Cowboys Trade Up for Sonny Styles

0:00On April 15th, ESPN draft guru Melkiper Jr. and the ringer's Todd McShay both see the Dallas Cowboys making a bold move in the 2026, NFL draft. In their latest mock drafts, they project Dallas trading up from the 12th pick to the 6th overall, with the Cleveland Browns to snaggle Ohio States. Sonny Styles, the top off ball linebacker prospect. Styles locked in his top 10 status with a monster showing at the NFL Scouting Combine. This 6-foot 5-244-pound beast ran a 4.4640-yard dash, lead to 43.5 inches vertically, and hit an 11-foot 2-inch broadjump proving he's one of the draft's elite athletes. The Cowboys desperately need help at linebacker after a brutal defensive season. They ranked 30th in total defense, and dead last in scoring defense, giving up 30.1 points per game. They shuffled through Shamar James, Kenneth Murray, and Jack Sandborn, but none stepped up big, with only James still around.

1:02Even with Demarbian overshown back for a full year after injuries limited him to 6 games, Dallas knows they need a game changer. Styles transitioned from safety to linebacker at Ohio State, won a national title in 2024, earned first team all-American honors, and wrecked up huge stats like over 100 tackles and double-digit tackles for loss. If the Cowboys pull off that trade, Styles could transform their linebacker spot and shore up that leaky defense for years to come.