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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

The dust has settled from the 2024 NFL schedule release, and now the Dallas Cowboys faithful are going over the team’s week-to-week opponents ad nauseam.

There have been season record predictions for the Cowboys and plenty of analysis while we wait for the start of OTAs and training camp.

In the meantime, there is plenty of other news around the NFL and Cowboys Nation, from early betting odds for the season to roster battles to ridiculous soundbites from the coaches.

While we prepare for the weekend, let’s take a look at some of the Cowboys news making waves on the internet.

The Cowboys open the 2024 NFL season on the road against the Cleveland Browns in a game that the oddsmakers view as a virtual pick ’em. However, they are favored in a majority of their games throughout the year.

According to DraftKings, the Cowboys are favored in 14 of the team’s 17 games this season.

The Browns are listed as a one-point favorite, the San Francisco 49ers game is not listed, and the road game against the division rival Eagles has Dallas as two-point dogs.

A full breakdown can be seen on The Cowboys Wire.

There have been a number of questions about the Cowboys offense after the team watched star players leave in free agency and failed to sign any big names of their own.

However, Dallas has some young talent on its roster that now has experience which should translate to improvements on the field in 2024.

The wide receivers and tight ends are the position groups to watch, with players like Jalen Tolbert, KaVonte Turpin, and rookie Ryan Flournoy should add depth to the receiving corp, while tight ends Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker should continue to blossom. (Blogging the Boys)

Dak Prescott’s passer rating vs. all 2024 opponents… Ranking the best players the Cowboys will face in 2024… Jerry Jones says the ACM Awards are a “perfect fit” for the Cowboys… This will be the most critical stretch of the Cowboys’ 2024 season… NFL Week 1 opening betting lines and totals… The best and worst NFL schedule release videos… Here is the Cowboys’ 2024 preseason schedule.

Individual results for the 2024 UIL state tennis championships can be found below.

UIL TENNIS STATE TOURNAMENT

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

(at Annemarie Tennis Center, San Antonio)

CLASS 6A SEMIFINALS

BOYS SINGLES: Luke Riezebeek, Aus. Westlake d. Aidan Xu, Katy Seven Lakes, 4-6, 6-0, 6-3

Allan Xu, Katy Seven Lakes d. Juno Pethe, TW College Park, 7-5, 6-2.

BOYS DOUBLES: Sibi Raja/Aditya Paravasthuramesh, RR Westwood d. Andy Li/Rushil Rajpal, SL Carroll, 6-2, 6-1.

Danny Zhang/Leon Chen, Round Rock Westwood d. Brady Enstrom/Benjamin Vo, Tomball Memorial, 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-3.

GIRLS SINGLES: Michelle Li, Hou. Memorial d. Ahona Chowdury, The Woodlands, 6-2, 6-2.

Ally Lin, Katy Taylor d. Alexandra Patton, Coppell, 6-3, 6-2.

GIRLS DOUBLES: Anwi Duduka/Dana Kardonik, RR Westwood d. Audrey Deatherage/Sophie Miller, Tyler Legacy, 6-4, 7-5.

Chelsie Son/Saheba Singh, Allen d. Jastine Escamos/Angela Shu, Fort Bend Clements, 6-1, 6-2.

MIXED DOUBLES: Gabriel Segubiense/Elizabeth Shu, Fort Bend Clements d. Eli Sam/Albany Pulido, The Woodlands, 6-4, 6-4.

Gopal Koduri/Cody Huang, Plano West d. Willow Dymkowski/Danny Karia, Austin, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5.

CLASS 5A SEMIFINALS

(at Annemarie Tennis Center, San Antonio)

BOYS SINGLES: William Gu, Austin LASA d. Matteo Mejia, Prosper Walnut Grove, 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (Ret).

Noey Do, Fort Bend Kempner d. Blake Anderson, Prosper Walnut Grove, 6-3, 6-1.

BOYS DOUBLES: Shriyan Daggumalli/Aarav Sangan, Fr. Centennial d. Paxton O’Shea/Ford Elizondo, College Station, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Eduardo Cruz/Akshay Kommineni, Fr. Centennial d. Michael Lanni Jr/Yan Terekhin, Friendswood, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

GIRLS SINGLES: Meghna Arun Kumar, Argyle d. Shriya Aviur, Fr. Independence, 6-0, 6-0.

Maya Diyashev, College Station d. Jenny Su, CC Veterans Memorial, 6-0, 6-0.

GIRLS DOUBLES: Ella Wertz/Mariella Davie, Fr. Wakeland d. Alissyn Chan/Juhitha Kashidi, Leander Glenn, 6-0, 6-1.

Emilia Gyorgy/Sara Gyorgy, Grapevine d. Ryan Sallee/Rylie Marafioto, SA MacArthur, 6-0, 6-0.

MIXED DOUBLES: Andrea Delgado/Sebastian Delgado, Richmond Foster d. Brandon Cowling/Kate Delgado, Abi. Wylie, 7-6(4), 6-1.

Aaditt Rishi/Addison Rosser, Fr. Lebanon Trail d. Trevor Short/Hope Willis, Abi. Wylie, 7-6(4), 6-3

CLASS 4A SEMIFINALS

BOYS SINGLES: Emilio Rodriguez, Lindale d. Owen Labay, Boerne, 6-3, 6-0.

Malcolm Moore, Pinkston d. Kaden Slider, Robinson, 6-3, 6-1.

BOYS DOUBLES: Daxon Betzen/Bryson Shelton, Canyon Randall d. Hayden Harry/Kalvin Dryman, Lindale, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3.

Caden Coker/Owen Ruiz, Burkburnett d. Carson LaJone/Charleston Sanders, Wills Point, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.

GIRLS SINGLES: Rylee Michna, Taylor d. Amanni Karera, Stafford, 6-3, 6-0.

Aracely Salinas, CC West Oso d. Ella Dudley, Hereford, 6-2, 6-4.

GIRLS DOUBLES: Tatum Salinas/Alyssa Van Zandt, Burnet d. Brylee Jesko/Brooke Febstock, Canyon, 6-3, 6-3.

Kynlee Craddock/Gabriella DiShong, Canyon Randall d. Kennedy Carson/Kate Carson, Wimberley, 6-3, 7-5.

MIXED DOUBLES: Scout Adams/Cooper Richardson, Canyon West Plains d. Brady Oakley/Linsy London, China Spring, 6-2, 6-3.

Macy Betzen/Brandon Ysaguirre, Hereford d. Lynleigh Henderson/Andy Tye, Tex. Pleasant Grove, 6-2, 6-0.

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