Dallas’ 24–16 loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday night provided very little to celebrate and left Cowboys fans feeling extremely frustrated. However, Malachi Lawrence gave the Cowboys something to build on. The first-round edge defender provided their only sack on a night when the defense struggled to get off the field. Tampa Bay rushed for 241 yards, leaving plenty for the young defenders and veterans to improve on.
But here is how each rookie fared this week, listed in draft order, and any undrafted
players worth noting after that.
Caleb Downs
(72 defensive snaps | 4 tackles | 0 TFL | 0 sacks | 0 INT | 0 passes defended)
Downs had a mixed night. PFF charged him with just one completion for no gain, but also two missed tackles against the run. On a night when Dallas needed its last line of defense to finish plays, those misses mattered. His coverage numbers were encouraging, but his tackling needs to be cleaner, a common theme among all the Cowboys defensive players on Thursday.
Malachi Lawrence
(27 defensive snaps | 2 tackles | 1 TFL | 1 sack | 0 INT | 1 pass defended | 3 pressures)
Lawrence had a standout week among the rookie class this week. His third-quarter sack pushed Jalon Daniels back 11 yards, and he generated three pressures on just 10 pass-rush snaps which is encouraging. This is a strong return from limited opportunities, and another reason to expand his role. The next step is to sustain that disruption with a bigger workload and see what he can handle going forward.
Jaishawn Barham
(57 defensive snaps | 7 tackles | 0 TFL | 0 sacks | 0 INT | 0 passes defended | 0 pressures)
Barham supplied some resistance, he was credited with five run stops. He allowed only five yards on two coverage targets, although a crucial missed run tackle blemished his night. His individual production offered encouragement despite the defense’s collective struggles. His seven tackles were the most among the rookies and second-most on the team.
LT Overton
(23 defensive snaps | 1 tackle | 0 TFL | 0 sacks | 0 INT | 0 passes defended | 1 pressure)
Overton managed one pressure on eight rushes, but his overall impact was limited. One tackle and no backfield finish made this a quiet outing. The best way to put this is Dallas needs more disruption from its rotational defensive linemen.
