Dallas Cowboys 53-man: Which position group is strongest?

With the preseason officially over it is time to look towards the regular season. The Dallas  Cowboys in 2022 had more subtraction than addition over the offseason, losing players like La’el Collins and Amari Cooper. While offense might look thin on paper, I would argue the defense has gotten even stronger.

Dan Quinn really helped elevate this squad with what felt like it was essentially overnight. Mike Nolan really did nothing to assist the offense during his tenure, putting way too much pressure on Dak Prescott to carry the team through games. The squad led by Dan Quinn kept the Cowboys in games and in 2022 it is going to continue to build upon it’s bounce back season.

The position group I want to highlight today is the defensive line.

The Dallas Cowboys defensive line is the deepest group on the team

Led by DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons the group is full of athleticism and guys that are more the capable of getting to the quarterback. While Micah is by definition a linebacker, his ability to fly around the edge and play defensive line just as effectively as some of the best qualifies him for this group. But other than the guys at the top of the mountain the Cowboys have a lot to offer with their defensive tackles.

Trysten Hill has been considered a bust at times, and high level performance should not completely shake that stigma but he looked his absolute best these past three weeks.

The second rounder from 2019 was the 4th highest graded player on the Cowboys this preseason according to PFF and even recorded a defensive grade of 90.2 against the Chargers. In the preseason, he has recorded 2 pressures, a sack, one QB hit, and four tackles on 46 pass rushing snaps.

While I don’t expect him to beat out Osa Odighizuwa or Neville Gallimore for the starting spots being able to rely on Hill this season would be crucial for a 22nd ranked run defense in 2021. With an already solid secondary, and a less explosive offense, being able to prevent teams from dominating the TOP game through the run is going to be essential for grinding out games, especially in the 2nd half of the season post-bye week.

We’ve also production from guys like Sam Williams, Neville Gallimore, and Dante Fowler. Sam Williams is looking like a great depth piece for our offensive line. He was able to get a sack and make Charles Cross on the Seahawks look foolish in the process.

As we take a look at the players on the roster bubble who look unlikely to make it through, Carlos Watkins, John Ridgeway, and Tarrell Basham, who I wrote about week 1, they are still NFL level players. I’m hoping at least two of these three guys will be available once they clear waivers. I think of those three Basham might end up on a different roster that is in need of some defensive help.

Them being cut is not a result of their lack of ability but more the result of our plethora of options already built in to the defense. A situation such as this one should give fans hope that the Cowboys can compete at a consistent, high level throughout the 2022 season. The issue with the Cowboys is they often lose their legs in the 2nd half of the season.

With depth like this, that situation can be prevented, especially with a relatively light strength of schedule.