There is anxiety when watching the Dallas Cowboys play football. And there's anxiety leading up to the NFL Draft. With teams feeding so much intel to reporters, it's nearly impossible to predict what is accurate.
It’s important not to treat every insider report as gospel before the draft. But that’s part of the fun, and the Cowboys have emerged as one of the event’s biggest talking points with growing buzz around a trade-up from No. 12 for a premier defender.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz has heard similar murmurs. However, he added another layer of intrigue on Tuesday, reporting that Dallas may be targeting a player that the New York Giants are also interested in and that "getting ahead of them would be ideal if the price makes sense."
The Dallas Cowboys may try to steal from the Giants during the NFL Draft
How's that for setting the table for April 23?
The question now becomes, who is the player that Dallas and New York both covet? The Giants have been widely linked to Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles, with ESPN's Jordan Reid affirming that they "wouldn't be shy" about taking a linebacker with the 5th pick.
Looking at John Harbaugh's history with the Baltimore Ravens, the middle of his defense always had a stud off-ball linebacker. At the risk of turning this into a lecture, look no further than current Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith, a five-time All-Pro in eight seasons.
With Harbaugh at the helm, the Ravens paid a premium to acquire Smith from the Chicago Bears in 2022, sending a second-round pick, a fifth-round pick, and linebacker A.J. Klein to Chicago. To facilitate the trade, Baltimore gave Smith a five-year, $100 million extension with $45 million fully guaranteed.
The Giants swapped Bobby Okereke for Tremaine Edmunds in free agency, but they are still looking for a true enforcer at linebacker. Largely viewed as a can't-miss prospect and a future All-Pro, Styles checks every box of what Harbaugh looks for in a linebacker.
The Cowboys, meanwhile, are still looking for a field general for new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. They have tried to trade for a veteran, but to no avail. Trading up for Styles would solve that in a heartbeat.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic circled Styles as a potential trade-up target for Dallas during a recent appearance on the Rich Eisen Show. Not to mention, the latest draft buzz suggests the Tennessee Titans (No. 4) and Arizona Cardinals (No. 3) are both open to trading out of their respective picks. When you connect all of the dots, it feels like a real possibility.
Jumping ahead of the Giants to take the player they wanted all along -- whether it's Styles or teammate Caleb Downs -- would set the NFC East ablaze.
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