The Cowboys may be built to win right now, but a new talent ranking points to a problem that could show up sooner than they’d like.
Dallas heads into the 2026 season with eyes on the NFC East title, and if the roster plays to its level, there’s enough here to make noise in the postseason. Offensively, the Cowboys will be counting on Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Tyler Smith, and Javonte Williams. On the other side of the ball, Quinnen Williams and Rashan Gary stand out as two of the defense’s most established pieces.
The concern is what comes next. ESPN’s Aaron Schatz ranked every NFL team by the talent on its roster under 25, and Dallas landed at No.
- That’s a notable slide from last year, when the Cowboys checked in at No.
Schatz pointed out that most of the team’s young talent is concentrated on defense.
”Most of Dallas' offensive line graduated from our list this year, but right guard Booker is still only 22 years old, as is fourth-round offensive tackle Drew Shelton. The rest of the young talent is mostly on defense,” Schatz wrote.
He also highlighted several younger defenders who could matter in the years ahead.
“On the edge, Donovan Ezeiruaku is 22, and Malachi Lawrence is 23; but their birthdays are only two months apart (Sept. 25 for Ezeiruaku, July 21 for Lawrence). First-rounder Downs is 21. Linebacker Shemar James, who started six games last season, is 22.”
That’s a decent foundation for a defense that’s being rebuilt. The bigger issue is that the offense Dallas is relying on now is operating inside a much shorter window.
Prescott is entering year 11 and will turn 33 at the end of July. Lamb is still only 27, but he’s already in year seven and will be in line for another extension soon. The clock doesn’t stop for productive stars, and the Cowboys know that as well as anyone.
There is some help on the younger side of the offense, mostly along the line, which at least gives Dallas a path to stay competitive. The franchise has already seen that formula work before. In 2016, the Cowboys paired rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott with an elite offensive line and rolled to 13 wins.
That’s the balancing act for Brian Schottenheimer. He has a roster with enough top-end talent to chase a playoff run now, but not much room to waste the prime years of the players driving it. If Dallas doesn’t squeeze everything it can out of this group, the conversation could shift quickly from contention to another offensive reset.
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