Mel Kiper Jr. gives Cowboys surprising grade for 2026 draft haul
After 3 straight years of B grades and a '22 mark that was worst in the NFL, Mel Kiper Jr. was suitably impressed with what the Cowboys did in 2026.
The dust is still settling from 257 picks worth of drama, but the top draft guru Mel Kiper has already issued his draft grades for the entire league . And the Cowboys came out toward the head of the class. Entering the weekend with a host of needs, the Cowboys were active traders in the first round, patiently waited their turn on Day 2, and the made the most of a quartet of late-round picks to put together a draft class that is earning positive reviews from most analysts.
But Kiper's grade always means just a little bit more. And he's given Dallas a solid A, tied with three others clubs (Cleveland, Las Vegas, and Philadelphia) for the highest mark across the league. That grade is an improvement over previous report cards from Kiper.
Last year, he gave Dallas a B. In 2024, it was a B-. In 2023, another B.
And in 2022, he gave the Cowboys the worst grade in the NFL. But the godfather of draft analysis- like seemingly the rest of Cowboys Nation- is impressed with what he saw the team do over the weekend. Here's what Kiper had to say about how the Cowboys fared with their seven selections of 2026.