After trading away Micah Parsons last year, the Dallas Cowboys defense is at a critical point as owner and general manager Jerry Jones searches for the next star. The team holds two first-round picks in next week’s NFL Draft, and expectations are that both could be used to upgrade the defense.
Last season, the Cowboys finished 7–9–1 and featured one of the league’s better offensive units. However, their defense struggled significantly, ranking 30th in total yards allowed (377.0), 23rd in rushing yards allowed (125.5), and last in both passing yards allowed (251.5) and points allowed per game (30.1).
Dallas has been active in trying to address those issues, but linebacker remains a glaring weakness. The team can either select two impact players in the first round or look to trade up for a game-changing talent, with ESPN’s Louis Riddick suggesting the latter.
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Speaking on ESPN, Riddick argued the Cowboys need a linebacker they can trust to make plays in critical moments and lead the defense. In his view, that player is Sonny Styles.
“I think about the importance of that position, the makeup of that position, what that guy needs to look like, how he carries himself… it’s the presence of a big, stoic, athletic, in-control linebacker,” Riddick said. “When it’s third-and-7 and you need a critical stop, you want a guy who gives you confidence, who you know is going to get the job done and he’s talking to us and making sure that we need to get the job done.
“When you talk to Ohio State, you get the feeling that’s what Sonny did for that team, and it then it carried over to off the football field. I just think he’s made for big role ,for big moments, on big time football teams, like the Dallas Cowboys. I just think he’d be a superstar in that uniform in particular.”
"He's made for big roles, for big moments, on big time football teams, like the Dallas Cowboys. I just think he'd be a superstar in that uniform in particular."@LRiddickESPN thinks Sonny Styles is a perfect fit for the Cowboys ✍️ pic.twitter.com/QbyzHTprer
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) April 15, 2026
Styles spent four years at Ohio State, helping lead the program to a national championship while recording 245 total tackles (132 solo), nine sacks, three forced fumbles, nine pass breakups, and one interception. While his sack numbers are modest, he is a highly athletic, hybrid defender who fits well in defensive coordinator Christian Parker’s scheme.
The Cowboys are also transitioning from a 4–3 to a 3–4 defensive system, a shift they last made in 2005. That year, with similar number of first (2) and total (8) number of picks, they selected DeMarcus Ware at No. 11, who went on to have a Hall of Fame career.
However, Styles may not be available at No. 12, meaning the Cowboys could need to trade up if they intend to make him the cornerstone of their defense. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. recently projected Dallas could package picks No. 12 and No. 20 to move up to No. 6 in a deal with the Cleveland Browns, while receiving Nos. 6 and 39 in return. Is that a good price for Styles?
Related: 10 Best Draft Picks in Dallas Cowboys History