Dallas Cowboys Mock Draft: Bolstering the defensive side of the ball

Kicking things off with Ohio State's Sonny Styles: One of the true elite defenders in the class, Styles would fill what has felt like an eternal void for the Cowboys. In 2025, he earned an impressive 87.4 run-defense grade, thanks in large part to just two missed tackles, while his 86.9 coverage grade ranked sixth among all FBS linebackers.

Adding one of the best ball-hawking safeties in the class: Combining his 2024 season at NC State with his 2025 campaign at USC, Bishop Fitzgerald recorded eight interceptions and forced 10 additional incompletions.

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The Dallas Cowboys have significant needs on the defensive side of the ball, and while the Micah Parsons trade with Green Bay on the eve of the 2025 season netted them a second top-20 pick in this draft, there’s a strong chance they look to move that selection for additional draft capital.

As it stands, Dallas holds no second- or third-round picks, creating a 92-pick gap between its first two selections.

While the expectation is that the Cowboys won’t ultimately pick at No. 20, for the purposes of this exercise, there are no trades, and they retain all currently slotted selections.

With that framework in place, Dallas lands two exciting defensive prospects for a unit in desperate need of playmakers at every level.

Round 1, Pick 12: LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State

One of the true elite defenders in the class, Styles would fill what has felt like an eternal void for the Cowboys. In 2025, he earned an impressive 87.4 run-defense grade, thanks in large part to just two missed tackles, while his 86.9 coverage grade ranked sixth among all FBS linebackers.

Round 1, Pick 20: CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson

Terrell is an outstanding all-around cornerback, but it’s his coverage ability that will likely see him drafted in this range. Over the past two seasons at Clemson, he has forced 23 combined incompletions and recorded two interceptions.

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Round 4, Pick 112: S Bishop Fitzgerald, USC

Fitzgerald is one of the top ball-hawking safeties in the draft class. Combining his 2024 season at NC State with his 2025 campaign at USC, he recorded eight interceptions and forced 10 additional incompletions.

Round 5, Pick 150: RB Mike Washington, Arkansas

Washington transferred to Arkansas from New Mexico State and proved to be a dual-threat back, posting 30 explosive runs while also hauling in 28 receptions with just one drop.

Round 5, Pick 177: DI Kaleb Proctor, Southeastern Louisiana

Proctor possesses an excellent blend of quickness, agility and play strength, making him disruptive against both the run and the pass. Last season, he graded positively on 18.4% of run-defense snaps while also recording nine sacks and 39 total pressures as a pass rusher.