We already posted part one (offense) of this ’way too early’ prediction series. We will now turn to the side of the ball that will have most of our attention this offseason.
In part one, we did the Cowboys offense 53-man roster prediction using 25 total players. Now we will fill the other 28 spots with defense and special teams. Let’s dive in.
EDGE (5)
1. Rashan Gary
2. Donovan Ezeiruaku
3. Malachi Lawrence
4. James Houston
5. Sam Williams
Unlike in previous seasons, the edge rushers in Dallas are now technically outside linebackers instead of defensive ends. While their position title will change,
their roles and responsibilities will remain pretty similar. Rashan Gary is the main addition to this group. Despite his struggles down the stretch last season, the Cowboys are hoping Gary can return to his 2023 form in a hurry.
Behind Gary, the Cowboys are eagerly waiting the second-year jump for 2025 second-round pick Donovan Ezeiruaku. With Gary and Ezeiruaku expected to be the starters on week one, 2026 first-round pick Malachi Lawrence, James Houston, and Sam Williams round out the remaining spots. While this may feel a bit thin, we should expect help from a few other position groups when the Cowboys defense is in certain packages.
Defensive Tackle (5)
1. Quinnen Williams
2. Kenny Clark
3. Otito Ogbonnia
4. LT Overton
5. Jonathan Bullard
One of the position groups with the most turnover from 2025 to 2026 is the defensive tackle unit. Kenny Clark is the only returning defensive tackle who played the entire season with the Cowboys in 2025. Quinnen Williams will partake in his first offseason as a member of the Dallas Cowboys, and Otito Ogbonnia is a sneaky good addition by the Cowboys in free agency, given his position flexibility and true nose tackle potential.
Behind the top three, rookie fourth-round pick LT Overton is expected to play a role as a 4i, 5-tech, and 3-tech in Christian Parker’s defense. Jonathan Bullard was a late signing this offseason, but his ability to stop the run from the 4i and 5-technique spot gives the Cowboys quality depth at defensive tackle. With these five, second-year defensive tackle Jay Toia would be a likely practice squad candidate, as the Cowboys would like to keep him around if they can do so.
Linebacker (5)
1. DeMarvion Overshown
2. Dee Winters
3. Jaishawn Barham
4. Shemar James
5. Curtis Robinson
One of the more shocking developments from this offseason was the Cowboys not adding more star power to the linebacker position. After striking out on adding a linebacker in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft, the Cowboys made a trade for Dee Winters, a 17-game starter for the San Fransisco 49ers in 2025. Winters and Overshown will be the likely starters to break camp, but do not sleep on rookie third-rounder Jaishawn Barham who could surprise people in 2026.
Barham is likely to split time between off-the-ball linebacker and rushing off the edge in certain packages. Barham primarily played on the edge in 2025 for Michigan and was very impressive, but his 2024 tape at Michigan and 2023 tape at Maryland showed an NFL ready off-the-ball linebcker. Second-year linebacker Shemar James showed promise in 2025, so he will likely be back and given opportunities on defense and special teams. Curtis Robinson is more known for his special teams impact, but he’s another veteran who started three games last year for the 49ers.
Cornerback (5)
1. DaRon Bland
2. Shavon Revel Jr.
3. Cobie Durant
4. Devin Moore
5. Josh Butler
Realistically, we should probably be lumping the corners and safeties into one position group. Rookie first-round pick Caleb Downs is expected to play a ton of slot cornerback in 2026 and the Cowboys biggest free agent acquisition in years, Jalen Thompson, has experience playing in the nickel as well. With Downs and Thompson expected to cover a lot of the slot corner snaps, the Cowboys will likely go with just five cornerbacks, despite adding a bunch of new faces to their roster this offseason.
DaRon Bland will be working back from another foot injury, so it should not shock anyone if they decide to go deeper at the position to cover themselves in case Bland is slow coming back, or if second-year corner Shavon Revel Jr. does not show signs of developing from year one to year two. Another big addition in free agency came with former Rams cornerback Cobie Durant. Durant has started 29 games over the last two seasons for the Rams, and is likely going to push Revel and Bland for one of the starting cornerback jobs this offseason.
Devin Moore, a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft, had extremely impressive tape coming out of Florida, but his lengthy injury history pushed him to the fourth round and right into the Cowboys lap. While we should expect to see plenty of Bland and Revel in 2026, the cornerback room in Dallas could look very different in 2027, and it would not be shocking to see Devin Moore push for someone’s job sooner rather than later if he’s able to stay healthy.
With all the new addition to the cornerback room this offseason, it’s hard to determine who will be the fifth cornerback breaking camp. Josh Butler has played good football when healthy and given opportunities, but we’ve seen very little of Butler in recent years. Derion Kendrick, Trikweze Bridges, Reddy Steward, and Caelen Carson all have NFL experience and will put up a fight for a roster spot. For a position that was such an issue for the Cowboys in 2025, they have plenty of quality bodies to battle things out in camp. The surprise prediction here is that Butler sneaks onto the roster.
Safety (5)
1. Caleb Downs
2. Jalen Thompson
3. Malik Hooker
4. P.J. Locke
5. Alijah Clark
It has been a long time since Cowboys fans were this excited about the safety room entering the 2026 season. After years of Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson as starters, the Cowboys have four legit starting caliber safeties that can be difference makers on the defensive side of the ball. With Downs expected to start at the nickel, Jalen Thompson and Malik Hooker will likely be the team’s starting safeties.
We should expect to see a lot of P.J. Locke who has played for Christian Parker in Denver, and has been a quality role player for most of his career. With C.J. Goodwin likely not returning, the Cowboys will need someone to step up to play a major special teams role, and Alijah Clark is the perfect man for the job. Clark impressed on special teams in 2025, and should provide quality depth to the safety room heading into year two.
Special Teams (3)
1. Brandon Aubrey, K
2. Bryan Anger, P
3. Trent Sieg, LS
Welcome back fellas.
