With two picks in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft, the Dallas Cowboys should be doing their homework on these 5 players during the New Year's Day games.

Free-agent-to-be Jadeveon Clowney was a major standout in the Cowboys Week 18 loss, making the case for better contract and bigger role in 2026.

See who's in and who's out for the Week 18 matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants on January 4, 2026.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/cowboys/onsi as Dallas Cowboys' first Week 18 injury report sees 5 players miss practice. The Dallas Cowboys returned to the practice field on Wednesday, with five players sitting out of action ahead of the team's Week 18 showdown against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.

Jaxson Dart led the New York Giants to a 34-17 home win over the Dallas Cowboys in the season finale Sunday. The victory impacted New York's 2026 draft positioning. The Giants entered the game slotted No.

The Giants finished their 2025 season Sunday by beating the Cowboys, 34-17. So the Giants wound up with a 4-13 record after going 3-14 in 2024 and 6-11 in 2023. Entering Sunday, they were second in the 2026 NFL Draft order,

QB Jaxson Dart has rushed for 9 touchdowns, setting a new franchise record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a single season. He passed Daniel Jones, who had seven in 2022. Dart also owns the third-most rushing touchdowns by a rookie quarterback in NFL history.