The Dallas Cowboys are heading into the 2026 offseason with a clear mission: rebuild a defense that was, frankly, a liability last season. After parting ways with Matt Eberflus following a disastrous campaign, the Cowboys are left with a defense that needs more than just a tune-up - it needs a full overhaul. We’re talking six or seven starting spots up for grabs, and a front office that’s got both the draft capital and cap space to do something about it.
Let’s start with the good news: thanks to the Micah Parsons trade to Green Bay, Dallas holds not one, but two first-round picks - Nos. 12 and 20 overall. That’s a luxury not many teams have, and it gives the Cowboys some serious flexibility. Whether they want to double down on defense or use one of those picks in a trade, the options are wide open.
And they’re going to need them. Safety, linebacker, corner, edge rusher - the holes are everywhere.
This isn’t a situation where one or two blue-chip prospects will fix everything. It’s a full-scale rebuild on that side of the ball.
Enter ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., who dropped his first mock draft of the offseason. At No. 12, he’s got Dallas selecting Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles - and it’s a pick that makes a lot of sense.
Styles isn’t your average linebacker. He’s a converted safety with the kind of range and speed that jumps off the tape.
Over the past two seasons, he racked up 174 tackles, showing both sideline-to-sideline ability and a knack for getting downhill in a hurry. Kiper calls him a top-10 prospect, and it’s easy to see why.
He’s a playmaker in the middle of the field - something Dallas sorely lacked in 2025.
Let’s not sugarcoat it: the Cowboys’ linebacker play last season was rough. Kenneth Murray struggled mightily, and even Logan Wilson couldn’t steady the ship.
DeMarvion Overshown was one of the few bright spots, but beyond him, the group was thin and inconsistent. Marist Liufau and Shemar James are in the mix, but neither has shown they’re ready to be full-time starters.
Pairing Overshown with a talent like Styles would be a big step in the right direction. Styles brings elite tackling - something the Cowboys desperately need after a season filled with missed stops and broken plays.
But it’s not just about tackling; his instincts and ability to read and react are top-tier. That’s the kind of football IQ Dallas lacked under Eberflus, where hesitation and poor angles were the norm.
With potentially over $100 million in cap space, the Cowboys will likely look to free agency to plug some of the other holes. But the draft is where they can find foundational pieces - guys who can be part of the next great Dallas defense.
Styles fits that mold. He’s not just a need-filler; he’s a tone-setter.
So while the Cowboys’ defensive depth chart might look like a patchwork job right now, there’s a real opportunity here to reshape it in a hurry. Two first-round picks, a deep defensive class, and a front office with something to prove - this offseason could be a turning point.
And if Sonny Styles is wearing a star on his helmet come fall? That could be the first building block in a much-needed defensive revival in Dallas.