Odds are that Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles is off the board when the Dallas Cowboys are on the clock with the 12th overall pick, but Cowboys fans are still holding out hope for a miracle on draft night. And a wild connection is fueling a possibility that's looking increasingly outlandish every day.
That connection is with pass rush specialist and Cowboys' pass rushing consultant Brandon "BT" Jordan, who has been working with Styles on refining his footwork and pass-rush arsenal. And a workout video posted Jordan posted on Twitter late last week has ignited speculation with Dallas.
Perhaps this is just some happy coincidence since Jordan has worked with star pass-rushers around the NFL including Maxx Crosby, Micah Parsons, and Myles Garrett, among many others, but regardless, Jordan should know what star talent looks like after spending time in both Denver and Seattle, and Styles fits the bill.
The Dallas Cowboys are still holding out hope about landing Sonny Styles
To be brutally honest, I would be shocked if the 21-year-old falls out of the top 10, because even if he slips to later on, Jerry Jones should be trying to call and trade up for him.
The Cowboys missed out on Nakobe Dean in free agency, so linebacker is probably their biggest unfulfilled need. They can look at CJ Allen, Jacob Rodriguez, and Anthony Hill all they want, but pound for pound, the First Team All-American is the best off-ball linebacker prospect in the draft.
If I were a betting man, I would guess that Styles will be the second or third defender taken in the 2026 NFL Draft, behind Texas Tech's David Bailey and his Buckeye teammate Arvell Reese. But in terms of what the Cowboys need, Styles looks to be a seamless fit in DC Christian Parker's defense.
Styles is a converted safety who at 6-foot-5 and 244 pounds ran a 4.46 second 40-yard dash and logged a 43.5" vertical at the NFL combine. Those are freakish numbers that should intrigue anyone, especially the Cowboys. who'd love to have him patrolling the defense with DeMarvion Overshown.
He has so much athleticism that a defensive coordinator could play him virtually anywhere on defense, but that versatility could be a curse. The wrong DC could turn Styles into a tweener with no set position, which could see him suffer the same fate as a supposed sure thing as Isaiah Simmons.
As the Cowboys continue to revamp their defensive identity, it's become clear that Styles would be perfect for them, especially if you factor in this Jordan connection. But unfortunately, it seems a lot more like a pipe dream than anything else.