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Ranking the Dallas Cowboys’ projected defensive starters for 2024

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Ranking the Dallas Cowboys’ projected defensive starters for 2024


The Dallas Cowboys are gearing up for the 2024 NFL season, and their defense will need to be special if they will be contenders.

With several key players returning and some new faces in the mix, let’s look at the projected starters and rank them based on what we expect to see from their performance on the field.

Jul 29, 2023; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Mazi Smith (58) wears a Guardian

Jul 29, 2023; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Mazi Smith (58) wears a Guardian / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Mazi Smith had a disappointing rookie season, so putting him any higher on this list wouldn’t feel right. The hope is that he thrives in Mike Zimmer’s system and can become the dominant run-stopper that they drafted him to be.

Jul 27, 2023; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown (35) wears a Guardian

Jul 27, 2023; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown (35) wears a Guardian / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Unfortunately for Overshown, he tore his ACL during the preseason, and we never saw him play during his rookie season. Reports say Overshown has put on some extra muscle during the offseason and the coaches are impressed with how he attacked the recovery process.

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I expect Overshown to be much higher on this list next year.

Jan 14, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Damone Clark (33) reacts after a

Jan 14, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Damone Clark (33) reacts after a / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Clark missed a significant chunk of his rookie campaign recovering from a neck injury he suffered at LSU. Last season, he started all 17 games for the Cowboys and had a solid year.

He needs to improve at stacking and shedding blocks in the run game, but he brings sideline-to-sideline speed and toughness to this defense.

Sep 24, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (6) runs against

Sep 24, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (6) runs against / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Malik Hooker joined the Cowboys in 2021, and he has been one of their better free-agent signings in recent memory.

While he’s not an all-pro type of safety, he is reliable and has done an excellent job playing coverage in the deep third of Dallas’ defense. Fortunately for the Cowboys, Hooker has been able to stay healthy, which he was never able to do during his time with the Indianapolis Colts.

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Oct 1, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA;  Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs (8) carries the

Oct 1, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs (8) carries the / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Eric Kendricks isn’t quite the player he used to be for the Minnesota Vikings, but he is still a solid linebacker. He’s smart, tough, and has a great feel for zone coverage. He is the perfect kind of mentor who should do wonders for the development of the young linebackers on this team.

Jan 7, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Dallas Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson (6) celebrates with

Jan 7, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Dallas Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson (6) celebrates with / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Donovan Wilson has been up and down over the past few seasons. But when he is healthy, he is a missile in the secondary.

Wilson is a pseudo-linebacker who plays like his hair is on fire and adds intensity to this team.

Oct 9, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa (97)

Oct 9, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa (97) / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Odighizuwa doesn’t get much love from the national media, but the coaches and players on this team know that he is a force. Osa is as tough as nails and does a lot of the dirty work on the interior of this defense. Dallas’ run defense would be hard to watch without Odighizuwa.

Jan 14, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (90) tackles

Jan 14, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (90) tackles / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Lawrence has been a cornerstone player for the Dallas Cowboys for a decade, and somehow, he is still criminally underrated. He is, arguably, the best run-defending EDGE in the entire NFL and has great versatility to play all over the defensive line.

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Ranking him as the fourth-best defensive player felt too low, but Dallas has some dominant players on the defensive side of the ball.

Jan 8, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs (7) gestures on the

Jan 8, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs (7) gestures on the / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

On most teams, Diggs would be their best defensive player. He missed most of the 2023 season with an ACL tear in his left knee, but he is expected to be ready for training camp.

When healthy, Diggs is a star and is a massive difference-maker for the defense.

Jan 7, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland (26) intercepts a pass

Jan 7, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland (26) intercepts a pass / Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

DaRon Bland followed up his stellar rookie season with an All-Pro year in 2023. Bland has quickly become one of the best young defensive backs in the league. He is the NFL record holder for interceptions returned for a touchdown in a season (5) and has 14 interceptions in his first two seasons. Bland is off to an all-time great start to his career.

Dec 30, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) stands on the

Dec 30, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) stands on the / Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

There was no doubt that Parsons would be at the top of this ranking. Micah is a generational talent and one of the best defensive players in all of football. Nothing more needs to be said.

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2026 Dallas Cowboys schedule officially announced

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2026 Dallas Cowboys schedule officially announced


Behold the 2026 Dallas Cowboys schedule.

We knew coming into Thursday that the Cowboys would be on the road to take on the New York Giants in the season opener on Sunday Night Football, that Dallas is “hosting” the Baltimore Ravens in Brazil in Week 3, and that the Philadelphia Eagles would be in town for Thanksgiving Day. Now we know it all.

Among the first things that jump to mind is that bye week is late. Dallas isn’t on bye until Week 14, the Sunday of that week is December 13th for full perspective.

The Cowboys also only play twice in their own building, thanks to the Brazil game, before November. Sometimes those weird quirks show up in schedules and this is certainly one of them.

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It is interesting to see that the NFL gave Dallas the longest amount of rest possible after their Thanksgiving tilt. It hasn’t been uncommon for the league to have the Cowboys play on consecutive Thursdays, but perhaps that is a thing of the past.



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Dallas Approves $180,500 for New Botham Jean Boulevard Street Signs

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Dallas Approves 0,500 for New Botham Jean Boulevard Street Signs


A portion of South Lamar Street was officially renamed Botham Jean Boulevard in 2021.

Flashit Photography

On Wednesday, the Dallas City Council approved funding that will replace highway exit signs and road signs marking Lamar Street with new signage honoring Botham Jean, the 26-year-old Dallas accountant who was fatally shot in his own apartment by an off-duty Dallas police officer in 2018. 

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The $180,500 in funding for 13 signs to be installed by the Texas Department of Transportation is the final step in the street renaming that was unanimously approved by the council in 2021. The new signs will be placed at exits along Interstate 45, State Highway 310 and U.S. Highway 175. 

Already, Botham Jean Boulevard signs run along the road in the Cedars, where Jean lived before he was killed. 

“This street on which he chose to live and the street on which he died can serve as a lasting memory of the upstanding resident who loved Dallas so much,” his mother, Allison Jean, told the council in 2021.  

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Jean was shot by Amber Guyger, a Dallas police officer, after she entered his apartment believing it was her own. A Dallas jury found Guyger guilty of murder in 2019 and sentenced her to 10 years in prison. She has also been ordered to pay the Jean family nearly $100 million in a civil trial, which accused her of using excessive force. 

The Jean family is seeking restitution from the city of Dallas because they argue that Dallas, as Guyger’s former employer, had a duty to defend Guyger and pay out claims brought against her. The Jean family filed suit against the city in April of this year.

On Wednesday, city council member Adam Bazaldua stated that the continued remembrance of Jean’s name is a reminder that “no one is above the law.” 

“This has never simply been about changing street signs; it has always been about commemorating a life that was taken too soon,” said Bazaldua. “When driving down Botham Jean Boulevard, we are reminded of the thousands of lives lost across the country each year to senseless gun violence.” 

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Bazaldua said that once city leaders were made aware that some signs from the initial 2021 street name change had not materialized, the horseshoe took steps to correct the oversight “somewhat promptly.” But he acknowledged that Wednesday’s funding came on the heels of community advocacy urging the project’s completion. 

Community leader Yafeuh Balogun said his organization, Community Movement Builders, began asking the city for the updated signs in September 2025. Addressing the council ahead of Wednesday’s vote, Balogun encouraged the horseshoe to vote in favor of the funds because it “would make no sense” to not follow through with the street renaming approved years ago. 

 “I think this is very powerful simply because driving here today, I still saw the Lamar Street Signs,” Balogun said. “I remember how powerful it was back in 2021 when the city council voted to rename Lamar Street to Botham Jean. I’d like to keep that legacy going.” 



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World Cup volunteers receive uniforms, new tickets released

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World Cup volunteers receive uniforms, new tickets released


We’re less than a month out from the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and North Texans volunteering in the event have received their uniforms. FOX 4’s Peyton Yager has more on that and the new hospitality tickets released today.



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