The Dallas Cowboys' offense was not the problem. Dak Prescott, Javonte Williams, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens and Jake Ferguson could put up the points.
The defense, though? Oof.
When the Cowboys pick No. 12 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, it makes sense that defense will be the priority.
That's what ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. Has the Cowboys focus on in his new mock draft. With the 12th pick, he lines them up with Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles.
"If you wanted to score points in 2025, all you needed was a matchup with the Cowboys' defense," Kiper writes. "They allowed 30.1 points per game, the most in the league."
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Styles would at least be a start toward trying to fix that.
"Dallas could really use an impact player in the middle of the defense," Kiper writes. "Styles is a former safety, and it's no surprise once you see his speed. He can close on ball carriers and pass catchers in a flash. With 174 tackles over the past two seasons, he's a top-10 prospect for me."
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Styles isn't a replacement for Micah Parsons. The Ohio State LB is a more traditional linebacker with immense coverage skills, rather than a pass rusher.
But Dallas needs more than just pass rush (where it conceptually still has a solid defensive line, relative to the rest of the defense).
Styles could grow into a major leader for the entire defensive unit, just as he did at Ohio State. It wouldn't be the first time Jerry Jones called on a Buckeye to help make his team better.
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