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Cowboys predicted to trade with Browns for Ohio State star in 2026 NFL Draft originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
When ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. does his mock drafts, he rarely includes trades. He tries to keep his NFL Draft projections pretty straightforward.
In a new mock out Wednesday, though, Kiper included a couple of trades -- including a big one involving the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns.
As it stands, the Browns hold the No. 6 overall pick, as well as 24.
The Cowboys enter the first round with picks 12 and 20.
Kiper sees a possibility where Dallas ships both of their first-rounders to Cleveland for picks 6 and 39.
With the move up, he would then have the Cowboys drafting Ohio State superstar linebacker Sonny Styles.
"Dallas and Cleveland each have two first-round picks coming into the draft, which gives those front offices some ability to maneuver," Kiper writes. "With an elite prospect still on the board, I have Cowboys owner Jerry Jones calling up Browns general manager Andrew Berry to try to make something happen."
MORE: How the NFL Draft impacts Eagles-Patriots A.J. Brown trade rumors
Off-ball linebackers like Styles don't often go this high in the draft. But Styles is a special talent, and the Cowboys have dire need.
"Dallas wasn't stopping anyone last season," Kiper writes. "It allowed 6.1 yards per play, second worst in the NFL. It allowed 30.1 points per game, worst in the NFL. And it was far and away the league's least effective defense by EPA. We've all wondered whether the Cowboys would use both of their first-round picks on defense this month, but this trade up the board might have a greater impact, even if it means sacrificing one of those Day 1 selections. Styles is my No. 4 prospect, and he is explosive (43½-inch vertical jump), rangy (4.46 in the 40-yard dash) and productive (77 tackles last season)."
Down at the 12th pick, Kiper has the Browns take Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor, an offensive lineman that some are projecting them to snag at No. 6. If they can get him at 12 in a trade-down, all the better.
"He has been buzzy this month, and while his tape is a little inconsistent, the traits are all there," Kiper writes. "Proctor could lock down the left tackle spot for an offensive line undergoing big alterations."
It's one of those deals that could leave everyone feeling pretty good about it.
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