Eyes of the Guru IDP Info, Part 25: Dallas Cowboys

Overview of the Dallas Cowboys Defense

The 2024 Cowboys couldn't stop anyone. The 28th-ranked run defense and the 21st-ranked pass defense contributed to a complete coaching overhaul ahead of the 2025 season. That included the hiring of Matt Eberflus as defensive coordinator. Instead of righting the ship, the defense was even worse in 2025.

At least the 2024 team got to the quarterback 52 times and created 22 turnovers. Under Eberflus, those numbers slid to 35 sacks and 12 takeaways. The pass defense gave up more yards than anyone and was one of three teams to allow more than eight yards per attempt. They allowed more completions (14) of 40+ yards than anyone, and the second-most passing scores. The run defense was not much better, ranking 26th in yards per carry at 4.7 while tying for the most rushing touchdowns allowed. It was so ugly that Eberflus will not be given a second chance.

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When covering the Titans recently, I talked about having never seen a defense so completely blown up. The Cowboys are not far behind. Brian Schottenheimer remains at the helm, with Christian Parker hired to run the defense. Parker was most recently a secondary coach for the Eagles. He is a 3-4 guy at the roots, but will feature a multiple front scheme that also employs plenty of 4-2-5 nickel looks.

The organization went into the offseason with a focus on the defense. Free agency brought a slew of new faces, including edge Rashan Gary, corner Cobie Durant, tackle Otito Ogbonnia, safety Jalen Thompson, and linebacker Dee Winters, who are all projected to start. Dallas didn't stop there, with the focus continuing into the draft where they used both first-round picks on defensive back Caleb Downs and edge Malachai Lawrence, a third on linebacker Jaishawn Barham, and a pair of fourths on corner Devin Moore and edge LT Overton. Parker has the talent to work with. Now it is up to the coaching staff to bring it all together and play better football.

Dallas Cowboys Defensive Line

There is no Micah Parsons on the roster, which is why the Cowboys had two first-round picks. Jadeveon Clowney led the team with 8.5 sacks last year. He is gone as well. Entering his eighth season, Gary is the grizzled veteran of the group. The 2019 first-round pick of the Packers has been a steady contributor, but he was never the standout Green Bay had hoped for. The same goes for his status as an IDP factor.

Gary consistently puts up around 40-45 combined tackles and 6-9 sacks. He's never reached 30 solo stops or double-digit sacks in a season. There is always the chance that a change of scenery will trigger bigger numbers, but don't count on it. Dallas had five players with at least 307 snaps at the position last year, with then-rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku topping the list at 604. I do expect that Gary will see the most action, but with so much youth and no clear standouts, the mass rotation is something I would not expect to change, at least not right away.

Dallas invested a second-round pick in Ezeiruaku last spring. With the trade of Parsons leaving the position thin, the rookie was thrown to the wolves. His production was modest at 20-20-2 with a forced fumble, but the expectations remain high. Ezeiruaku has the makings of a good three-down player. 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. He was highly productive as a senior at Boston College, racking up an impressive 80 combined stops, 16.5 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles in 12 games. Ezeiruaku is still young, turning 23 in September. His best football is yet to come.

When a team uses a first-round pick on a player, it's a safe bet he will see significant action right away. While Lawrence will eventually be an every-down contributor, he has some work to do as a run defender. Lawrence, however, is NFL-ready as a pass rusher. He started 22 games at the University of Central Florida, totaling 72 tackles, 20 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, a recovery, and 5 batted passes over his career there.

Lawrence has prototypical size with an explosive get-off and an arsenal of moves and counters for a young player. With a year or two of experience, weight room work, and NFL coaching, he could be a player who commands a far more extensive role. For now, he is unlikely to see enough action to make a fantasy impact as more than a bye-week flier.

James Houston IV totaled eight sacks as a rookie with the Lions in 2022. A broken ankle ended his 2023 season in September. Houston virtually vanished in 2024, starting the season with Detroit and finishing it with the Browns. He had 14 tackles and 1 sack. He resurfaced in Dallas last season, totaling 35 stops and 2 turnovers while finishing second on the team with 5.5 sacks. Considering he played 307 snaps, those are rather impressive numbers. Houston should remain a significant contributor and a big part of the rotation.

The team was counting on Sam Williams last year. He had the second-highest snap count at the position with 474, but he failed to come through. 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, which is not bad for 616 snaps. He was pushing for a starting job in 2024 when a torn ACL early in training camp ended his season. The team has not given up on him, but Williams will need to perform well to earn a spot in this year's rotation. He could end up with the scraps as the fifth man.

On paper, the Cowboys were rock solid at the tackle positions heading into last season. On the field, even the addition of Quinnen Williams near the trade deadline was not enough to slow opponents' running games. The interior line will have a different look in 2025. Kenny Clark, who worked mostly at nose tackle last year, will see time as an outside tackle, with former Charger Otito Ogbonnia expected to work over the center. Clark has provided useful numbers in the past, but not recently. The change of responsibilities could spark a bounce-back, but don't hold your breath. It's been a long time since Clark or the Cowboys have given us a quality fantasy option at the tackle position.

If we get useful numbers from any of the Cowboys' interior linemen, they will come from Quinnen Williams. Between 2020 and 2023, Williams turned in four top 10 performances, making the top 5 twice. He was on the way to a fifth top 10 in 2024 before dealing with a hamstring injury down the stretch. He was going strong again in 2025, ranking fifth among tackles before the trade to Dallas, which was equivalent to a hamstring injury, as it were.

Williams recorded two or fewer solo stops in all seven games with the Cowboys last year. If the old trend continues, even he may not be productive for us. The scheme change is enough to give us hope, but it is not enough to count on another top 10.

• Edge Rashan Gary – Low-end second starter or quality depth
• Edge Malachi Lawrence – high-upside dynasty prospect
• Edge Donovan Ezeiruaku – Should step up in year two
• Edge James Houston IV – Injury sleeper
• Edge Sam Williams – No expectations
• Edge LT Overton – Developmental rookie
• DT Quinnen Williams – Potential DT1, but draft as a second starter
• DT Kenny Clark – Marginal fantasy impact
• NT Otito Ogbonnia – No impact
• DT Tyrus Wheat – No impact
• DT Jonathan Bullard – No impact
• NT Jay Toia – No impact

Dallas Cowboys Linebackers