Mel Kiper's Favorite Linebacker Prospect is Perfect fit in Dallas Cowboys' Defense

If the Dallas Cowboys don't take a linebacker over the first three days of the 2026 NFL Draft, Mel Kiper's favorite LB should be on Dallas' radar.

Michigan linebacker Jimmy Rolder. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys should not wait to take a linebacker until Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft, but there's no guarantee that won't happen.

That's because the draft is about as unpredictable as can be and the Cowboys cannot afford to reach for someone at any specific spot because that only increases the odds Dallas misses.

If the Cowboys strike out over the first three rounds, one player they should have their eyes on is Michigan's Jimmy Rolder, who ESPN's Mel Kiper dubbed his favorite linebacker prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft.

"He has versatility and the speed to close on the QB as a blitzer. But I have him graded as an off-ball linebacker, where the 6-foot-3, 238-pounder jumps off the screen," Kiper explained. "Rolder has the football IQ, diagnose skills and burst to drop in coverage, and he wraps up as a tackler."

Kiper goes on to note that Rolder "will be a steal in the early parts of Day 3," where the Cowboys are currently slated to pick (Round 4, Pick 112).

Explaining the Cowboys' need at linebacker

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki and Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown. | Cara Owsley/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cowboys attempted to address the linebacker position last year with two trades, one for Kenneth Murray and another for Logan Wilson.

Both trades failed miserably and neither player was brought back. Murray remains available in free agency and Wilson decided to retire, which wasn't shocking to anyone who watched him play the last few years.

Now, the Cowboys have a void next to DeMarvion Overshown. Not only do the Cowboys need a starter at the position, but that starter has to be able to wear the green dot, also.

It would be less than ideal for the Cowboys to have to rely on a rookie for that role because teams just never know what they are going to get from a rookie, so signing a veteran should be in the plans as well, barring Dallas getting an elite linebacker prospect like Sonny Styles.

Why Jimmy Rolder is a perfect fit

Michigan Wolverines linebacker Jimmy Rolder. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Ideally, anyone the Cowboys add in the front seven will be able to both rush the quarterback and play against the run, as Dallas had just 35 sacks last season and finished bottom-10 against the run.

Coverage ability would be great to have, also, as the Cowboys sported the league's worst pass defense in 2025.

Kiper notes that Rolder has the tools to get after the quarterback with his speed, and the Michigan product showed his run defense prowess last season with a Pro Football Focus grade of 80.1.

Checking two more boxes, Rolder has experience wearing the green dot, and he's not a liability when asked to drop into coverage.

Again, the ideal scenario is the Cowboys land a linebacker earlier in the draft, but if Day 3 rolls around and that need hasn't been addressed, Dallas could do a lot worse than Rolder.