Both ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and The Ringer’s Todd McShay anticipate the Dallas Cowboys getting aggressive in the 2026 NFL draft in order to address their need at linebacker.
In their latest mock drafts published Wednesday, both Kiper and McShay projected the Cowboys to strike a deal with the Cleveland Browns by trading up from No. 12 overall to No. 6 overall in order to take Ohio State’s Sonny Styles.
Styles is widely regarded as the best off-ball linebacker in the draft, and he cemented his status as a likely top-10 pick with a dominant performance at the NFL Scouting Combine.
At 6’5″ and 244 pounds, Styles ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds, delivered a 43.5-inch vertical leap and an 11-foot, 2-inch broad jump.
Styles is one of the best pure athletes in the draft, and he fits a clear and obvious position of need for the Cowboys, who had arguably the worst defense in the NFL last season.
Dallas ranked 30th in the league in total defense and last in scoring defense last season, allowing 30.1 points per game.
The Cowboys cycled through options at linebacker with Shemar James, Kenneth Murray, Jack Sanborn all receiving ample playing time. All of them largely struggled, and James is the only one among them still on the roster currently.
A full season of DeMarvion Overshown should help in 2026 after injuries limited him to just six games last season, but the Cowboys still need another linebacker regardless.
Styles fits the bill after winning a national championship in 2024 and then establishing himself as a First Team All-American at Ohio State last season.
The 21-year-old began his collegiate career as a safety before transitioning to linebacker and taking his game to the next level.
Styles registered 100 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, six sacks and five passes defended in 2024, followed by 82 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception and three passes defended in two fewer games last season.
It was abundantly clear last season that the Cowboys needed a difference-maker at the linebacker position, and all signs point toward Styles being precisely that if Dallas can get its hands on him.
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