Dallas Cowboys: These four players will lead the defense in 2017

Four Dallas Cowboys players on the defensive side of the ball are primed to break out and make this defense better.

For several seasons, the Dallas Cowboys have had an average defense with just one or two really good players to point to. For years, the Cowboys best defensive player was DeMarcus Ware. At times others stepped up but none were nearly as dominant as the Cowboys’ all-time sack leader.

As the 2017 season unfolds, this version of the Cowboys defense has been viewed as nothing more than average with one, possibly two, star players leading them. However, the trend may be changing right before our own eyes. That’s because there are three players whose play is on the rise and and another one to be reckoned with.

Anthony Brown, DB

When the Cowboys drafted Brown from Purdue in the 6th round of the 2016 draft, they scored a steal. Brown wasted no time proving he could play corner at the NFL level

In Brown’s rookie season, he played in all 16 games and started in 10 of them, recording one interception, defended eight passes, had 37 tackles, and assisted on 14 others.

Brown recorded his second career interception off of New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning in the season opener.

Brown uses good technique, has good coverage skills, is a good tackler, and was able to trick Eli into throwing an ill advised pass. As of now, Brown is one of the Cowboys best corners (if not the best) and is rising star. In fact, Brown was one of the reasons why the Cowboys allowed former corners Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne to walk in free agency.

I expect Brown to get better this season, and finally, Dallas has a good defensive back to hang its hat on.

DeMarcus Lawrence, DE,

After watching Tank Lawrence’s performance against the Giants, some think the former second rounder might finally play up to his full potential this season. As we all know, Dallas desperately needs Tank to be the “war daddy” to get after opposing quarterbacks.

Starting the season healthy for once, Tank sacked Eli twice, moved fast off the ball, used good technique and played with a purpose — as in contract year purpose. When healthy and not serving a four-game suspension like last season, Tank is a good player with the ability to be a double-digit sack artist.

In Tank’s second year (2015), he led the team in sacks with eight, picking up from his breakout performance in the 2014 playoff game against the Detroit Lions.

If Tank can continue his stellar play this season, Dallas’ defense will be more than legit because they’ll have a pass rusher that can create havoc and command a double team.

I don’t care that the Giants have a weak offensive line. Tank did what he was supposed to do, beat down a weaker opponent.

Expect Tank to take his game to another level and make the rest of the defense better in the process, including the linebacking corps.

Jaylon Smith, LB

After not playing football in 19 months, Smith played in 36 of 57 defensive snaps, recorded seven tackles and forced a fumble.

That’s pretty good, considering how he suffered a career threatening injury in college and still is less than 100%.

Dallas will increase Smith’s snaps slowly, but you saw how he was flying around the field as if he was a wild animal hunting for prey!

Smith gave a praiseworthy preview of things to come, especially with the forearm hit on the Giants running backs, jarring the ball loose.

One of Smith’s best assets his is ability to tackle, and in today’s NFL-where good tackling is a premium-that’s a valuable commodity. Smith will continue to get better and that will only make Dallas’ linebacking corps scary because Smith is playing alongside one of the best linebackers in the NFL.

His name is….

Sean Lee, LB

Now we all know Lee is one of the best linebackers in the league, but I put him on this list because now he’ll play even better with an up and coming player like Smith beside him.

It’s one thing for Lee to make plays all over field by his lonesome, but it’s even better when Lee has a lethal talent like Smith manning the field, too.

Smith’s presence allows Lee to specializes in the things he’s good at, like focusing on the ball carrier, making more plays on the ball, and even blitzing more.

Even though Lee is good in coverage, having him do all of the aforementioned things is a positive for Dallas’ defense. I’d rather see Lee make plays on the move at the WILL position than anything else.

Next: Dallas Cowboys: Surprise, Dallas has a defense

With high expectations of Brown, Lawrence, and Smith rising with every game, Dallas’ defense is getting better from the front line to the secondary.

And as Sport DFW writer Daniel Ruppert explained, Dallas has a defense!

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