Cowboys Trade Up for Top Linebacker

0:00On April 15th, top NFL Draft experts are lining up on the Dallas Cowboys, shaking things up in the 2026 draft. Todd McShay from The Ringer, Mel Kuiper Jr. from ESPN, and Dane Brugler from The Athletic, all dropped fresh mocks this week and get this. They all. See the Cowboys trading up to the number 6 spot, held by the Cleveland Browns right now. Every one of them has Dallas grabbing Ohio State linebacker's sunny styles. These aren't just random guesses, these guys base their mocks on real league chatter. Style stands 6-5, switched from safety, and he's attacking machine with sharp instincts and coverage skills against tight ends and receivers. He'd slide right in as a day one starter at middle linebacker for the Cowboys. The trade halls look similar too. Kuiper and Brugler have Dallas sending their number 12 and number 20 picks to Cleveland for number 6 in a second rounder. McShay tweaks it, keeping number 20 but adding a third rounder and a 2027 second round pick. Point is, the smoke is thick on Dallas, moving up.

1:02Cowboys fans know the linebacker room is paper thin. Beyond Damarvian overshown, it's unproven guys like second year undrafted Justin Barron and fifth rounder Shamar James. They'd chase free agents like Nicobie Dean and others, but came up empty. And after styles, the linebacker talent drops off a cliff, he's ranked around. 5th or 6th overall on big boards. League insiders like Jordan Schultz, Albert Breer, and Ian Rabaport are echoing this, calling Dallas a team to watch for trades. Last time they jumped in the first round was 2012, but with this neat burning, it feels like the move that could lock down their defense for years.