Let us be honest about one thing right out of the gate. Trying to replace Micah Parsons is no easy task. The team’s former star pass rusher is a generational talent who is a nightmare for opposing coaches because he can beat you in so many ways. Parsons is a guy with explosive get off, insane bend, and track star speed who goes from zero to sack before the offensive lineman has gotten out of his stance. His greatest trick is his extreme versatility. He can play inside or outside on the defensive
line, or he can just stand up and play as a traditional off-ball linebacker. You can deploy him literally anywhere on the field and expect chaos to follow.
But enough about that guy. The Dallas Cowboys have guys, too, only up until recently, they didn’t have very many guys. Unfortunately, they don’t have a single player who can replicate what Parsons can do. Who does? Instead of searching for another unicorn, the front office took a different approach and decided to build their own monster by committee. In less than two months, the Cowboys have added an assorted group of players who collectively bring an entire arsenal of different, highly specialized traits to the table. If you cannot have one superhero who does it all, you might as well build the Avengers of pass rushing.
The fun started when the Cowboys executed a deal with the friendly trade partners, the Green Bay Packers, to bring in Rashan Gary in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick. Gary brings a good combination of power and speed with a relentless drive. He uses his long arms to push through blockers, collapsing the pocket and creating continuous pressure on the quarterback. He is a fantastic edge-setting run defender who makes life tough on opposing running backs.
The addition of Gary is fine, but where’s that lightning-fast pass rush going to come from? We’re glad you asked because that brings us to Central Florida’s Malachi Lawrence, the team’s 23rd overall pick this year. Lawrence is a pass rusher who is all about sudden explosiveness. He has an explosive first step and brings a deep bag of pass-rushing moves to the field. He isn’t very bendy, but he surprisingly does a good job of flattening his angle to the quarterback, scrapping his way around the edge with pure peskiness. With his long arms and excellent hand usage, he will give offensive tackles fits on passing downs.
But the Cowboys weren’t done. In the third round of the draft, the front office scooped up Michigan tweener Jaishawn Barham. Last year, he was attacking the quarterback, but before that, he was hanging back a little and chasing down anything that moved. Barham is dynamic and highly explosive with great length that allows him to turn incredibly sharp corners on his way to the backfield. He is a physical defender who offers the flexibility to play as an off-ball linebacker or an edge pass rusher. He plays with a wild, high-energy style that makes him incredibly disruptive to whatever the offense is trying to accomplish.
Finally, the Cowboys added even more muscle in the fourth round by drafting Alabama defensive end LT Overton. If Lawrence is the race car and Barham is the demolition derby car, then Overton is the monster truck. He plays with a wide base and incredibly heavy hands that make him a dominant, stout run stopper. Overton brings raw power and relentless fight, creating devastating bull rushes. He has great balance, long arms, and plenty of experience playing all across the defensive line.
The Cowboys now have a player for every single defensive end flavor you could possibly want. Sure, it might take a combination of four different players to replicate the vast array of skills that walked out the door with Parsons, but this team finally has some serious weaponry to work with. It is going to be fun watching the coaching staff mix and match these new pieces to create headaches for the rest of the league. Get excited, Cowboys’ fans, because this new look defensive line offers some intriguing upside.
