The Dallas Cowboys were riding high just a few weeks ago. Fresh off a three-game win streak coming out of their Week 10 bye - capped by a 31-28 Thanksgiving Day win over the Kansas City Chiefs - they had clawed their way to a 6-5-1 record and right into the heart of the NFC playoff conversation. It was a dramatic turnaround for a team that looked dead in the water just a month earlier.
But since that signature win over the Chiefs, the wheels have come off. The Cowboys have dropped three straight, and not just close losses - we’re talking about rough outings against the Lions, Vikings, and Chargers. The loss to Los Angeles in Week 16 came just a day after Dallas was officially eliminated from postseason contention, thanks to the Eagles clinching the NFC East with a win over Washington.
Now sitting at 6-8-1, the Cowboys are playing for pride - and maybe a little bit of future positioning. If they win out against the Commanders and Giants, they’ll avoid back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since those forgettable 5-11 runs from 2000 to 2002.
That’s a goal both offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and quarterback Dak Prescott have publicly embraced. There’s still something to fight for in these final two weeks.
But let’s be honest - if Dallas drops these last two games, there’s a silver lining. The worse the record, the better the draft slot.
As it stands, the Cowboys hold the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. And thanks to the Micah Parsons trade, they also own the Green Bay Packers’ first-rounder.
That second pick could end up being a valuable asset, depending on how the Packers finish out the season and perform in the playoffs.
Here’s how the 2026 NFL Draft order looks heading into Week 17:
- New York Giants (2-13)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2-13)
- Cleveland Browns (3-12)
- New York Jets (3-12)
- Tennessee Titans (3-12)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-12)
- Washington Commanders (4-11)
- New Orleans Saints (5-10)
- Cincinnati Bengals (5-10)
- Miami Dolphins (6-9)
- Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons) (6-9)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-9)
- Dallas Cowboys (6-8-1)
- Baltimore Ravens (7-8)
- Minnesota Vikings (7-8)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8)
- Detroit Lions (8-7)
- New York Jets (via Colts) (8-7)
- Carolina Panthers (8-7)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6)
- Dallas Cowboys (via Packers) (9-5-1)
- Philadelphia Eagles (10-5)*
- Houston Texans (10-5)
- Buffalo Bills (11-4)*
- Los Angeles Chargers (11-4)*
- San Francisco 49ers (11-4)*
- Cleveland Browns (via Jaguars) (11-4)*
- Los Angeles Rams (11-4)*
- Chicago Bears (11-4)*
- New England Patriots (12-3)*
- Denver Broncos (12-3)*
- Seattle Seahawks (12-3)*
(* = Clinched playoff spot)
Of course, only the top 18 picks are set in stone once the regular season ends. The rest are determined by playoff results, with teams advancing further picking later. That’s why the Cowboys - and any team with multiple first-rounders - will be watching the postseason closely.
As for Green Bay, they haven’t locked up a playoff spot just yet, but they’re close. All they need is one more win - or for Detroit to drop one of its final two - and they’re in. That could even be decided on Christmas Day, when the Lions take on the Vikings just hours after the Cowboys face the Commanders.
So, barring a complete collapse, the Packers should be playoff-bound. And if you’re Dallas, you're hoping for a quick exit from Green Bay - the earlier they’re out, the better that second pick becomes.
Now, what will the Cowboys do with those two first-rounders? Well, it doesn’t take a scouting department to know this: defense, defense, defense.
Pick a position - pass rush, secondary, linebacker - and there’s a case to be made. The Cowboys have holes to fill on that side of the ball, and two first-round picks give them the ammo to start plugging them.
It’s not the December Dallas fans were dreaming of, but with a chance to end the season on a high note and reload for 2026, there’s still something left to play for.