Three Ohio State stars the Cowboys could target if they trade up in 2026 NFL Draft

LB Sonny Styles

Cowboys pass-rushing specialist Brandon Jordan was spotted working out with Styles (6-foot-5, 244 pounds) on April 2. Dallas may have wanted to get a closer look at the LB, who could become a Swiss Army knife for its defense. 

Styles thrives in pass coverage and run defense. He led the Buckeyes in tackles (83) and tied for second in passes defended (three) in 2025.

"Styles is a plug-and-play starter with All-Pro potential," wrote The Ringer's Steve Muench in his scouting report. 

The Cowboys could use a hybrid LB who would improve their pass coverage. This past season, Dallas surrendered the most passing yards in the league (251.5 yards per game). 

LB Arvell Reese 

The Cowboys' defensive struggles were tied to the Micah Parsons trade. Dallas dealt the star DE to the Green Bay Packers before the start of the 2025 season. So, why not take a player who has drawn comparisons to the three-time first-team All-Pro? 

"This is through the prism of Parsons as a prospect," ESPN's Jeff Legwold wrote of Reese in a story published April 7. "At 6-foot-4, 241 pounds, Reese ran a 4.46 at the combine; he has also flashed elite finish in the pass-rush (seven career sacks) and play recognition off the ball." 

Reese must adjust while converting from off-ball LB to full-time edge-rusher, but there's proof of concept he can become a star pass-rusher in the pros. Pro Football Focus credited him with a career-high 23 pressures on 104 pass-rush snaps last season.  

Safety Caleb Downs 

Taking a safety with a top-five pick would buck conventional wisdom. Most teams don't spend high draft capital on the position. The last safety to go in the top five of the draft was Eric Berry, whom the Kansas City Chiefs selected with pick No. 5 in 2010. 

Downs, however, may have a higher ceiling than that of three-time first-team All-Pro Berry.

"Caleb Downs is the single best prospect in the 2026 draft cycle," wrote Bleacher Report's Daniel Harms in his scouting report. "With his experience in [Ohio State defensive coordinator] Matt Patricia's defense, he's going to hit the ground running for whatever NFL team drafts him."

Downs logged six interceptions in three seasons with the Buckeyes and the Alabama Crimson Tide. That's the same number Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori, a 2025 Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist, had in three seasons with the South Carolina Gamecocks. Perhaps Downs' impact could be similar to Emmanwori's in Seattle, which won Super Bowl LX this past season.