One game in Week 6 carries more weight for the Cowboys than most people will realize. Sunday night in Green Bay isn’t just another prime-time test - it’s a direct swing point for Dallas’ 2027 draft stock, with the Packers hosting the Cowboys and the future of that first-round pick hanging in the balance.
Dallas owns Green Bay’s first-rounder, so the showdown gives the Cowboys a chance to shape the value of that asset in real time. That matters even more because the Jets are already part of the picture. A few months after Dallas landed the Packers’ pick in the Micah Parsons trade, the Cowboys then dealt the better of their two 2027 first-round selections to New York in the Quinnen Williams trade.
Right now, Dallas is 2-3 and Green Bay is 3-2, which makes the draft math far from settled. The final order won’t come down to record alone, either.
Division results could matter too, and Dallas may have a better shot at winning its division even if Green Bay finishes with the better overall mark. That could end up deciding which pick goes to the Jets.
For now, though, the Cowboys have a very real opportunity to knock Green Bay down a peg and help their own cause at the same time. If the Packers end up missing the playoffs, that could keep the pick in a more favorable range - somewhere around 15-18 instead of drifting toward the back end of the first round.
At the moment, it feels more likely that New York will wind up with Dallas’ original 2027 pick, leaving the Cowboys to sweat the value of Green Bay’s selection. Naturally, that makes Sunday night matter a whole lot more than just the standings.
The Cowboys’ draft obsession doesn’t stop there. They also have reason to watch Tampa Bay on Sunday, even if it’s not exactly easy to cheer for a team that just beat Dallas. The Buccaneers host the Steelers, and Pittsburgh owes the Cowboys a 2027 fourth-round pick.
Tampa Bay is only 1-4, so it doesn’t look like a real NFC threat at the moment. And if Dallas gets itself back into the wild-card race - or better yet, wins the NFC East - the Buccaneers probably won’t matter much later on. For now, though, there’s value in seeing Tampa Bay drag Pittsburgh down a bit and improve that pick in the process.
The Steelers are sitting at 3-2, but the record comes with a few warning signs. Their point differential through five games is just +2, and they were barely able to escape a banged-up Falcons team.
Pittsburgh’s defense won’t be nearly as inviting as the Cowboys’ was last week, but if QB Jaylon Daniels and the Bucs have taken something from that win, they have a decent shot to hold serve at home.
There’s one more draft angle for Dallas to monitor, and it involves the Jets again. New York would probably love to see the Cowboys lose this week for its own draft positioning, and that part makes sense. Dallas, though, could end up benefiting from the Jets’ road trip to New England.
The Cowboys own New England’s 2027 seventh-round pick because of the trade with Houston involving OT Nate Thomas. Houston had previously picked up that seventh from the Patriots, and New England’s record this season is what still determines where that selection lands.
It’s only a seventh, so nobody is going to obsess over the exact spot. Still, it’s one more example of the Cowboys having a reason to keep tabs on the scoreboard elsewhere.
Where the Jets finish has no impact on Dallas, so this is a simple case of taking whatever help comes available. Something is better than nothing.
In Other News...
Cowboys May Be Rethinking Caleb Downs At The Worst Time
The Cowboys are heading into their next game against the Green Bay Packers with a notable adjustment in mind for rookie Caleb Downs, with the staff looking at using him differently and potentially sliding him back toward his original spot near the line of scrimmage. It is the kind of tweak that can say as much about where a defense is right now as it does about the player himself, and Dallas is making it with several contributors still sidelined by injuries.
Mike Pettines arrival as a senior defensive assistant adds another layer to the situation, giving the Cowboys another experienced voice as they sort through the latest version of their defensive puzzle. Elsewhere, the roster churn continues to be felt too, with Joe Milton having been signed off Dallas practice squad by the Philadelphia Eagles and now set to face his former team in an upcoming game. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Hit With Another Distraction Days Before Packers Game
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The play cost Dallas a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down for Tampa Bay, adding a little more irritation to a game already full of physical edge. It is the kind of detail that does not change the upcoming matchup on its own, but it does underscore how quickly the margins can become part of the conversation for a team trying to keep its focus on Green Bay. [Read more 🡒]
Former Cowboys Punters Tragic Death Brought An Emotional Family Reflection
Former NFL punter Kasey Redferns death has left a heavy mark on the football community, and for Cowboys fans it adds another somber note to a career that briefly ran through Dallas and several other NFL stops. Redfern, a Wofford product, spent time with the Jaguars, Chargers, Panthers, Browns, Lions, Cowboys and Falcons, a reminder of how many locker rooms he touched during his journey through the league.
Lauryl Redfern had shared updates as he battled brain cancer, offering a window into a fight that had become deeply personal for the family. His passing closes a difficult chapter, but it also underscores how quickly a players NFL story can become something much bigger than football, especially when the people closest to him are left carrying both the memories and the grief. [Read more 🡒]