Cowboys player under most pressure entering 2026 NFL season

The Cowboys picked up three-time Pro Bowler Kenny Clark and two first-round draft choices. Parsons was a player who could take over a game on defense — and he did that for the Packers after the trade. The Cowboys are hoping that former Packer Rashan Gary can step up for the defense and give this unit the drive it needs to get the Cowboys back into the playoffs.

The pressure is on the Cowboys defense to demonstrate enough improvement that the team can dream about getting back to the heights it was at during the glory days of the franchise.

Of course, there is plenty of heat on Prescott because he is the quarterback of America’s Team. He will have to come through under the most challenging circumstances.

The Cowboys quarterback can light up the scoreboard by throwing the ball to Pickens, Lamb and Ferguson or handing the ball to stud running back Javonte Williams. The bigger question is whether the defense is going to improve enough for the Cowboys to return to glory in the NFC East.

Last year’s defense ranked among the worst in the NFL for first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer. The Cowboys gave up an average of 377.0 yards per game, a figure that ranked 30th among the league’s 32 teams. The only teams that gave up more yards were the Bengals and the Commanders.

Cowboys have to pick up their sack totals

Additionally, the Cowboys struggled badly when it came to getting to the quarterback. They had just 35 sacks in 17 games, and they tied for 22nd in that category. Jadeveon Clowney led the team with 8.5 sacks, but he remains an unsigned free agent at this point.

The key for the Cowboys in this area will be the performance of Gary. He had 7.5 sacks, 45 tackles, 7 tackles for loos and 20 quarterback hits. Gary has been consistent throughout his career, registering between 6.0 and 9.5 sacks in each of the last five seasons.

“The film speaks for itself,” Gary told Jon Machota, the Cowboys’ beat writer from The Athletic. “I’m a dog, man. I play with a lot of effort and I cause a lot of pressure. I don’t think anybody likes to go against me. I’m bringing the same energy, the same hustle, the same mentality.”

Gary has a game-changing mentality and has produced good number. However, the Cowboys are going to need more from him along with interior defensive linemen Quinnen Williams and Clark. Williams came over from the Jets after a midseason trade. While he had a career-best 12.0 sacks in 2022 for the Jets, the Cowboys are not counting on him reaching double figures. However, he can use his strength and power to crush the middle of the offensive line and create opportunities for his teammates.

Clark is a 10-year veteran who played first nine seasons of his career with the Green Bay Packers before competing for the Cowboys last season. The 6-3, 315-pound Clark had 36 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 6 tackles for loss and 9 quarterback hits last year. He is a steady force who can weaken opposing offensive linemen with his size and strength.

Gary and UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence, one of the team’s first-round draft choices, should benefit from having Williams in the middle of the defensive line. So should Donovan Ezeiruaku, the defensive end the Cowboys drafted in the second round from Boston College in 2025.

The Cowboys are counting on Gary and their defensive linemen to put opposing quarterbacks on the ground. If they can improve in this area, this team has a chance to play in the postseason.