The Dallas Cowboys have two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL draft, and yet that might not be enough to get the player they want desperately. The Cowboys have a critical need at the linebacker position with Donovan Ezeiruaka’s hip surgery and thin depth. Drafting a top Ohio State rookie they are after makes sense. But to do it, head coach Brian Schottenheimer might have to sacrifice their dominant first-round position.

“I do think if you look at some of the things, they believe that they have done enough to be fluid to move around,” Dallas Cowboys’ insider, Joseph Hoyt, predicted on March 27. “I think that there’s one big, clear need, and that’s linebacker. Wonders if you are just enamored with a guy like Sonny Styles? Can you go all the way up to six or five to go get a guy like that if he’s still there? I think that that’s the only area where it would be worth trading up, a guy like Sonny Styles.”

Dallas Cowboys, as of now, have a 12th overall pick along with a 20th overall pick in the first round. But this year’s first round draft is defense-heavy, and only the likes of Jeremiyah Love or Fernando Mendoza will likely go in the top-10. As for the linebacker position, the Jets at 2nd overall require a defensive revamp with a need for a solid edge rusher. The Arizona Cardinals likewise have an imperative need for an edge and a linebacker, and they draft at 3rd overall. A similar case is for other top-10 teams.

The Cleveland Browns at 6th overall and the Commanders at 7th need a rookie edge rusher, and so does the Kansas City Chiefs at 9th overall. By the time the Dallas Cowboys’ name is called up, another NFL team likely would have already taken Sonny Styles. Trading up to the fifth or sixth positions seems like the only viable option to get Styles.

Apart from Styles, there isn’t a true quality choice either. Other comparable linebackers to him, like David Bailey or Arvell Reese, are looking to get drafted at the edge rusher position. Moreover, analysts are even touting them to go top-5 overall. That leaves Styles to be the only true and quality choice, and the Cowboys seem to have recognized exactly that.

“I have met with the Jets, and then I’ll be meeting with the Cowboys and Commanders,” Styles said about his upcoming Top-30 visits. “I’ll be going to see [the Bengals]. That’ll be awesome… I’m going down [to Cincinnati] for a local day with the coaches.”

In a list shared by a source close to the Cowboys (@talkingd4k on X), he’s the only LB from the lot they have or will be hosting, which makes their intent with Styles even clearer.

Styles has proven to be an impressive athlete throughout his collegiate years and finally shut the remaining critics at the NFL combine. The 6’4” and 244 lbs LB ran the forty-yard dash in just 4.46 seconds and had a 43.5-inch vertical, the highest for an off-ball linebacker. Getting Styles would finally solve the most glaring problem for the Cowboys last year.

Why does it make sense for the Cowboys to draft Sonny Styles?

The Cowboys’ 2025 defense was historically poor and ranked dead last or near the bottom in almost all key metrics. The 7-9-1 record was not a surprise, and the unit allowed a franchise-worst 511 points. Add up Micah Parsons’ trade to the Green Bay Packers last year, and the unit is young, failing to counter explosive plays. A proven off-the-ball linebacker might not seem ideal, but Styles is more than that.

“It just depends on what coordinator you go to, what scheme you go to,” Sonny Styles said about his role in defense in the NFL. “Kyle Hamilton is one of those guys who can do a lot all over the field. He’s an amazing player. So, I’d love to be in a scheme where I can do multiple roles and help a defense win. It’s helping the entire defense because you become more unpredictable when there are guys like that on your defense who can do so many different things.”

Styles possesses rare athleticism, and his Combine numbers already speak for themselves. From coverage ability to matching opposition routes, everything seems like a plus for an off-the-ball linebacker like Styles. Never mind that Styles’ pre-snap diagnosis is laser-guided, and his versatility in playing positions like big nickel, MIKE, WILL, or overhang was already visible at Ohio State. No wonder he produced 100 tackles and 6 sacks in the OSU’s 2024 season and followed it up with an 84-tackle performance last year. Should the Cowboys trade up, taking in Sonny Styles at 5th or 6th would be a no-brainer.