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3 NFL Combine Storylines Cowboys Fans Should Pay Attention To

Originally posted on Inside The Star | By Mark Heaney | Last updated Mar 1, 2026 10:17 AM ET

In the blink of an eye, we’ve reached the final day of the 2026 NFL Combine. It is, by far, the biggest event of the league’s offseason, besides the actual draft itself and free agency, which is now just a week away.

Today, the offensive lineman will take the field as the final group of the week, and while the Dallas Cowboys do have some questions at tackle, I’m certain their work in Indianapolis is wrapped up.

This draft for Dallas, which features two first-round picks, but no second or third-round picks, is going to be defensive-centric, to say the least.

Luckily for them, this was one of the most impressive combines on record for defensive player testing, and it could very well reshape the list of prospects we’re discussing as realistic options for the Cowboys.

Specifically, I see three storylines from this NFL combine that the Dallas faithful should pay attention to. Let’s dive right into them.

1. Ohio State’s Sonny Styles May Be Out Of Cowboys’ Grasp

If you’re an NFL fan at all, odds are you’ve heard about Ohio State’s Sonny Styles dominating the combine in virtually every aspect.

His size measurements were off the charts, his athletic testing was other-worldly, and his on-field drills performance looked as good as his tape suggests he is. I had him as a top-five player in the class coming in, and I think that may become the standard.

Sonny Styles X I believe I can fly pic.twitter.com/qfQgnapdJ3

— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) February 27, 2026

What does this mean for Dallas? You can definitely ignore any mock draft that has him heading to the Cowboys with the 20th pick. That will not happen.

As far as the 12th pick is concerned, he may have elevated his stock too much for that to be realistic, either. It’s too early to say for certain, and his lack of “positional value” may help give Dallas a shot, but the odds aren’t in their favor.

2. Odds Of Cornerback At 12 Take Hit After Tennessee Stars’ Decision

Everybody agrees that LSU’s Mansoor Delane is the best cornerback prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft; who sits behind him is a much bigger debate, and one crucial to the Cowboys’ draft plan.

Corner is, of course, a huge need for the team, and Delane is likely to go in the top ten of the draft. Thus, Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy has been a topic that many Cowboys fans may be aware of by now.

In 2024, he was elite for the Vols, but he tore his ACL in January 2025 and decided not to try to play in the 25-26 season to focus on rehab and the draft.

CB Jermod McCoy has been cleared but is going to wait until Pro Day to work out and test for NFL teams. Nothing at Combine.

He wants a little more training time in his return from the ACL.

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) February 26, 2026

Despite having torn it over 450 days ago and focusing his entire year on prepping for the draft, McCoy decided to abstain from any of the combine testing to give his body more time. At some point, you can’t consider a guy at 12 you haven’t actually seen in two calendar years.

3. Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman May Have To Be Option At 12th, Not 20th.

While McCoy may have taken himself out of the running for the Cowboys’ 12th overall pick, Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman did the exact opposite.

The 21-year-old athletic safety was an elite playmaker for the Ducks in 2025 after playing his first two seasons with the Purdue Boilermakers. He totaled 96 tackles and had a pair of interceptions in 15 games played.

Going into the draft process, he was an early name associated with the Cowboys’ 20th pick, or as an option in a trade back from that selection. I’m here to tell you, there is likely no way he makes it past the Vikings at 18th in this draft.

Thieneman ran a 4.35, jumped over 41″, and showed out in the on-field drills. He could be a difference maker in Christian Parker’s defense, but to get him in it, it may take the 12th pick.

This article first appeared on Inside The Star and was syndicated with permission.

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