Brugler: Cowboys will be 'tempted to move up' to draft this elite prospect

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Right now, with under two weeks to go before the NFL draft gets underway in Pittsburgh, everybody has a strategy (or four or five) for what this team or that team could do or should do with their picks. Sit tight, best available, trade up, trade down... there are endless combinations of moves, and, 13 days out, all options are still on the table.

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But when Dane Brugler speaks, it's worth noting. The draft guru for The Athletic has become one of the premier voices in the pre-draft cycle, with his exhaustive annual report titled "The Beast" serving as the bible for many an observer looking for insight on over 400 players this year.

When Brugler labels a prospect as special, you'd best believe that NFL teams already feel that way. And Brugler has identified one star in the making who he thinks the Cowboys could be ready to pounce on, even if it will cost them to do so.

Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles is listed in "The Beast" as the fourth-best prospect at any position in the Class of 2026. And despite Brugler's elevator-pitch profile calling him a "freaky athlete on track to be an impact linebacker," there's the matter of Styles playing a position that teams often shy away from spending a top-five or even top-10 pick to obtain.

The first linebacker taken last year wasn't chosen until the 31st overall pick. In 2024, it took until No. 17.

But Styles, Brugler said this week, is worth it. And a needy team with draft capital could be convinced to make a deal to go get him.

"There's going to be several teams-- I'm looking at the Cowboys, specifically, as a team-- they're going to be tempted to move up," Brugler said on Friday's edition of The Rich Eisen Show.

Styles was the on-the-field leader of the Buckeyes defense under coordinator Matt Patricia in 2025 and brings tremendous speed and range that hint at his past life as a safety. Having started every game for Ohio State over the past two seasons since switching to 'backer, he's has shown himself to be durable and would be a dependable presence in the middle level of the Dallas defense, where DeMarvion Overshown has played in just 19 games out of a possible 51 since he was drafted in 2023's third round.

The Cowboys did host Styles as one of their official 30 visits, so there is at least passing interest. But Styles appears to be the kind of young talent who's ready to take the keys on Day One.

"Right now, the Cowboys don't have a player they feel comfortable wearing that green dot," Brugler continued. "Sonny Styles would be perfect for that Christian Parker defense. Exactly what they're looking for. They have two first-round picks; could they be tempted to move up? We know the Browns are always willing to back. Maybe [No.] 6 could be that sweet spot for them."

What would it take to seal that deal? The Cowboys would have to give up more than just the No. 12 overall pick to move up to No. 6. Throwing in the No. 20 pick is too rich per the traditional trade value chart, but Styles's numbers could make him worth overpaying for.

It's no secret the Cowboys have been working to address the linebacker position. They tried and failed to land Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker, and Devin Lloyd in free agency and were thought to be interested in Patrick Queen before reportedly pulling out of talks with Pittsburgh to trade for him.

Veterans Bobby Wagner and Bobby Okereke are still available on the open market but are almost 36 and 30, respectively. The idea of maneuvering to get the 21-year-old Styles, who has all the markings of a truly elite playmaker and would almost certainly- even if drafted sixth- command less money in 2026 than either Wagner or Okereke, may in fact make a lot of sense to the Cowboys come draft night.

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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Will Cowboys consider trading up to draft Ohio State LB Sonny Styles?

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