The Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers have swung another trade involving a defensive player, this time in the middle of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The 49ers will be sending linebacker Dee Winters to the Cowboys, according to multiple reports. San Francisco will acquire a fifth-round selection (No. 152 overall) in the deal.
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Here’s a breakdown of the trade between the Cowboys and 49ers:
Winters, 25, was originally selected by the 49ers in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The TCU product began his career as a backup but was a full-time starter for the team in 2025, logging a career-best 101 tackles, eight TFL, five pass defenses and his first career interception.
While Winters performed well, the 49ers have a lot of depth at the linebacker position. Fred Warner is entrenched as the team’s top starter while Dre Greenlaw returned to the team after a brief, one-season stopover with the Denver Broncos.
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The 49ers also have 2024 seventh-round pick Tatum Bethune – who performed well in eight starts last season – and 2025 third-round pick Nick Martin on their depth chart. As such, the 49ers opted to move on from Winters, who will be a free agent after the 2026 NFL season, while recouping a draft asset for his services.
The Cowboys lost veteran Logan Wilson to retirement during the offseason, so they were looking for a potential partner for DeMarvion Overshown in the middle of their defense. Winters will provide them exactly that, and Jerry Jones and Co. will be happy to land a proven commodity for a Day 3 pick.
The only downside with this trade? The Cowboys will need to extend Winters to ensure he will be more than a rental. It remains to be seen whether Dallas’ front office will be proactive in negotiating an extension with the talented linebacker.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dee Winters traded to Cowboys in draft day deal: Details, grade
