Dallas, TX
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.
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.
Dallas, TX
Dallas weighs $500 million‑plus repair plans as City Hall’s future comes up for debate
Dallas, TX
Dallas weather: Flash flooding strands vehicles near DFW Airport after heavy rain
DALLAS – Slow-moving thunderstorms brought localized flash flooding to parts of North Texas on Tuesday evening, blocking highways near Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and dropping several inches of rain in portions of Tarrant and Parker counties.
Flash Flood Warnings
Local perspective:
Flash flood warnings are in effect for Hopkins, Hunt, Rains and Van Zandt counties until 7:45 p.m.
Flooding was reported along Texas 183 near Valley View Lane south of DFW Airport, where stranded vehicles and water-covered roadways created hazardous travel conditions.
A flash flood warning remained in effect near the airport, although rainfall rates had begun to diminish as the storm weakened.
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings
The National Weather Service also issued a severe thunderstorm warning for northern Hood County, citing the potential for gusty winds and small hail. Forecasters reported hail ranging from pea-sized to marble-sized in parts of Hood, Parker and Denton counties.
Forecasters attributed the weakening storms in Denton County to an outflow boundary, a meteorological feature that can disrupt thunderstorm development.
The warning area was reduced as the storm weakened near sunset.
LIVE RADAR
What they’re saying:
FOX 4’s Kylie Capps said the storms moved unusually slowly from east to west, allowing heavy rain to accumulate over the same areas for several hours.
Rainfall estimates showed some locations in eastern Parker County and western Tarrant County received nearly 5 inches of rain during a six-hour period, while areas near DFW Airport recorded more than 2 inches.
Elsewhere in North Texas, northern Rains County received nearly 5 inches of rain.
7-Day Forecast
What’s next:
Forecasters expect a quieter overnight period, with only isolated showers lingering into the evening. Additional thunderstorms are possible Wednesday afternoon, though coverage and the threat of severe weather are expected to remain limited.
Temperatures are forecast to reach about 90 degrees Wednesday.
Rain chances are expected to continue through the remainder of the workweek and into the weekend as an upper-level low-pressure system sends multiple disturbances across North Texas.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by FOX 4’s Weather Team
Dallas, TX
Dallas Cowboys’ Path To NFC East Crown Gets Easier After June 1 NFL Trade Frenzy
Monday was a wild day for the NFL with two blockbuster trades. First was Myles Garrett, who both the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles were rumored to have interest in.
Cowboys fans never bought into these rumors, knowing that Jerry Jones was unlikely to make such an investment. The Eagles, however, have been known to get aggressive. Thankfully for Dallas fans, they didn’t make the move as the Cleveland Browns sent Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams for Jared Verse and a package of picks.
Not long after that trade was finalized, the Eagles did wind up making a trade. After months of speculation surrounding A.J. Brown and the New England Patriots, the two sides made it official as Brown was reunited with Mike Vrabel in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder.
Dallas Cowboys could take the NFC East crown in 2026
The writing has been on the wall all offseason regarding Brown, who has been unhappy with the Eagles for a while. His departure seemed confirmed when they traded up with Dallas in the 2026 NFL draft for USC receiver Makai Lemon.
While Lemon has the tools to be a difference-maker, he won’t be able to perform at the same level as Brown during his rookie season. The Eagles do still have DeVonta Smith at receiver as well as running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts.
That said, there’s no denying that they’re weaker this season than they were with Brown. Just as important, however, is the fact that general manager Howie Roseman didn’t pull off a shocking move for Garrett, which would have made them the overwhelming favorites in the division.
Cowboys chances hinge on defensive changes
Another reason the Cowboys are confident they can hang with Philadelphia this season is the presence of Christian Parker, who they hired as their defensive coordinator after he spent the past two seasons as the passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach with the Eagles.
Parker brings in a new scheme and plenty of confidence, but more importantly, he has several new weapons at his disposal. Dallas traded for veterans Rashan Gary and Dee Winters, signed Jalen Thompson and Cobie Durant, and selected Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence in the draft.
Those are just some of the moves they made on defense, and they’re banking on that to be enough to help propel them past the team that has won the division the past two seasons.
— Sign up for the Cowboys Daily Digest newsletter for more free coverage from Dallas Cowboys on SI —
Follow
-
Colorado2 minutes agoColorado governor vetoes block on surveillance pricing as other states push for bans
-
Connecticut7 minutes agoAfternoon forecast for June 3
-
Delaware14 minutes ago
FOX43 News
-
Florida17 minutes agoRainy stretch continues in South Florida
-
Georgia22 minutes agoPrices climb as Georgia gas tax break ends
-
Hawaii29 minutes agoBystander video shows damage after concrete falls at Ala Moana Center
-
Idaho32 minutes agoSecretary of State: Idaho’s rapid growth is reshaping state politics
-
Illinois37 minutes ago104th Illinois General Assembly passes bills for immigration, technology