Cowboys trade for $3.7M 49ers LB, ship out last 5th-round draft pick

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Cowboys trade for $3.7M 49ers LB, ship out last 5th-round draft pick

2026 Training Camp: Cowboys updated 90-man roster by jersey number — Jan 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dee Winters (53) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire · Cowboys Wire

Sat, Apr 25, 2026 ·

2 min read

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The Dallas Cowboys got a taste of candy, and they liked it. They liked it a lot. After trading up from their first first-round pick, and back from their second , the rush seems to have intoxicated Jerry Jones and the rest of the front office.

For fans watching the team's draft coverage online, there was a lot of focusing on behalf of the broadcast team when it appeared to be some activity. The head of PR made his way on camera, indicating to them something worthy of a statement could be on the immediate horizon. And about 10 minutes later word surfaced the club had worked out a trade with the San Francisco 49ers for LB Dee Winters .

The Cowboys gave up their remaining fifth-round pick, No. 152, in exchange.

Winters — 5-foot-11 and 227 poinds — was a sixth-round pick in 2023, No. 216 overall, after a successful stint at TCU . Winters was a member of the team's Dallas Day that year , so the scouts and coaching staff is already familiar with him. Winters started all 17 games in 2023 for the 49ers, returning an interception for a 74-yard touchdown that effectively ended the Indianapolis Colts ' season.

Read: Did Cowboys dupe Steelers into revealing Lemon interest? Pittsburgh's ticked off at Dallas?

He also deflected five passes and had 101 combined tackles that included eight TFLs. He also added in three quarterback hits.

The Cowboys' needs at linebacker have been no secret. They entered draft weekend with just DeMarvion Overshown , Shemar James and Justin Barron on the roster. Winters becomes the senior member of the group although he's just three years in. Overshown might be a few months older, but Winters has appeared in 47 games compared to Overshown's 19.

Winters is set to make $3.67 million this coming season, the final year of his rookie deal.