Predicting the Dallas Cowboys’ starting 22 in 2022

2022 Dallas Cowboys starting defense

DL: DeMarcus Lawrence, Gerald McCoy, Neville Gallimore, Randy Gregory

Lawrence will still be the anchor of the line and Gerald McCoy will be on the last year of his well-priced deal. Neville Gallimore will get the most snaps at DT at this point in his career and….Randy Gregory is the starting RDE. I know – bold (possibly idiotic) prediction.

Gregory is still on the commissioners suspended list but he’s expected to be back at some point before training camp. I also think Aldon Smith will make a bigger impact in 2020 than Gregory but he’ll turn that into a multi-year deal somewhere else in 2021.

Gregory will make enough plays to remind everyone why he was so highly touted back in the day. And without the worry of a drug suspension hanging over his head anymore, Dallas will sign him to modest 2-3 year deal keeping him in Dallas in 2022 at the age of 29-years-old. Jerry Jones adores him and I just can’t see another team giving him the same level of support.

LB: Jaylon Smith, Luke Gifford

Sadly, I’m not sure Leighton Vander Esch is long for this team (or this sport). His deal runs through the 2021 season and there will be enough lingering concerns over his neck the Dallas Cowboys will not feel comfortable meeting his long-term contract demands.

This opens the door for Luke Gifford, my unabashed pet cat heading into the 2020 season. Gifford’s style of play fits the way the league is trending defensively and in 2022 he’ll be a restricted free agent so Dallas can keep him for cheap.

CB: Trevon Diggs, Anthony Brown, Reggie Robinson

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I know it’s a long-shot for Reggie Robinson, a fourth round pick, to win a starting outside role on a the team, but I gotta believe, of anyone on this roster, he’s the most equipped to start opposite Diggs. The Dallas Cowboys aren’t ones to invest in big CB deals anymore and it’s likely they’re going to try to make this work with their internal options. Anthony Brown is still under contract for another year and by the time 2022 rolls around he’ll be a bargain for the Dallas Cowboys.

SAF: Jamal Adams

I.Could. Not. Resist. Tensions are still high between the Dallas native and the New Jersey franchise and I think there’s a decent chance he’ll be dealt this year.

Now, this is still an extreme long-shot. Adams would sign a deal right now if the Jets offered him it and the price to even get him remains out of Dallas’ price range. The Dallas Cowboys also have a long track record of not paying safeties top money, so there’s a lot to overcome. But if you had to name a name, who else would you put for 2022?

The other safety? Who cares if we have Adams? As much as I like Donovan Wilson, he’s a bad pairing with Adams and chances are good, both starting safeties in 2022 are not on the team today.

Welp, there it is: Your 2022 Dallas Cowboys roster. How do you think it will play out between now and then. Make your bold predictions below…