plummeted. But, it can only go up from there, and his value is already rising. When the season starts up again, if Crosby returns to his usual, unstoppable form, that value will go up even more. So, why not get him before he’s too costly again?

“You have to imagine that they still want to offload him,” Beckman says in the feature. “They signed a whole bunch of players and spent a whole bunch of money on defense, and then they found out that they were still going to be stuck with Crosby’s contract.”

He adds that Vegas has 10 picks in the 2026 draft, including the first overall pick and three fourth-rounders. “If they want to trade back into the first round of the draft and get Fernando Mendoza a receiver, which they desperately need, they can do that,” he adds.

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones likes to make splashy moves, when budget allows, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he would work out a Crosby deal for the NFL world to witness in real time. Cowboys fans who want to see Crosby in the fold can cross their fingers for that moment in the draft.

Jerry Jones Could Also Snag an Ohio State Standout in 2026 NFL Draft

If the Dallas Cowboys just stick with their No. 12 pick, Peter Schrager of ESPN projects that they’ll snag safety Caleb Downs out of Ohio State. Down, according to NFL research, is a five-star recruit and top-15 overall prospect nationally.

“Buckeyes defensive coordinator Matt Patricia told me on ‘The Schrager Hour’ that Downs will be the smartest player on whichever team drafts him and should be a face of the franchise,” Schrager states in the mock draft feature. “The Cowboys need that on defense, even if safety isn’t valued the same as pass rusher or cornerback.”

He makes the good point that the Cowboys could pair Downs with Jalen Thompson and Malik Hooker, which would make for a strong dynamic. If Downs is still available by the 12th selection, the Dallas Cowboys would be wise to snatch him up.