Proposed Cowboys Blockbuster NFL Draft Trade Could Flip NFC East in 2026

If the Dallas Cowboys can land a game-changing defender in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, it could be the difference in the NFC East.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. | Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys are prime candidates to trade up in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft later this month, and we don't just mean a small trade up.

Armed with two first-round picks in the draft, the Cowboys can get to just about any spot in front of them on Day 1, assuming there is a player they deem worthy — and Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles is one player we believe Dallas could deem worthy.

Yahoo Sports' Frank Schwab definitely thinks Styles is worthy and believes Dallas should move up all the way to No. 3 for Styles in what would be a blockbuster trade with the Arizona Cardinals.

If Dallas can do that, he believes the Cowboys will have a good chance to unseat the Philadelphia Eagles for the NFC East title.

"Go up to No. 3 and get Sonny Styles," he added. "The one thing the Cowboys really need is kind of an off-ball linebacker... Get the one impact guy I think could get you really close to the Eagles.

"I think the Cowboys are gonna be a really good team this year, but they need to figure out this draft."

Why the Cowboys need Sonny Styles

Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Sonny Styles. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Cowboys have failed miserably at their last two attempts to address the inside linebacker position, as the trades for both Kenneth Murray and Logan Wilson failed. That leaves Dallas without a starter next to DeMarvion Overshown.

Adding to that, the Cowboys don't have someone who can wear the green dot, something Styles has experience with from his days playing with the Buckeyes.

As far as raw ability is concerned, Styles has it all. He's supremely athletic, a sure tackler, is good in coverage and can defend against the run at an elite level. He isn't an elite pass-rusher when asked to blitz, but he's more than sufficient in that area, also.

There are a handful of players in this draft the Cowboys can take that would legitimately have us giddy. Styles is one of them.

Cowboys-Cardinals trade proposal

Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

With Jerry Jones' sense of urgency and the team's needs on the defensive side of the ball, we think Dallas could do something significant in Round 1.

For the Cowboys to move up to No. 3, it's going to be costly in a deal that will include both of Dallas' first-round picks.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals are in a rebuild and a blockbuster deal with the Cowboys that lands an extra first-rounder should be on the table and could accelerate that process.

According to the NFL Draft Trade Value Chart, Dallas' two picks are worth a total of 2,050 points. The Cardinals' No. 3 pick is 2,200. So, in order to get the points closer, the Cowboys would have to give up their third-round pick, also, which would put them at 2,182 points, evening out the deal.

That would leave the Cowboys with a massive gap from their first-round pick to their fourth-rounder. Perhaps Dallas could get away giving up a 2027 pick instead, but it might be a better idea to not subtract from what is expected to be a stronger draft.

Regardless of how the Cowboys get it done, if Styles turns out to be the elite player many project him to be, nobody is going to be worrying about how the Cowboys got him.

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