The Cowboys’ defense is getting a number that should make the rest of the NFC pay attention.
Warren Sharp, whose work leans heavily on the stat sheet, placed Dallas at No. 17 in his ranking of the NFL’s best front sevens. That’s not a headline-grabbing spot on its own, but for a team coming off a disastrous defensive season, it points to real progress. The Cowboys have spent the offseason trying to clean up what was described as Dallas’ worst defense of all time, and the early signs suggest they’ve done more than just patch holes.
A big part of the optimism starts with the new faces. Caleb Downs, the All-American from Ohio State, was drafted to be a difference-maker right away. Jerry Jones also made major moves to reshape the group, and the plan is clear: build around stopping the run and let the front dictate games.
That’s where Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams come in. Those two give Dallas the kind of size and force up front that can change how offenses approach a game.
Behind them, the linebacker mix looks more dynamic too, with Dee Winters, the former 49ers linebacker who is at the peak of his career, and DeMarvion Overshown, who is trying to put together a bounce-back campaign. The rotation has the look of something that could be nasty.
And that matters because last year’s defense left Dak Prescott carrying too much of the load. The Week 2 overtime win against the Giants was the clearest example.
Dallas needed Prescott and Brandon Aubrey to be heroes in a 40-37 game, while Russell Wilson carved up the defense and the Giants offense kept rolling. Even with New York finishing 4-13, that game exposed how fragile the Cowboys were on that side of the ball.
The trouble didn’t stop there. As the season went on, it became obvious the defense was a full-blown catastrophe, and Prescott needed far more help from the other side.
That pushed the Joneses into a major response, including the trade for Williams, a move that signaled a full commitment to fixing the run defense. The pass rush also needed help, which is why Dallas drafted Malachi Lawrence and signed Rashan Gary.
There are reasons to think the pressure piece can improve. Donovan Ezeiruaku was just named to Pro Football Focus’ All-Breakout team on defense after finishing his rookie season with 40 total tackles, nine tackles for loss and two sacks.
Jaishawn Barham, the rookie from Michigan, is also in the mix, though the expectations there are more about energy and effort than immediate stardom. He’s the kind of player who “plays every play like it’s his last,” and Parker should have plenty to work with.
The bigger point is simple: Dallas doesn’t need this defense to be elite for the team to matter. With the offense already among the best in the league, the Cowboys don’t have to keep living in fourth-quarter chaos. Even a No. 20 ranking in the front seven would have been enough to keep them in the playoff conversation.
At No. 17, though, the picture gets more interesting. And that number doesn’t even account for Downs, who is arguably the best player in the draft. Add in Cobie Durant, DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel in the cornerback room, and this defense suddenly looks a whole lot closer to respectable than it did a year ago.
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