Cowboys fans are dreaming big again after Sonny Styles works out with key coach – Jason Kandel, The Landry Hat
The Cowboys have been very quiet at linebacker this offseason, but finding a way to land Sonny Styles in the draft would fix that in a hurry.
Odds are that Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles is off the board when the Dallas Cowboys are on the clock with the 12th overall pick, but Cowboys fans are still holding out hope for a miracle on draft night. And a wild connection is fueling a possibility that’s looking increasingly outlandish every day.
That connection is with pass rush specialist and Cowboys’
pass rushing consultant Brandon “BT” Jordan, who has been working with Styles on refining his footwork and pass-rush arsenal. And a workout video posted Jordan posted on Twitter late last week has ignited speculation with Dallas.
Perhaps this is just some happy coincidence since Jordan has worked with star pass-rushers around the NFL including Maxx Crosby, Micah Parsons, and Myles Garrett, among many others, but regardless, Jordan should know what star talent looks like after spending time in both Denver and Seattle, and Styles fits the bill.
The Dallas Cowboys are still holding out hope about landing Sonny Styles
To be brutally honest, I would be shocked if the 21-year-old falls out of the top 10, because even if he slips to later on, Jerry Jones should be trying to call and trade up for him.
The Cowboys missed out on Nakobe Dean in free agency, so linebacker is probably their biggest unfulfilled need. They can look at CJ Allen, Jacob Rodriguez, and Anthony Hill all they want, but pound for pound, the First Team All-American is the best off-ball linebacker prospect in the draft.
Mock Draft Monday: Draft analysts predict Cowboys’ first round picks – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com
With so much first round trade talk gaining steam for the Cowboys, what could their draft look like if they stick with both picks #12 and #20?
12th: Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami
Field Yates: “The mission to fix the Cowboys’ defense should start with the addition of Bain. The ACC Defensive Player of the Year has hands of destruction that will travel to the NFL, and he had 9.5 sacks last season for the Hurricanes.”
20th: Zion Young, EDGE, Missouri
Field Yates: “A double dip at edge in the first round for Dallas? Why not? A dominant pass rush unlocks any defense, and this would be the Cowboys’ third major investment at the position this offseason (Bain at No. 12 and the trade for Rashan Gary).
12th: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
“Jackpot! Look, Styles could go much higher. If the Giants don’t take him No. 5 overall, he could be a potential trade-up target for a few teams. But if he’s still on the board at the 12 spot, the Cowboys should be very excited.”
20th: Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
“There is nothing sexy about this pick. Dallas needs help on the back end, and Hood is one of the first-round tackles who offers toughness in coverage and in run support.”
12th: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
“Dallas’ cornerback room is full of question marks behind DaRon Bland due to the release of Trevon Diggs. Bland is solid, but the Cowboys need a corner who scares opposing QBs. McCoy missed last season following a torn ACL suffered in January 2025, but his 2024 tape was elite, with four interceptions and nine passes defensed. The 6-foot-1, 188-pound McCoy profiles as a physical outside cornerback with smooth moving skills in phase. He would have been my top cornerback in the 2025 class if he had been draft-eligible.”
20th: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
“After going corner at No. 12, the Cowboys could land a long-term safety option, as they need a youthful upgrade to 30-year-old Malik Hooker and free agent signee Jalen Thompson. McNeil-Warren would be elite in a three-safety look due to his 6-foot-4 build, range and ability to play in the box. He’s very good at erasing passing lanes, but McNeil-Warren’s best asset is his downhill tackling ability that has led to nine career forced fumbles. Dallas needs difference-makers on defense, and McNeil-Warren’s turnover creation would be welcome.”
2026 NFL Draft: 20 ideal team-prospect fits that could actually happen in Round 1 – Next Gen Stats, NFL.com
The Cowboys use the pick they received from the Packers in the Micah Parsons trade to re-up on pass rush.
Pick 20 Dallas Cowboys (via GB)
Texas A&M · Edge · Senior
DJ’s Top 50 prospect ranking: 28
The Cowboys will select twice in the first round, and while linebacker is the defense’s biggest weakest, the pass rush could certainly use some additional juice. Jadeveon Clowney led the team in pressures in 2025, Dante Fowler Jr. led in quick pressures and Osa Odighizuwa led in interior pressures, but none of them remain on the roster. With a deep class of edge rushers, Dallas probably can wait until its second first-round slot to address this need. Howell likely will be available, and he could be a serious weapon opposite trade acquisition Rashan Gary. The Texas A&M star can explode off the line like almost nobody else in the class, and he has the agility to get home on a consistent basis even against effective blocking. Clowney thrived as a designated rusher on clear passing downs this past season, and Howell could post gaudy numbers in such a role as a rookie while he refines his early-down fundamentals.
3 Realistic Draft Day Trades Dallas Cowboys Could Pull Off – Randy Gurzi, Sports Illustrated
The Cowboys could trade down to get some serious Day 2 picks.
Cowboys get their pick back
Dallas receives: Pick No. 33, Pick No. 44
New York Receives: Pick No. 20, Pick No. 112
The Jets have multiple picks in Round 1, but there’s a scenario possible where they don’t select a quarterback at No. 2 or No. 16. If that happens, they could look to get back into Round 1 and grab Ty Simpson from Alabama.
Dallas drops out of the first round in this scenario, but they get the first pick on Day 2. They also get their second-rounder back from the Quinnen Williams trade. For a team needing multiple pieces on defense, this would be a win, especially if someone such as Jacob Rodriguez slides into the second round.
Latest NFL rumors on Eagles, Patriots, Jets, Panthers, and more – Mark Schofield, SB Nation NFL
There has been some noise about the Cowboys making a huge move up in the draft for Ohio State’s Arvell Reese, but he would likely need to get past the Jets’ pick at second overall first.
Jets “leaning” toward Arvell Reese
With the Las Vegas Raiders seemingly locked in on Fernando Mendoza with the first-overall selection later this month, the draft in effect begins at No. 2 when the New York Jets are on the clock.
But we might be trending closer and closer to the draft beginning at No. 3 with the Arizona Cardinals.
ESPN Jets insider Rich Cimini reports that the organization is “leaning” toward Ohio State defender Arvell Reese with that selection, as he connects a few dots around the team. First is the fact that New York is planning on running multiple fronts on defense, with head coach Aaron Glenn saying at the recent league meetings that the team is going to run “a little bit of everything” on that side of the ball.
That places a premium on players with schematic flexibility.
That is perhaps Reese’s biggest strength. During his final season at Ohio State, he played 238 snaps as an inside (off-ball) linebacker, and 356 as an outside linebacker.
Jets management not only attended Ohio State’s Pro Day to see Reese in person, but they also had dinner with him during that visit. With expectations inside and outside New York holding that the Jets are leaning toward Reese, the draft may very well begin at No. 3 when Arizona is on the clock.
Daily Discussion Question: How many offensive players will the Cowboys draft?
Hit the comments with your guess.
