An Overview of the Dallas Cowboys Defense

The 2024 Cowboys put up 52 sacks, which was the third most in the league. Their 22 turnovers ranked twelfth. There was not much else on the positive side for this defense. Dallas gave up 4.8 yards per carry, tied for 28th. Three teams allowed more yards on the ground, and no one gave up more rushing scores. The pass defense was no better. They were last in yards per attempt, 27th in completion percentage, 21st in passing yards, and tied for 24th in passing touchdowns.

Of course, there would be a change on the heels of such a poor performance. Since this was just the latest in a string of under-performing seasons, the change started at the roots. Brian Schottenheimer was hired as the head coach, with Matt Eberflus taking the reins as defensive coordinator. This is a big step in the right direction for the Cowboys and a plus for the IDP value for several Dallas defenders. Defenses under Eberflus are historically good against the run and create a ton of splash plays in the passing game. Combined with a fair amount of personnel turnover and some key players recovering from injuries, we can expect to see a far different and more IDP-friendly unit in 2025.

Dallas Cowboys Defensive Linemen

The players moving on from Dallas were not exactly top contributors last season. DeMarcus Lawrence missed thirteen games and had not been much of a factor for a while. Chauncey Gholston was a solid yet unspectacular starter, and Carl Lawson was a part-time pass rusher. The team has done a good job of restocking the cupboard and has some talented young players in a position to step up.

Micah Parsons is the cornerstone of this unit. He is among the league's elite pass rushers, with at least twelve sacks and two turnovers in each of his four seasons. Despite missing four games, he managed 43 combined stops and a team high of twelve sacks in 2025. In the Eberflus scheme, Parsons could be in the running for a sack title. He is consistent in the tackle columns as well. Had Parsons not missed those four games, he would almost certainly have at least 60 combined stops in each of his four seasons. In fantasy terms, Parsons can be counted on as a quality EDGE1 with IDP top-five overall potential.

Second-year man Marshawn Kneeland and free agent addition Dante Fowler Jr are the leading candidates to claim the starting job opposite Parsons. Kneeland had a significant role right out of the gate as a rookie, playing 44 snaps in the season opener. He was set back by a week four injury and did not see the field again until week twelve. When all the numbers were in, Kneeland had played the fourth-most snaps among Dallas edge defenders, totaling 14 combined stops and a fumble recovery on 256 plays.

There is nothing in Kneeland's rookie performance to make us think he is set for a breakout. Dallas invested a second-round pick in him because he has a great motor and the physical tools to become a solid starter, but he needs more sand in his pants to hold up as a point-of-attack defender versus the run. His college production was not particularly impressive. As a three-year starter for Western Michigan, Kneeland totaled 126 combined stops with 13 sacks and 3 forced fumbles in 32 games. Being a holdover from the previous regime is not a mark in his favor either, but he will get a look from the new coaching staff.

Fowler likely enters camp with the upper hand in the competition. The nine-year veteran has had a career marked by ups and downs. He's totaled eight or more sacks in three of those seasons, including ten with the Commanders last year. On the other hand, he has four or fewer sacks in five of the other six. Fowler's most productive season came in 2019 when he finished 40-16-11 with 3 turnovers and 6 batted passes. Unfortunately, he has no more than 39 combined stops in any other season. While Fowler is sure to have a big role for Dallas, his IDP upside is likely limited to depth for fantasy managers.

Two other players could factor into the equation. Sam Williams was a second-round pick of the Cowboys in 2022. He was a rotational contributor over his first two seasons, showing signs of great things to come. In the part-time role, he produced 48 total stops, 8 sacks, and 5 turnovers. Those are not bad numbers for 616 snaps. He was pushing for a starting job last summer when a torn ACL early in training camp ended his season.

The good news for Williams is that the injury happened early enough that he should be ready for the start of this year's camp. He is already participating in off-season practices and was recently clocked running at 21.4 miles per hour, which was the second fastest on the team behind CeeDee Lamb. If he can get back to where he was before the injury, Williams could be in the mix for the starting job as well. At worst, he should have a significant role in the rotation.

Dallas likes to use second-round picks on pass rushers. In this year's draft, they selected Donovan Ezeiruaku out of Boston College. He is quick off the ball, has the speed to beat blockers around the corner, and gets off blocks quickly to make plays at the point of attack. Most intriguing from a fantasy perspective, Ezeiruaku was highly productive as a senior for the Eagles, racking up an impressive 80 combined stops (21 for loss), 16.5 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles in just 12 games. He needs a little seasoning to become a three-down player at the pro level, but he has the potential to become a good one.

In Osa Odighizuwa, Mazi Smith, and free agent addition Solomon Thomas, the Cowboys have a quality trio at the tackle positions. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean there will be much fantasy value found here. Smith is a 337-pound space-eater who lines up at the nose tackle position. He does a fine job of anchoring versus the run, but plays less than half of the snaps on most weeks. Thomas is an undersized, former third overall pick who has never lived up to expectations. He is a rotational player who plays mostly on passing downs. Thomas became a journeyman after his rookie contract with San Francisco expired. The Cowboys are his third team since 2021.

Odighizuwa plays the three-technique and is the most IDP-relevant interior lineman the Cowboys have to offer. He was on the field enough last season, seeing action on 860 snaps. At 25-22-4.5 with a forced fumble, he barely slipped into the DT2 conversation, ranking 23rd. One thing that can be said about Odighizuwa is that he's consistent. In four seasons as a pro, he has never exceeded 27 solo stops and never fallen short of 21. He always records three or four sacks and rarely contributes in any other column. Unless Matt Eberflus can find the volume dial and turn him up, Odighizuwa will once again be a low-end second starter or solid depth.

In years past, the Cowboys have used four players in their tackle rotation. That could change with the new coaching staff, especially considering the lack of proven depth. There are a few names on the depth chart behind the top three, but when the season opens, the fourth and fifth tackles may well be the team's duo of seventh-round rookies, Jay Toia and Tommy Akingbesote.

• Edge Micah Parsons – Quality number one with top-five potential
• Edge Dante Fowler Jr – Depth with marginal upside
• Edge Marshawn Kneeland – Watch list sleeper
• Edge Sam Williams – Watch list sleeper
• Edge Donovan Ezeiruaku – Dynasty prospect
• DT Mazi Smith – No impact
• DT Osa Odighizuwa – Marginal second starter or solid depth
• DT Solomon Thomas – Marginal impact at best
• DT Justin Rogers – No impact
• DT Jay Toia – No impact
• DT Tommy Akingbesote – No impact

Dallas Cowboys Linebackers

The struggles of this defense last season were largely due to subpar play at the second level. While Eric Kendricks made a good number of splash plays and plenty of tackles, those plays were too often made five yards downfield. DeMarvion Overshown was an emerging star until his season was cut short by a serious knee injury, and depth was an issue.

Why this team refuses to make a serious investment at linebacker is puzzling. Despite the glaring need, they passed over the position in the draft, electing to roll with free agent additions Kenneth Murray Jr. and Jack Sanborn, joining Marist Liufau as the starting trio. This is assuming that Overshown is not ready early in the season as anticipated.

It's not exactly clear how these guys will line up. An educated guess would be Sanborn in the middle because it's his best fit, Murray on the weak side, as he's somewhat versatile, being equally average anywhere, and Liufau on the strong side, which is where he settled in when everyone was healthy last season. If Overshown returns, he will likely work on the weak side, pushing Murray to the middle and Sanborn to either the bench or the strong side.

The who plays where question is one we will have to answer in August. Meanwhile, this is what we know now. Dallas will likely give us two good options. Murray should be one of them, but keep your expectations reasonable. He's been in the league for five years, yet has never reached 80 solo stops in a season, with a career best of 108 combined. Murray tends to be light in the splash play columns, with six career turnovers and eight career sacks. He can help with some pressure on the blitz, but can be a liability in coverage, so there is no guarantee that he'll be a three-down guy. That said, Sanborn is average in coverage as well, and someone has to be on the field.

Jack Sanborn was a part-time strong-side backer for most of his three seasons with Chicago. He did, however, put up big tackle totals down the stretch in 2022, when he moved to the middle as a replacement. He's not the most gifted player, but he plays smart and is all about effort. If Sanborn gets the snaps, he'll put up the tackles. Like Murray, Sanborn doesn't make many big plays, so his upside is limited.

Marist Liufau slid into a near-every-down role after Overshown was hurt last year. He was adequate on the field and not particularly strong in the box scores. We should keep an open mind with him, though, considering he was a rookie at the time and this is a different scheme.

The best linebacker on this roster is DeMarvion Overshown. He was not a tackling machine but was on pace for 73 solos and 44 assists when he was injured. Overshown blossomed after the team's week seven bye, totaling 49 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 turnovers, 2 pass breakups, and a score over his final seven games. The word out of Dallas is that Overshown is well ahead of schedule in his recovery from a torn ACL and MCL, which was possibly the ugliest injury we saw in 2024. It's hard to believe he could be fully recovered at any point this year, but if he is, this is the guy to have on your roster.

• MLB/WLB Kenneth Murray Jr. – Any better than LB3 numbers would be a shock
• WLB DeMarvion Overshown – Dynasty prospect due to injury recovery
• MLB/SLB Jack Sanborn – Tackling machine if he lands a three-down gig
• WLB/SLB Marist Liufau – Marginal value expected
• WLB Damone Clark - No impact
• WLB Shemar James – Developmental rookie

Dallas Cowboys Defensive Backs

With all of the yards, catches, and points this defense allowed in 2024, we would expect good numbers from at least one of the safeties. Yet, somehow, the Dallas secondary was a black hole for fantasy production. The team's regular use of a two-deep zone kept the safeties out of the action. Strong safety Donovan Wilson made an impact in the big play columns with four and a half sacks and four turnovers, but his marginal 44 solos and 38 assists rendered him inconsistent at best. Malik Hooker was no better. While his tackle totals were slightly higher, his only game-changing plays were a pair of picks.

Hooker has never given us much but there was a time when Wilson was a factor. In 2022, he put up 77-24-5 with 4 takeaways, on the way to a top twelve finish. Coach Eberflus is not a two-high safety guy. The strong safety position is generally productive in his schemes. After his disappointing 2024, no one will give much thought to Wilson. He could be a great addition as a late-round backup safety with upside.

One significant reason the Dallas secondary was so leaky is that their two playmaking corners, Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland, were on the field together for only one game. Bland was recovering from an injury and did not see the field until Week 12, while Diggs played in one game after Week 11. Bland racked up 14 interceptions in his first two seasons. Five as a rookie in 2022 and nine in his second year, when he was the fantasy games' number one corner by a wide margin.

Diggs led the league with eleven interceptions in 2021. That has been a major outlier as he has nine over his other four seasons combined. In his defense, Diggs has battled knee injuries in each of the last two years. He is recovering from a second injury to the same knee and is unlikely to be ready for the start of the season.

If they have everyone available, Coach Eberflus envisions Bland working in the slot with Diggs and the winner of a heated multi-player competition, on the outside. As the situation currently looks, it will be Bland out there somewhere with whoever is healthy enough to saddle up at the other positions.

Second-year players Caelen Carson and Josh Butler are both working their way back from injuries, while even third-round pick Shavon Revel Jr. is on the mend from a torn ACL he suffered in September.

When it comes to IDP value at the corner position, keep in mind that Eberflus was the defensive coordinator for the Colts when Kenny Moore II was putting up great numbers for us. That alone leaves me optimistic about Bland. It doesn't hurt that he had 29 tackles and 12 assists over the final six games of last season either. If you must start corners, Bland would be a good one to target.

• SS Donovan Wilson – Bounce back candidate under the new scheme
• FS Malik Hooker – No impact expected
• SS Markquese Bell – Injury sleeper at best
• FS Israel Mukuamu – No impact expected
• CB Trevon Diggs – Hopeful to return before mid-season
• CB DaRon Bland – Likely CB1
• CB Kaiir Elam – In the mix for a starting job, but no IDP impact expected
• CB Caelen Carson – Injury recovery, status uncertain
• CB Shavon Revel Jr. – Rookie corner rule could come into play

That's two down, up next, the New York Giants.

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