Cowboys’ roster gets major kudos from PFF

The Dallas Cowboys roster will look vastly different in 2024 than it did a season ago. Left tackle Tyron Smith is now with the New York Jets, and center Tyler Biadasz went to the Washington Commanders to play for former Cowboys’ defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Joining him are edge rushers Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler. Dallas also lost nose tackle Johnathan Hankins to the Seattle Seahawks, and cornerback Stephon Gilmore and safety Jayron Kearse are currently free agents, and it doesn’t seem like they’ll be back.

These players were all key components to what the Cowboys have done as a team the last few years. However, Pro Football Focus still believes in the talent Dallas brings to the table. It deemed the Cowboys as the ninth-best roster in the NFL.

9. Dallas Cowboys

Biggest strength in 2023: Pass Rush

A pass rush led by Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence is likely among the best of the league, which was the case in 2023. For the second consecutive season, Dallas ranked second in the NFL in pass-rush grade. Parsons, Lawrence and other contributors such as Osa Odighizuwa and Sam Williams made Dallas’s defense one of the league’s most feared units.

Biggest weakness in 2023: Run Defense

The Cowboys’ primary weakness over the last couple of years has been their run defense. Though they ranked seventh in run-defense grade last season, that ranking is heavily weighted by standout performances against teams like the Jets and Chargers. When tasked with stopping better rushing offenses like the 49ers or Eagles, they tend to come up short more often than not.

X-factor for 2024: DI Mazi Smith

Mazi Smith was selected in the first round of the 2023 draft to improve his team’s run defense. He struggled to find his footing in his rookie year, posting a meager 31.8 run-defense grade. Dallas lost multiple pieces in its front seven, which puts a greater onus on Smith to perform on early downs in the run game.

Rookie to watch: OT Tyler Guyton

Guyton may be the biggest gamble of any player selected in the first round of this year’s draft. The former defensive end is athletically talented but needs refinement in pass protection in order to succeed at the NFL level. He could start at left tackle, filling a huge void left by Tyron Smith‘s departure. Dallas’ offense has been explosive in recent years, but it can’t afford a significant dip in pass protection after ranking 11th in pass-blocking grade last season.

Over/Under 10.5 win total: Under

The Cowboys have won 12 games in three straight regular seasons. Their stars are as good as any team in the league, but their salary cap situation has eroded their depth, especially in the trenches. They’ll likely still have a good season, but holes at running back and in the middle of their defense could cause headaches against the more physical teams on their schedule.

Dallas needs Sam Williams to take the next step in his development with Armstrong and Fowler no longer on the team. DeMarcus Lawrence can still get to the quarterback, but he’s one of the better run-stoppers off the edge, and with that being his bread and butter, Williams will need to be a force off the edge, especially with the lack of interior bodies for the Cowboys defensively.

Although the middle of the defense is a question mark, Mazi Smith making a Year 2 jump would certainly make the Cowboys better against the run, and hopefully draw some attention inside on passing downs. That would help free up guys like Parsons and Lawrence, along with Williams, on the outside and keep some focus off of Osa Odighizuwa in the interior.

Guyton has the responsibility of protecting the blindside of quarterback Dak Prescott. With Tyler Smith beside him on the left side coming off an All-Pro campaign, they have the potential to be a wall on that side of the offensive line. Guyton will have to clean up some of his weaknesses, like being better with his hand placement and improving his pad levels. They’ll be growing pains, but the ceiling is high for where his skill level can go.

It’ll be interesting to see if Dallas cam continue their streak of 12-win seasons with the amount of departures they had in the offseason.