Caleb Downs makes All-Pro team as a rookie and 3 other Cowboys bold predictions for 2026 NFL season

Stephen A. Smith can bloviate all he wants about the Dallas Cowboys, but it won't change the facts about them being a contender. And Michael Irvin is a Brian Schottenheimer believer. With all of the good vibes, it's easy to predict Caleb Downs will turn in an All-Pro rookie season, and here are three other bold predictions for the Cowboys' 2026 NFL season. Finally, for Cowboys fans, the Super Bowl is no longer a pipe dream. The Cowboys have put together a roster that can compete. First, for the NFC East title and then for a run through the postseason. They just need a couple of these things to happen. The Cowboys are going to turn Downs loose. They'll give him about three games to get his feet wet. Then they're gonna let him take chances. And he will respond. Look for Downs to author two defensive touchdowns, rack up a high number of tackles, pick off four passes, and earn postseason honors. Downs is already looking like a veteran, and the season hasn't even started, according to the Dallas Morning News. 'I will say, though, honestly, his ability to adjust is very mature,' Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb said. 'Again, he understands where his help is. In minicamp, that was his first time in the defense. He wasn't really understanding what was going on, but now he plays to his help. (And) he plays to his strength and shows. The guy's phenomenal. He's a great football player. Can't wait to see what he is doing Sundays.' Downs doesn't just learn his role. He studies others and picks their brains. 'Yeah, that's where confidence actually comes from,' Downs said. 'Just being in the situations, doing it actually at the level that you're going to have to do in the game. I feel like that's a big thing. Going against, even against the Rams, going against Puka [Nacua] for a couple of reps. It's all just trying to get me to where I need to be my best.' Everything is set up nicely for Prescott to win the award. The Cowboys have an unstoppable offense, and they're going to win football games. Look for Prescott to deliver a 4,000-yard season with 35 touchdown passes and limited interceptions. Greg Jennings of First Things First has bought the Dak ticket, according to Fox Sports. 'If you're going to win MVP, and you had a good season last year, you got to have areas where you can improve,' Jennings said. 'The Dallas Cowboys have areas where they improve, and Dak is a part of that. Dak Prescott has to be what they are expecting him to be in order for this team to take the next step. I believe he is capable of doing that.' One thing that bodes well for Prescott is he has been a much better clutch player than many NFL observers admit. They can knock him for playoff performances, but the MVP is a regular season award. And he's confident, according to hitc.com. 'All responsibility for the last 11 years… Not every year is the same,' said Prescott. 'But I am super confident in what our front office has done, what the team has done, the players, everyone. Every year I think we gonna win that game. 'Every year, if you think you're not gonna win that game, you probably shouldn't be playing football. But I don't know if I have ever felt more confident with the group of guys around me.' Add it up any way you want. Fifteen for Lamb and 10 for Pickens. Or vice versa. They're going to run out of end zone dance ideas. Lamb said the excitement is already here for a big season, according to dallascowboys.com. 'It's real now,' Lamb said. 'Everything that we've been preparing up to this point to get here, it's very exciting. I feel like everybody in the locker room is excited, as so myself. We've got to continue to put these things together, and then we finally get the opportunity to go out there and show the world what we can do together.' Also, Lamb is all in on the Pickens train. 'That's my boy,' Lamb said of Pickens. 'I don't think he questions anything about where my loyalty stands with him. And vice versa, I don't either. Just every day coming out here, able to compete, talk about different things, talk about life. I feel like we've gotten closer. I don't think you can get any closer than we are. 'Overall, I feel like at the end of the day, we want what's best for each other. And that's to be with each other, and to grind. I feel like we both have that alpha mentality. The pieces are in place. The Cowboys just need new defensive coordinator Christian Parker to be above average in his role. And the Cowboys will rock their opponents more often than not. The improvements are obvious, according to dallascowboys.com. 'The growth, it's like night and day,' defensive tackle Quinnen Williams said of the strides made by the Cowboys on the defensive side of the ball. 'Starting in OTAs, and starting the first week of training camp, getting a chance to go against one of the best offenses in battle every single day has helped us tremendously. The mindset coming from the coaches, top down to the players and to the leadership, has been drastically changed. It's just fun, man. 'I just can't wait to see the process and the results from all the hard work. But, we're not done yet.' This article first appeared on NFL on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.