Jerry Jones has been waiting a long, long time for another Super Bowl, we’re talking 1994 season long, and his Cowboys have missed the playoffs the last two years running. But suddenly, expectations are THROUGH THE ROOF for 2026. ESPN analyst Mike Clay just dropped his roster rankings, and he slapped Dallas with the ninth-best roster in the entire NFL, flat out calling them a team that can make some serious noise in the NFC playoff race.
Offense Was Ballin’, But Defense Was a Mess
Let’s be real, the Cowboys’ offense was absolutely lighting up the scoreboard last year. They finished fifth in the league in scoring, averaging a blistering 27.7 points per game. Quarterback Dak Prescott was working with a rock-solid offensive line and an elite wide receiver duo in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. That’s a combo that can shred defenses. But here’s the kicker, while the offense was explosive, the defense was a full-blown nightmare. They ended up surrendering an NFL-worst 30.1 points per contest in 2025. You just can’t win big games giving up that kind of production, right? It was painful to watch.
New Faces and a Fresh Scheme for the D
To fix that mess, the Cowboys went to work. Christian Parker is the new defensive coordinator, which is a massive change right there. And Clay isn’t just talking scheme, he’s hyping up the personnel upgrades, too. He called Rashan Gary, Dee Winters, Cobie Durant, and Jalen Thompson “savvy additions.” Plus, first-round rookies Malachi Lawrence and Caleb Downs are expected to be “big factors.” When you throw them in with established guys like Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, Donovan Ezeiruaku, DeMarvion Overshown, Bland, and Malik Hooker, Clay says it “suddenly” looks like a “solid unit.” If they can pair that expected “serviceable defense” with their “productive offense,” Dallas should be “squarely in the NFC playoff mix.”
The Cornerback Conundrum: Can They Step Up?
Here’s where it gets dicey, though. Clay threw a major caution out there: the team’s relatively inexperienced cornerback room. That position group, he said, could totally determine how far the Cowboys actually go this season. Given how much the defense struggled last year, getting a huge boost from those cornerbacks is absolutely essential if Dallas wants to return to the postseason for the first time since their 2023 campaign. So, while the hype is real, everyone will be watching those defensive backs with eagle eyes when the season kicks off. Can they shut down the league’s top receivers? That’s the question that will define this team’s year.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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