With a change not only at defensive coordinator, but a change in philosophy under Christian Parker, the Dallas Cowboys have undergone several personnel changes. One area that has undergone the most significant shakeup is along the defensive line. Dallas traded away Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas, with the former going to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a third-round pick. Instead of prioritizing smaller, penetrating defensive tackles, the Cowboys are now looking to add size to Parker’s
3-4 front. This means the heart of the defensive line is crucial for the success of the defense in 2026. Here’s a look at the interior defensive line group.
Quinnen Williams
Dallas made headlines when the team traded Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for two first-round picks. The Cowboys parlayed one of those draft picks into a deal at the trade deadline that netted them Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets. With the move, the Cowboys added one of the best interior defensive linemen in the league.
Williams is one of the most decorated players at his position. He was an All-Pro in 2022 and has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last four seasons. He has a rare combination of brute strength and terrific quickness. He’s a disruptive player who can change outcomes in both the passing and running game. The Cowboys have Williams under contract for at least the next two seasons. The team shored up the middle with a top-tier talent.
Kenny Clark
Kenny Clark was the player asset in the Parsons trade. Clark also had a pretty solid résumé before joining the Cowboys as a multi-Pro Bowler. There were thoughts that Clark could be a cap casualty, but the Cowboys reworked his contract to convert some of his salary into an $11M roster bonus that saved the team cap space. With that transaction, the Cowboys are primed to move forward with Clark in the fold.
That said, Clark needs to perform much better than he did last season. He was on the ground far too many times than you’d like to see, or caught out of position. That has somewhat to do with the porous defense around him, led by Matt Eberflus. Clark will try to regain the form he had with the Packers. His presence, along with Williams, should keep things cleaner for the linebackers behind them.
Otito Ogbonnia
For this new defense under Christian Parker to work, Dallas needed to get better in the middle of their defensive front. They feel they certainly have with the addition of Otito Ogbonnia. The 6’4″, 320 lb. Ogbonnia will be tasked with anchoring the defense as the nose tackle and will be asked to occupy multiple gaps. He won’t provide much in terms of a pass rusher, but he will help to stop the run and has enough mobility to get to ball carriers laterally at the line of scrimmage. The Cowboys feel like they addressed a core need, and for a bargain at that. Ogbonnia joins the Cowboys at a low cost point of $2.75M dollars for one season. Ogbonnia could possibly play at all of the interior defensive lineman spots.
Jonathan Bullard
Dallas also added veteran Jonathan Bullard. Bullard should fit in nicely as a rotational five-technique defensive end. Over his ten-year career, he has started 59 games, which gives Dallas tons of experience. He’s much more valuable as a run defender than a pass rusher and is a very sure tackler. Bullard is a smart signing for the Cowboys, who get a core depth piece for a bargain.
Jay Toia
You could say that the Cowboys’ trying to improve on the interior has been in the works for some time. Last year, the Cowboys drafted two defensive tackles in Tommy Akingbesote and Jay Toia. The former is no longer with the team, but the Cowboys have stuck by Toia and hope to see better than he demonstrated last season as a rookie. Per PFF, Toia had an overall grade of 29.9 and three tackles on 89 snaps. Dallas still likes his potential, given his size and strength. He should be able to carve out a role for himself this season with an increased workload.
