Can the Dallas Cowboys effectively stop the run with this roster?

One of the most significant issues for the Dallas Cowboys last year, especially late in the season, was their inability to stop the run. Technically it wasn’t just the run, as the overworked center of the Dallas defensive line regressed in all phases of the game.

Things for the worse when Brent Urban went down to injury and the Cowboys learned they didn’t really have a true anchoring style 1-Tech on the roster behind him.

With Urban leaving in free agency, the Dallas Cowboys decided to move into 2022 having an obvious hole at the position. What the roster does appear to have is less of a traditional 1-tech and a combination of 3-techs and tweeners.

Heading into the draft the Cowboys had one real traditional style player in Quinton Bohanna, a rookie last year, and then some guys they hoped could fill the huge hole left by Urban in Trysten Hill, Osa Odighizuwa, Neville Gallimore, and Carlos Watkins. To beef up the position the Dallas Cowboys drafted John Ridgeway later in the draft.

So can the Dallas Cowboys stop the run with limited options at the traditional 1-technique position?

Before we get into the rest of the discussion, this is not a knock on any player on the roster, but rather looking at the history of each player and how they have faired to this point. Yes, we know that some of the guys have tried to add size this offseason, which should help, but to this point “what we know” versus “what we hope” are two different things.

So until training camp starts, and we all see how they intend to actually use each player, this is a question we don’t fully have an answer to, only a guess based on each player and the roster as it is known today.

While the hope is Gallimore, Hill, Watkins, and Osa can take snaps at the 1-tech position, to date, none of them have shown the consistency to play the position regularly or have held up well to the 1 gap assignments. This has led to some issues with the defense’s ability to stop the run.

Holding down the gap assignment allows other players to fill gaps and help stop the run. When a player is pushed off their gap, it allows for cut-backs and holes opening where there is no defender. The 49ers took advantage of this in the playoff game just last season.

Bohanna is the guy most built to take over for the departed Urban. He has the size and frame, but to date still needs technique and consistency work. Ridgeway should see some snaps this season as well, but both are young with Ridgeway yet to play a snap in the NFL. By not signing free agents the Cowboys have put all their hope into two young players without a lot of experience at the position.

While the edge position still has some questions in pass rush, there are other questions as to the depth at the position to also stop the run. However, teams last year seemed to focus on the center of the line and there is no reason that shouldn’t be the case this season as well.

For now, the Cowboys may have issues stopping the run up the middle, and training camp will have to focus on a solution for this. We have about two weeks until they see exactly what they have. Will they have it solved or will they have to find another solution? Time will tell.