Last year, at about this time, there was a popular mock draft selection for the Cowboys at pick 12. Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty was the runaway favorite. That changed quickly for Jeanty, who rose up draft boards and was selected sixth overall by the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Cowboys never had a chance at Jeanty. They never had a chance at their next popular projection, current Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, either. So consider that grain of salt when we present the following three candidates for the Cowboys’ two first-round picks. We still have more than three months until the draft. Plenty of scouting developments are set to occur, moving prospects up and down draft boards, sometimes drastically so.
Here’s an early look at three players who make sense for the Cowboys at picks No. 12 and No. 20.
Who could the Cowboys pick at No. 12?
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Ohio State safety Sonny Styles (6) celebrates after breaking up a pass intended for Texas tight end Gunnar Helm during the first half of the Cotton Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff semifinal game on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Arlington.
Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer
Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles
Remember what I was saying about Jeanty? Right now, the early draft season favorite for the Cowboys is probably Styles.
It’s no secret the Cowboys need linebackers. Some would even say desperately so. Kenneth Murray and Jack Sanborn likely won’t be back after struggling this year. The same goes for deadline acquisition Logan Wilson, who has no dead cap remaining on his contract, making him an easy cost-cutting candidate. DeMarvion Overshown has played well when healthy, but he’s missed more games than he’s played through three years. Shemar James and Marist Liufau, the Cowboys’ two linebacker draft picks the last two seasons, fall squarely in the “we’ll see” category.
Styles has the size, at 6-4, and the athleticism that makes him an intriguing answer to the Cowboys’ linebacker woes. He’s a former safety who bulked up and converted to linebacker the last two seasons. He recorded 16.5 tackles for loss the last two seasons, including last year when he helped lead Ohio State to a national championship.
One other note on Styles: I’m not sure he’ll have the Jeanty or McMillan effect when it’s all said and done. Linebackers normally don’t rise to being top-10 picks. He’s someone who could go wire-to-wire as a potential favorite pick for the Cowboys at No. 12.
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs (2) celebrates after intercepting a pass by Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers during the second half of the Cotton Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff semifinal game on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Arlington.
Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs
If Styles is the projected logical favorite right now for the Cowboys, then his teammate might be the dream scenario. Simply put: Downs is a top-three player in this draft, as of now, and if you ask some experts he might be the best player. He has everything you want in a player. He was a five-star recruit coming out of high school; he’s the brother of Colts wide receiver Josh Downs; and he was an immediate starter at Alabama before he transferred for his final two seasons at Ohio State, becoming a two-time All-American and a national champion in the process.
It’ll be fascinating to see how the pre-draft process goes for Downs because there aren’t a lot of questions about him now. He excelled in two different systems and did so right away.
The Cowboys need safety help with Donovan Wilson being a free agent and Malik Hooker entering the final year of his deal. Downs could have an instant impact on defense and help the Cowboys for a long time — if he falls. Safety value has diminished, but it’s hardly a guarantee that Downs could be available at No. 12.
FILE – Texas Tech linebacker David Bailey (31) during an NCAA football game against Houston on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Houston.
Michael Wyke / AP
Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey
Bailey is another guy who might not be available when the Cowboys pick at 12. Bailey might be the best edge rusher in this draft — a distinction that usually lands a player among the top-five picks. He spent his first three seasons at Stanford, where he progressed as an edge rusher every season. He then transferred to Texas Tech, capping his ascending production with his best season yet. He had 14.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss, earning All-American honors.
Bailey also isn’t just a pure pass rusher. Go watch his final college performance in the Orange Bowl against Oregon and you’ll see that Bailey, at 6-3 and 250 pounds, is just a pure game wrecker.
There’s also a need in Dallas for an edge rusher after, you know, they traded away a pretty good one. The Cowboys were in the bottom third of the league in sacks this season. They could use some juice in their pass rusher, and Bailey would certainly provide it.
Who could the Cowboys pick at No. 20? 
FILE – Tennessee defensive back Jermod McCoy (3) intercepts a pass in the end zone during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Alabama, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne, File)
Wade Payne / AP
Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy
Warning: the following description might make Cowboys fans freak out a little, but hear me out, because McCoy is very talented. OK, you ready?
McCoy suffered a torn ACL in offseason training for the 2025 season, causing him to miss the entire year. OK, with that out of the way …
McCoy has the talent and production to warrant a first-round pick, especially a selection in the back half of the first round. The Whitehouse alumnus started his career at Oregon State. He became an instant starter there and quickly became one of the most attractive players in the transfer portal. He then transferred to Tennessee, where the 6-foot corner became a first-team all-conference selection. He had six interceptions in the only two seasons he played.
Now, I understand the hesitancy from fans. DaRon Bland is set to have foot surgery again, and Shavon Revel — last year’s third-round pick — had a later start to the year than some expected after he returned from a torn ACL. Why would the Cowboys draft another previously injured corner? The timeline for McCoy’s injury suggests he should be ready to go by the time the season begins next year. And if he wasn’t hurt, he probably would’ve gone a lot sooner than No. 20.
LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane warms up before the start of an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in Norman, Okla.
Alonzo Adams / AP
LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane
OK, can I interest you in a corner who was not injured last year and also played extremely well? Delane is another corner who’s been very good from the moment he entered college. He started his career at Virginia Tech, where he was a two-time all-conference selection. After three seasons, he transferred to LSU where he had his best season to date. He was named a first-team All-SEC selection and a unanimous All-American.
Perhaps most intriguing is how good Delane was in coverage. He was targeted 185 times during his college career, according to Pro Football Focus. He allowed 87 completions. This past year he allowed 13 catches on 35 targets for 147 yards and no touchdowns. Delane also showed some playmaking ability, grabbing eight interceptions during his four-year career.
I feel confident that the Cowboys view corner as perhaps their biggest need. I expect them to take a corner somewhere early in the draft. Pick No. 20 could be the logical spot.
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (4) carries the ball during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025.
Gene J. Puskar / AP
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love
Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones made it pretty clear at the team’s annual end-of-the-season news conference that the Cowboys need a lot of help on defense. That means they likely will use both first-round picks — and likely more — on defensive help. That is, barring a CeeDee Lamb-type situation. The Cowboys looked set to add defensive help at pick No. 17 in 2020, but they pivoted and selected Lamb when he fell and was available. We’ve seen how well that selection worked.
Love could be that type of pick for the Cowboys. His talent is lightly scrutinized, if at all. The Heisman finalist and Doak Walker Award winner was fantastic the last two years for Notre Dame. He averaged 6.9 yards per carry in both seasons. He had 42 touchdowns in that span, as well.
The Cowboys, no pun intended, love what Javonte Williams did this season. Jones also said they want to sign Williams, a free agent, to a multi-year deal. He called getting a deal done with Williams a priority. The Cowboys also have a ton of needs on defense.
So why would they go away from those needs and draft someone at a position that’s devalued and probably will be filled by a guy who rushed for more than 1,200 yards this past season? That just feels right for a Jerry Jones-led team, doesn’t it?
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