Dallas, TX
The Marshawn Kneeland pick seems a lot about the future for the Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys looked to be considering a trade back scenario when they were on the clock in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but ultimately they decided to pick at 56. Marshawn Kneeland was the selection, ranked number 32 overall by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler which is a high vote of confidence, and it felt a bit odd in the overall landscape of where the Cowboys are at right now.
While Kneeland certainly offers a lot of potential and has traits that can seemingly be developed (his size alone is impressive, but that he was so productive at Western Michigan while still learning how to rush is exciting), it is an interesting selection in the second round.
Ideally you walk away with someone in the second round who you can plug and play right away. With DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons as the team’s primary edge rushers (not to mention Sam Williams), snaps will be hard to come by for Kneeland, similar to how they were for Williams throughout his rookie year of 2022.
In fact, we are just now entering a point in time where Williams is expected to see a legitimate workload and a big reason for that is the departure of Dorance Armstrong in free agency. It seems as if the Cowboys are looking at the future in a similar way with Kneeland because this coming year is the final one on DeMarcus Lawrence’s contract.
It is a good and wise thing that the Cowboys are planning for the future so soundly, and taking swings at important positions like pass rushers is certainly not a bad thing. But again, you would have liked to have seen someone who can offer a little bit more right away given the amount of needs the team entered the draft with. Also if we are going to subscribe to a methodology of being forward-thinking (which we should!) how about applying that same disposition to contract extensions?
This discussion is not meant to take away from Kneeland as he is indeed a fun player who can potentially turn into something exciting for the Cowboys; however, this seems about 2025 more than anything barring any sort of surprise.
DeMarcus Lawrence was a second-round pick himself 10 years ago. My how time flies.
Morton started 15 games in 1972 for an injured Staubach, who eventually returned in the playoffs. The Cowboys decided to trade Morton in 1974 to the Giants, who sent back a first-round pick, which turned out to be the No. 2 overall pick in 1975. The Cowboys used that selection to take Randy White, a 10-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer.
Ironically enough, White’s best game was likely Super Bowl XII, when he was named Co-MVP with Harvey Martin. The Cowboys’ Doomsday defense dominated the Broncos, who were quarterbacked by Morton.
Overall, Morton played for the Cowboys, Giants and Broncos before officially retiring at the end of the 1982 season.
His career ended with 27,908 passing yards, ranking him 71st in NFL history, just ahead of Hall of Famer Joe Namath (27,663).
With the official NFL schedule coming this week, the Dallas Cowboys have revealed when, where and against who their Week 1 contest will be.
The Cowboys announced that they will square off against the New York Giants on the road in Week 1, with the game set for Sunday, Sept. 13, at 7:20 p.m. CT. So, it’s prime time for the Cowboys to start the season.
This is the second game we know about for the Cowboys this year. Of course, we know they will be playing on Thanksgiving, also.
The official schedule will drop on May 14, the NFL announced last week. Schedules for all 32 teams will be revealed on ESPN and the NFL Network, but each team will unveil its own schedule on social media, also.
The Cowboys were always likely to play a road game in Week 1 because of an Usher and Chris Brown concert taking place at AT&T Stadium that week.
Dallas will also be impacted by an Ed Sheeran concert in Week 7, so that’s another potential road game. They could also play on Monday or Thursday that week, or have a bye.
Cowboys’ strength of schedule
According to Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis, the Cowboys are not going to have an easy road to make the postseason.
The Cowboys have the fourth-toughest schedule in the NFL going into the 2026 season, with only the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers having tougher slates.
Dallas’ schedule is also the third-toughest in the NFC, and the most difficult in the NFC East.
Sharp does his strength of schedule rankings based on win totals from Vegas oddsmakers rather than utilizing the previous season’s records because that metric doesn’t factor in offseason changes.
The Cowboys will play home games against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders.
On the road, Dallas will square off against the Giants, Eagles, Commanders, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers.
Of those opponents, seven of them made the postseason in 2025, a list that includes the Jaguars, 49ers, Eagles, Texans, Rams, Seahawks and Packers.
All of those teams should be as good in 2026, and teams like the Colts, Titans, Ravens, Bucs, Giants and Commanders have a very real chance to be improved as well.
It won’t be an easy road for Dallas to get back to the playoffs in 2026, but there’s at least hope following a defensive overhaul.
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