DALLAS — If the saying that defenses win championships holds true during the 2023 NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys should be considered one of the favorites to win the Vince Lombardi trophy. The Cowboys have a defense filled with stars, youth, leadership, and a defensive coordinator who’s considered one of the best in the league.
Dallas’ defense is a group that’s had no trouble getting to the quarterback and has been productive under defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, leading the league in takeaways over the last two seasons. It’s also a defense that didn’t lose any of their top players and added more skill to its unit.
Defensive line
In the trenches, the Cowboys spent the offseason trying to beef up their rushing defense to couple with their elite pass rushing prowess. The defensive line is led by DeMarcus Lawrence, as one of the best two-way defensive ends in the game. Lawrence excels as a run stopper, while still getting to the QB.
The bookend at the defensive end spot is Micah Parsons, although the Cowboys and Quinn won’t officially name the All-Pro as a full-time DE, it’s clear he’ll spend most of his time at the position again. Parsons is one of the elite playmakers in the league and has 26.5 sacks through his first two seasons in the NFL.
It looks like Parsons is gearing up for another monster year this offseason, adding on weight to further enhance his endurance at a grueling position and including multiple new training techniques to his bag of tricks. That’s a scary proposition for offensive linemen.
It’s in the middle where things have improved for the Cowboys. If there was one weakness for the unit last season, it was letting the run game get out of hand at times. The team addressed that by re-signing defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins to slow down rushing attacks after trading for him in the middle of the 2022 season.
Hankins will pair with Osa Odighizuwa, who is the best two-way defensive tackle on the roster. In his sophomore season in Dallas, Odighizuwa had four sacks and was fifth on the defense in tackles for a loss with eight. The third-year DT is one of the more unsung heroes on the defense and is a solid player.
First-round draft pick Mazi Smith is where the big upgrade comes for the line. The Cowboys finally answered their need for a young, athletic, run-stuffing DT when they selected Smith with their top pick. Smith will be competing to be the starter when camp opens and it shouldn’t take him long to earn a significant role.
Last year’s second round selection, pass rusher Sam Williams, should be ready to break out. Williams had four sacks in limited snaps as a rookie but is expected to take on a bigger role in his sophomore season. Quinn was high on Williams during the draft process so the Cowboys will expect big things in year two.
There is also good depth on the defensive line, a group that includes third round selections Neville Gallimore and Chauncey Golston, who can be moved around, as well as DE Dorance Armstrong, who had a career-high 8.5 sacks last season. Veteran pass rusher Dante Fowler, DT Quinton Bohanna, and rookie fourth-round pick Viliami Fehoko round out the group.
The Cowboys have one of the deeper DL units in the league and it’s going to be a fun position to watch at training camp.
Linebacker
The players in the middle of the field appear to be one of the thinnest spots on the team, yet there is potential for it to become a strength. Starters Leighton Vander Esch and Damone Clark will get most of the playing time, but third-year LB Jabril Cox is poised to return better after another year away from his ACL injury and made plays during the team’s recent minicamp.
Rookie DeMarvion Overshown also arrives to pitch in. The third-round selection has the athletic acumen to carve out a big role, but it remains to be seen how Quinn will utilize the rookie’s skillset.
Behind that, there isn’t much depth for the defense. Devin Harper and Malik Jefferson round out the position, however, the Cowboys do use their safeties as LBs some as the game becomes more passing centric.
Secondary
Dallas has a deep and talented group in the backfield, led by one of the top cornerback tandems in the league. Starting corners Trevon Diggs and Stephon Gilmore headline a strong group at CB, with former Defensive Player of the Year Gilmore acquired early in the offseason. Diggs has 17 interceptions in his first three years, which is tied for most in the NFL over that span. Quarterbacks routinely looked opposite Diggs last season, but that will be tougher to do with Gilmore on the other side.
Gilmore arrives after reviving his career with the Indianapolis Colts in 2022, now he’ll be paired with Diggs as the steady veteran to stabilize the position. Playing in 16 games for the first time since 2019, Gilmore had two interceptions and 11 passes defended last year. Both of those numbers are expected to rise playing opposite Diggs. It’s going to be difficult throwing away from both Diggs and Gilmore.
Veteran CB Jourdan Lewis will be returning after a foot injury that cost him 11 games last year. Lewis could be on the PUP list to start camp, but he remains one of the reliable slot CBs in the league. If he wants to keep that job, though, he’ll need to fend off second-year CB DaRon Bland, who excelled in Lewis’ absence as a rookie.
Bland had five interceptions in his first season, just one off the NFL lead, and played well on the inside. If he continues to improve in his second season, he could earn a larger role, even with everyone healthy.
Third-year CBs Kelvin Joseph and Nahshon Wright are behind the top four as camp approaches. Wright has been a project that hasn’t worked out yet, though he brings quality special teams play to the table, and there is hope that Joseph can finally play up to his potential. If Joseph takes that next step, the Cowboys will have some great camp battles at CB. Those battles will also include rookie sixth-round pick Eric Scott, who has impressed in his short time in Dallas.
Meanwhile, it's an unprecedented time at safety for Dallas. For a team that had been lacking solid safeties for years, the Cowboys now have a dynamic group of playmakers at the position.
Donovan Wilson, Jayron Kearse, and Malik Hooker all play significant snaps and all play their roles well in Quinn’s scheme. Combined, the three-headed safety monster had five interceptions, seven sacks, and 16 tackles for a loss.
Wilson was a key piece that the team wanted to retain in free agency this offseason and bringing him back keeps the league’s deepest safety group together. Wilson led the defense in tackles and had five sacks in 2022, making it a career-year for the 2019 sixth-round pick out of Texas A&M.
The Cowboys also have third-year chess piece Israel Mukuamu, who played his way into a larger role last season. Mukuamu is the fourth safety but was used at cornerback at times as well, adding to the unit’s versatility and depth.
Dallas’ defense has all the pieces to be successful. The organization finally addressed one of their biggest weaknesses by drafting a DT who can stop the run and traded for another high-quality CB to pair with Diggs. There aren’t many places to attack Quinn’s defense as the coordinator continues to change up his scheme to keep up with the league and the strength of his players.
The talent is there to be one of the top defenses in the NFL and it’s led by one of the best coordinators in football, who also happens to have arguably the best defensive player in the league with a hungry Micah Parsons.
That’s a terrifying thought for offensive coordinators. Good luck.
Do you think the Cowboys will have one of the league’s best defenses in 2023? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
