Dallas could eye a combine phenom with freakish athleticism. Can this Ohio State star fill the void left by a departed defensive force?
The Dallas Cowboys traded away generational edge rusher talent Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers last offseason, and the team's defense took a notable hit in 2025.
Coincidence or not, finding another guy to come off the edge and wreak havoc in the backfield is something that the Cowboys could definitely be on the lookout for the in 2026 NFL Draft.
That is exactly what they do in the latest mock from Henry McKenna of FOX Sports.
In his prediction of how the first round of the upcoming draft will go, he has the Cowboys on the clock with the 12th overall pick. And he thinks that with that pick, they should take Ohio State' superstar linebacker Sonny Styles.
And the statement McKenna made under this prediction was very simple.
"Here’s the Parsons replacement that the Cowboys have been waiting for."
There's one problem with this prediction: Our Mike Fisher reported a month ago that Dallas "loves'' Styles.
But after his "freakish'' work in Indy? We doubt he lasts until pick No. 12.
Meanwhile ...
While saying that Styles could be the replacement for a guy who has had 14 sacks in the NFL may be jumping the gun a little bit, Styles showed in the NFL Draft Combine that he is one heck of a linebacker prospect.
The 21-year-old Ohio State defensive star most notably recorded a 43.5-inch vertical jump, which was the highest by an off-ball linebacker since 2003. He also put up other incredible numbers with a broad jump of over 11 feet and a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash.
And he did all of this while standing at 6-5 and weighing over 240 pounds.
It is absolutely wild that someone who is the same height as a big defensive end can have the same 40-yard dash time as a running back as shifty and quick as Atlanta Falcons superstar Bijan Robinson.
But that's just the kind of prospect that Styles is.
Now this could be one of those instances where it's too good to be true and the former Buckeye doesn't quite pan out in the league despite eye-popping numbers in the combine. But a team is definitely going to take a chance on a guy whose "freak'' numbers jump off the page as much as Styles' did.
And that team very well could be the Dallas Cowboys. ... but only if they're very, very lucky.