Brugler: Cowboys will be 'tempted to move up' to draft this elite prospect

Right now, with under two weeks to go before the NFL draft gets underway in Pittsburgh, everybody has a strategy (or four or five) for what this team or that team could do or should do with their picks. Sit tight, best available, trade up, trade down... there are endless combinations of moves, and, 13 days out, all options are still on the table.

But when Dane Brugler speaks, it's worth noting. The draft guru for The Athletic has become one of the premier voices in the pre-draft cycle, with his exhaustive annual report titled "The Beast" serving as the bible for many an observer looking for insight on over 400 players this year. When Brugler labels a prospect as special, you'd best believe that NFL teams already feel that way.

And Brugler has identified one star in the making who he thinks the Cowboys could be ready to pounce on, even if it will cost them to do so. Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles is listed in "The Beast" as the fourth-best prospect at any position in the Class of 2026. And despite Brugler's elevator-pitch profile calling him a "freaky athlete on track to be an impact linebacker," there's the matter of Styles playing a position that teams often shy away from spending a top-five or even top-10 pick to obtain.

The first linebacker taken last year wasn't chosen until the 31st overall pick. In 2024, it took until No. 17.