Dallas Cowboys 53-man roster prediction (2022 post-draft edition)
By Reid Hanson
Dallas Cowboys Defense
Linebacker (6)
Micah Parsons, Jayron Kearse, Leighton Vander Esch, Jabril Cox, Luke Gifford, Devin Harper
Micah Parsons is expected to rush the passer a lot in 2022 but we don’t how exactly. Let me point out that’s part of his charm. Dan Quinn’s ability to use Parsons creatively is key to his value. As the season wore on, Parsons played more off-ball LB and his impact players dropped off. It’s up to Quinn to make sure that doesn’t happen again. As long as the other LBs stay healthy I think Parsons will spend time up on the line.
For that reason, LVE was brought back. Offering a little veteran stability to the position, LVE tries to build up his value before he hits free agency again in 2023.
Jayron Kearse is part safety and part linebacker but since Quinn calls him a LB, we’re going to group him here in this roster projection. Kearse will play a big role in 2022. He plays in the box and can stop the run and play coverage with the best of them.
Jabril Cox was having a strong rookie campaign before he was lost for the season. He looks to bounce back and show why many called him “the steal of the 2021 draft.” He’s a top coverage LB and can be used a variety of ways giving Quinn yet another versatile weapon to play with.
Luke Gifford and Devin Harper are emergency depth and special teams play.