The Cowboys still have a slim chance of making the playoffs, but will need a lot of help from other teams along the way. With bowl season coming up in college football, this is a good time to look at the biggest needs for Dallas and who the key prospects are in the first round the Cowboys could take with either of their Day 1 picks. In this edition we look at the linebackers Dallas desperately need.
Arvell Reese, Ohio State
Arvell Reese is a talented hybrid terror on the Buckeyes defense. He plays off-ball linebacker who can walk up and rush the passer and has length, snap timing and heavy hands. After a quiet freshman year in 2023 where he featured in six games without registering a tackle, he became a real rotational piece in 2024 and made 43 tackles, three tackles for loss, and one sack. In 2025 he’s exploded into a real star. He’s up to 62 total tackles, 10 TFL, seven sacks and two pass breakups with the Buckeyes using him interchangeably at linebacker and edge to wreck fronts all season.
Strengths:
Elite burst to win first contact, range to chase, and true pass-rush speed for a stack linebacker. Has unbelievable strength to take on offensive linemen breaking into the second level, and his instincts for the position are the best seen on tape in the past few years. Has the second-most sacks among linebackers in this year’s linebacker class.
Weaknesses:
Coverage skills still need polish – quicker route recognition and fewer grabs at the break. Can lose contain, usually because he’s so overly aggressive on every play. Change-of-direction skills need honing when covering tight ends and running backs on routes.
Summary:
Reese is a violent, versatile playmaker who splits snaps between true linebacker and edge playing the Joker role. He just won Big Ten Linebacker of the Year and he projects as LB1 and a top-five overall talent on most boards, whose three-down impact translates very clearly in the NFL.
(Top-5 prospect)
Sonny Styles, Ohio State
Styles is a compete menace and backfield eraser. An ex-safety turned three-down linebacker, he’s stacked over 220 total tackles, 20 tackles for loss, nine sacks, nine pass breakups, and one interceptions in the last three years for the Buckeyes.
Strengths:
He has range and coverage polish for a linebacker. PFF has his tackling grade at 92.2 which is highest in the nation among linebackers and his coverage grade of 89.1 is third-best. The grades show his prowess of getting to the ball carrier in an instant and he leads Ohio State with 68 tackles, with remarkably, zero missed tackles on the year, which is maybe his most impressive stat.
Weaknesses:
His pass-rush impact lags and when he plays tall inside, long guards can stick to him. Needs to play with lower pads and a quicker shed. Quick footed slot receivers give him headaches, showing a level rigidity to his change-of-direction skills. Has limited experience playing linebacker which affects his instincts.
Summary:
Styles is the new modern space-backer who ranks high among this class’s linebackers with multiple outlets slotting him top-2 to top-4 at the position. He projects as a high-floor, every-down starter whose coverage skills let NFL defensive coordinators mix coverages without sacrificing run fits.
(Top-20 prospect)
Anthony Hill Jr, Texas
Hill is an absolute havoc at the linebacker position who’s stacked real production year over year. Each year he’s registered over 60 tackles since 2023 and in 2024 he led the SEC with 17 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles. He also added 113 tackles in 2024, with 17 sacks and three interceptions in his career.
Strengths:
Burst and range with elite pass-rush skills for an off-ball linebacker. Plus versatility to play MIKE and WILL or mug and blitz. Insanely good instincts for the position, routinely in the perfect position to make a play on the ball carrier.
Weaknesses:
Has a level of inconsistency, mostly due to overrunning the play due to his high level athleticism. Can struggle to disengage from blockers and allows linemen to control him to easily.
Summary:
An elite three-down playmaker whose box score matches the traits. He projects as an immediate-impact starter who can fit the run, carry zones, and hunt on third down.
(Top-30 prospect)
C.J. Allen, Georgia
Allen is a solid MIKE linebacker and tempo-setter for Georgia, and has the year-to-year progressive stats to show it. In 2023, Allen registered 41 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and two pass breakups. That was improved on in 2024 with 76 tackles, three tackles for loss, one interception and four pass breakups. Then that was improved on again with 80 tackles, eight tackles for loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles, three pass breakups, and includes five tackles made in the SEC Championship game.
Strengths:
Unbelievable range and has grown-man finishing on every play. His PFF grade has him at 91.0 in run stopping, third-highest among this year’s class which matches the tape and the enforcer role he plays snap to snap. Tackling and tackling technique is his best trait. Absolutely lays the boom in the tackle and it’s hard to find a tackle on tape where he falls backwards to allow the ball carrier extra yards.
Weaknesses:
Man coverage is the growth lane and pad level can rise inside. When long guards get into his chest, the shed needs to arrive faster. Needs more pass rush moves, the tool box is fairly empty in that department.
Summary:
Allen is an extremely productive three-down organizer whose production and traits have him tracking near the top of the linebacker class. He’s projecting as an immediate NFL starter, with the only setback here being the man coverage and block-shedding needing some tightening up.
(Round 1/2 grade prospect)
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