A little over one week away from the 2026 NFL draft, and the Dallas Cowboys are making waves.
Though they haven’t done anything yet, the Cowboys are arguably the most-talked about team in the NFL in terms of potentially trading up in Round 1. Several teams appear convinced Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has at least one trick up his sleeve.
“There’s a belief among teams at the top of the draft that the #Cowboys, who have picks at #12 and #20, are a team to watch in trade-up scenarios, according to multiple league sources,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz stated.
Mel Kiper Predicts Cowboys Shake Up Round 1
GettyOhio State LB Sonny Styles is a popular pick for the Dallas Cowboys in many mock drafts
In his final mock draft before the actual draft, ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper projected the Cowboys to pull off a massive trade with the Cleveland Browns.
Kiper’s proposal has Dallas moving from 12th up to 6th overall in a blockbuster deal with the Cleveland Browns to land Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles. The team would also give Cleveland its second first-round picks (20th overall) while getting back the Browns’ second-rounder (No. 39 overall).
“With an elite prospect still on the board, I have Cowboys owner Jerry Jones calling up Browns general manager Andrew Berry to try to make something happen,” Kiper wrote. “… Dallas wasn’t stopping anyone last season. It allowed 6.1 yards per play, second worst in the NFL. It allowed 30.1 points per game, worst in the NFL. And it was far and away the league’s least effective defense by EPA.
“We’ve all wondered whether the Cowboys would use both of their first-round picks on defense this month, but this trade up the board might have a greater impact, even if it means sacrificing one of those Day 1 selections. Styles is my No. 4 prospect, and he is explosive (43½-inch vertical jump), rangy (4.46 in the 40-yard dash) and productive (77 tackles last season).”
With Logan Wilson retiring this offseason, Styles makes sense as a natural replacement.
The Cowboys had the 30th-ranked defense last season, and plugging in a player like Styles, who logged 83 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 3 passes defended, a sack, an interception, and a forced fumble, and who can patrol the middle of the field with a safety mentality (he started his career as a safety) would be a big win for Dallas.
Todd McShay Also Predicts a Cowboys-Browns Deal
GettyFormer Dallas Cowboys LB Logan Wilson
Like Kiper, McShay also believes Dallas is targeting Styles. And like Kiper, McShay also believes the Cowboys will pull the trigger on a deal with the Browns, sending them picks No. 12 and 92 plus a 2027 second-rounder in exchange for pick No. 6, where they would grab Styles.
“Defensive coordinator Christian Parker covets athleticism and intelligence at linebacker for his scheme, and Styles checks both boxes,” McShay wrote. “A former safety, Styles measured in at 6-foot-5 and 244 pounds (the biggest LB in the class) and still ran the fastest 40 (4.46 seconds, tied with Reese) and the fastest 10-yard split (1.56 seconds, tied with Namdi Obiazor) among LBs while also posting the top broad jump (11 feet, 2 inches) and setting a record for players 6-foot-4 or taller with a 43.5-inch vertical since 2003.
“Beyond the off-the-charts testing, Styles is widely regarded as one of the smartest players in the draft. One executive told me that he’ll run a company when his football days are over. He should step in and improve the football IQ of this defense and help clean up the play at the second and third levels.”
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