Quinnen Williams and the Dallas Cowboys did not meet expectations for their 2025 campaign. Led by first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer, they opened with a 6-5-1 record but closed poorly, dropping four of their last five contests. Their 7-9-1 record wasn’t enough to secure a playoff spot.
Dallas struggled on defense under first-year defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. The Cowboys finished No. 24 in the NFL with 35 sacks and were even worse against the pass, allowing a league-high 251.5 passing yards per game. Team owner, general manager and president Jerry Jones traded the Cowboys’ second-round pick in the upcoming draft to the New York Jets for defensive tackle Williams. The Jets also received Dallas’ 2027 first-round pick and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
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Dallas is predicted to continue trading draft picks according to a mock draft by Luke Easterling, NFL Draft Analyst for Athlon Sports. The mock has the Cowboys trading into the top 10 of the 2026 NFL Draft, acquiring the No. 6 overall pick from the Cleveland Browns to select the Ohio State Buckeyes' All-American linebacker Sonny Styles. In the trade, Dallas would also acquire the No. 39 overall pick in the 2026 draft for the No. 12 overall pick, the No. 20 overall pick and the No. 152 overall pick in this year's draft.
"Trading up for an off-ball linebacker? In this economy? Well, take your “positional value” complaints elsewhere, because Styles is worth it." Easterling wrote in the mock. "He’s got a rare combination of size, athleticism and versatility that makes him a true three-down weapon against both the run and pass, and he’s exactly the kind of leader you can build an entire identity around on that side of the ball. This defense needs a tone-setter in the middle, and Styles has all the traits to be a special player."
Styles is a monster athlete, standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing 244 pounds. The linebacker spent all four years at Ohio State and was a member of the 2024 CFB national championship team. He ended his 2025 campaign with 83 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble, earning first-team All-American honors. The Ohio native turned heads at the 2026 NFL Combine, solidifying his status as a top-tier athlete. He recorded a 4.46-second 40-yard dash, a 43.5-inch vertical
The draft will begin on April 23 and will take place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
