National Football League

Cowboys positional group rankings: Defense leads the way; where are they weak?

Published Jun. 20, 2023 9:44 a.m. ET

I've spent a lot of time these last few weeks wondering "what's next?"

It's to be expected. The Cowboys' offseason program is over, training camp still feels like an eternity away and there's not much else to do but imagine what can go right — and wrong — in the coming months.

The Cowboys are heading into 2023 with one of the NFL's best rosters. There are weaknesses, to be sure, but there are only a handful of teams in the league that wouldn't trade for this group.

But that's the fun part about June: daydreaming about best- and worst-case scenarios. How well are the Cowboys set up, and where could things go wrong? Where might they face a crisis when the pads go on and injuries mount?

That's how I came to this exercise, ranking the Cowboys' position groups to get a feel for what to expect. At least a couple of answers might surprise you.

1. Edge Rusher

Micah Parsons is the best thing about the Cowboys' roster right now. And while he might be listed as a linebacker, Parsons' specialty is getting after the quarterback. Parsons has 26.5 sacks and a pair of All-Pro designations to start his career, and he just turned 24 last month. That would be fun enough on its own, but Parsons has a ton of help rushing the quarterback. DeMarcus Lawrence, one of the more underappreciated defensive ends in the league, is back for a 10th season. Dorance Armstrong makes for an incredibly capable third end, hitting a career-best 8.5 sacks last season. Dante Fowler Jr. is also back, and the Cowboys are also hoping for a Year 2 jump from the super-talented Sam Williams. It's a group that tallied 54 sacks last year, and there's reason to believe it'll be even better in 2023.

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2. Cornerback

Here's a fun fact: the Cowboys' top four corners have 59 combined career interceptions. By adding Stephon Gilmore to a group that already featured Trevon Diggs, the Cowboys boast a former All-Pro at both outside corner spots — and both players have a knack for takeaways. The vets aren't the only thing worth being excited about. DaRon Bland notched five picks in his rookie season, and he's not even a lock for the slot corner job. Jourdan Lewis has eight career interceptions across 43 starts, and he'll push to get his starting job back after an injury last year. The Cowboys have experience, they have young talent, they have playmaking ability and they have depth. It's a testament to their pass rush that this isn't the best unit on their roster.

3. Safety

Long-time followers of this team must be pinching themselves these days. Safety had been a sore subject since Darren Woodson's retirement, as the front office had been largely unable to find playmakers at the position. Then, Jayron Kearse showed up in 2021 and it's all changed. Despite not reaching a Pro Bowl as of yet, Kearse has been one of the centerpieces of Dallas' defensive resurgence under Dan Quinn, tallying 194 tackles and four interceptions in two seasons. The Cowboys have also gotten continued production out of Donovan Wilson — so much so that they signed him to a $24 million contract after his 101-tackle, five-sack season in 2022.

On top of that, Malik Hooker has shown the instincts that made him a first-round pick, as his three interceptions last season tied for second on the team. Throw in promising youngsters Israel Mukuamu and Markquese Bell, and it's not hyperbole to say this is the most loaded the Cowboys have been at safety in at least 15 years. It's still wild but completely true to say a lot of the Cowboys' defensive success this season will center on their safeties.

4. Quarterback

This ranking is entirely predicated on how you feel about Dak Prescott. Personally, I've long believed he's one of the 10 best quarterbacks in the NFL, and I'm perfectly confident he'll rebound from his pick-happy performance in 2022. The biggest knock against Prescott is that his contract is about to make life difficult on the Cowboys' front office, but that's not something that will affect this 2023 roster. Prescott has led one of the league's best offenses for roughly five years at this point, and that should continue this year. There's also the added bonus of knowing Cooper Rush can steer the ship, as the veteran backup led the Cowboys to a 4-1 record while Prescott was injured last season.

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5. Wide Receiver

I debated placing receiver above quarterback, but Prescott's importance to the offense won out in the end. Make no mistake, though: after taking a step back last year, the Cowboys' receiver corps is a strength again. CeeDee Lamb has more than proven he's capable of being a No. 1, and Brandin Cooks gives the offense a No. 2 with six career 1,000-yard seasons. The expectation is that Michael Gallup has fully recovered from his 2022 ACL tear, and if that's the case that gives the Cowboys as good a third receiver as they could ask for. The only concern is depth, as Jalen Tolbert and Simi Fehoko are unproven behind them. But Tolbert has impressed this offseason, and that trio of veteran playmakers is the biggest reason for optimism about this Dallas offense.

6. Interior Offensive Line

Maybe this is surprising because we don't currently know who will play left guard. The fact remains that Zack Martin is a virtual lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and he's still playing right guard. Additionally, Tyler Biadasz played well enough to reach his first Pro Bowl last year, and he's playing for a new contract in 2023. It's fair to ask questions about the left guard spot, but filling it feels easier with Pro Bowl-caliber players manning the rest of the interior.

7. Offensive Tackle

If we were playing Madden and could turn off injuries, this might be the Cowboys' best position group. Tyron Smith has a case for the Hall of Fame and even in his 13th season is still capable of playing like a Pro Bowler. Terence Steele broke out as a quality young right tackle last year, and Tyler Smith played like a first-round pick in his debut season. It's as good a trio of tackles as you could ask to have. The problem is obviously health. Tyron Smith has only played in 20 of a possible 53 games these last three seasons, and Steele is recovering from tearing his ACL and MCL last December. As has been the case for the past five years, the Cowboys hinge on health at one of the game's most important positions. It's a scary way to live.

8. Running Back

Tony Pollard is a very effective back, as evidenced by his $10.09 million salary to play on the franchise tag this season. Pollard reached his first-ever Pro Bowl last season, finishing with career highs in rushing yards and touchdowns. With Pollard on the field, the Cowboys will have one of the best big-play runners in the league in their lineup. This placement is less about Pollard and more about the other options. The Cowboys replaced Ezekiel Elliott with Ronald Jones II, who is two years removed from his best NFL season and carried the ball just 17 times for Kansas City last year.

There's also Malik Davis, who impressed as a rookie but has just 38 carries to his name. From the looks of it, the Cowboys are going to give someone a shot to prove he can be Pollard's backup. Or maybe they'll opt for a veteran signing between now and September — perhaps even Elliott.

Cowboys GM Jerry Jones has not ruled out re-signing Ezekiel Elliott

9. Tight End

Maybe this feels harsh for a position group so many are hyped about. After all, Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot impressed as rookies, and now Luke Schoonmaker is on hand. Still, let's not discount the impact of losing a five-year starter with 211 career catches in Dalton Schultz. The bottom line is that the offense is going to be looking for quality production from three guys without a ton of NFL experience. Fortunately, there is depth here, so it should be more manageable to fill the position by committee.

10. Defensive Tackle

It all hinges on Mazi Smith. Defensive tackle was lacking enough that the Cowboys used their first-round draft pick on the position, which was something they hadn't done since adding Russell Maryland in 1991. The hope is that Smith can shore up a leaky run defense and create more advantageous matchups for the edge rushers. There'll be a lot of pressure on him, as the rest of the defensive tackles are largely the same. Osa Odighizuwa is back to build on a four-sack season, and the team re-signed Jonathan Hankins. The point remains: they need Mazi Smith to be ready to go.

11. Linebacker

Leighton Vander Esch reminded everyone just how effective he can be when healthy. Even having missed three games last year, his 90 tackles were his most since his All-Pro rookie season. It makes perfect sense why the Cowboys re-signed him to anchor their linebacker group on a two-year deal. The issue isn't with LVE, but the depth behind him. There's definitely talent. The Cowboys have added Jabril Cox, Damone Clark, Devin Harper and DeMarvion Overshown in the last three drafts. The issue is that Clark is the only one of those four with an NFL start to his name. If some of these young guys emerge, this ranking might look silly later. Right now, it's Vander Esch and a lot of unknown commodities.

12. Specialist

It's becoming a bit at this point. Bryan Anger has been solid since joining the roster in 2021, but the Cowboys still don't have an experienced kicker. Tristan Vizcaino is on the roster, but he has played in just 10 NFL games. The coaching staff didn't settle on Brett Maher until halfway through training camp last year, so their lack of action isn't shocking. But it's worth pointing out that the Cowboys also have a new long snapper in Trent Sieg. It'd be nice to get Sieg as much work as possible with the new kicker — whoever that ultimately is.

David Helman covers the Dallas Cowboys for FOX Sports. He previously spent nine seasons covering the Cowboys for the team’s official website. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his role in producing "Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion" about the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter at @davidhelman_.

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