Blogging The Boys
It’s no secret that the linebacker spot was one of the Dallas Cowboys’ weakest position groups last season. In the offseason, Dallas brought in a pair of veterans, Kenneth Murray and Jack Sanborn, hoping a change of scenery could bring out the best in the two veterans.
Unfortunately for the Cowboys, both acquisitions ended up not helping the team at all. Murray was undoubtedly one of the worst-performing linebackers in all of football, while Sanborn played in just six games before his season was ended due to a groin injury.
Outside of Murray and Sanborn, Dallas’s trio of young linebackers, Marist Liufau, Shemar James, and DeMarvion Overshown, all struggled with consistency. Overshown’s struggles were almost certainly directly related to him coming off a serious injury, but both Liufau and James just may not be the kind of players Dallas can rely on to make a significant impact.
It’s clear the Cowboys need to upgrade the position this offseason, and with Murray and Sanborn both out the door, it’s almost a given they will add at least two linebackers before the start of the 2026 campaign. Thankfully for the Cowboys, the 2026 draft class features plenty of linebackers who could make an immediate positive impact in Dallas’ defense.
With how bad the position group as a whole was in 2025, could there be a realistic scenario where the Cowboys double-dip and use both of their first-round picks on linebackers? While it may seem fairly unlikely, Pro Football Network explored this scenario in their most recent three-round mock draft.
With their first selection at number 12 overall, Alec Elijah of PFN had Dallas selecting Sonny Styles out of Ohio State. Here’s what Elijah had to say about the OSU product.
Sonny Styles’ football intelligence is just as impressive as his physical traits. At over 6-foot-4, he combines elite explosiveness with exceptional strength, placing him among the most physically gifted defenders in college football. He can function as a linebacker in the box, drop back as a safety, or handle responsibilities in the slot.
He also brings real pass-rush value. Styles shows natural hand usage and the ability to bend around the edge, making him effective when deployed on blitzes or as a stand-up rusher. Styles would give the Cowboys a rare defensive weapon who combines freak-level athleticism and true versatility to elevate the entire unit.
With their second selection, at pick number 19 (it will actually be #20), Elijah had Dallas selecting another linebacker, this time choosing Anthony Hill Jr. out of Texas. Here’s what he had to say about the athletic Texas defender.
Anthony Hill Jr. would give Dallas an instinctive and high-impact defender who fits the modern NFL, thanks to the Micah Parsons trade with Green Bay. Hill fits perfectly with the Cowboys’ pressure-heavy philosophy, shooting gaps with explosive power and creating chaos up the middle.
*His fluidity and burst enable him to match up with tight ends and running backs, providing the Cowboys with flexibility in sub-packages without tipping...
