Dallas spent most of the offseason trying to rebuild a pass rush that was almost non-existent last season.
Against Seattle, we finally got a look at some of the depth behind the bigger names, and I liked what I saw from the back-ups.
We watched as James Houston got to the quarterback, Tyrus Wheat and Reddy Steward combined for a sack. Isaiah Land made a splash play late in the game, and Malachi Lawrence didn’t record a sack, but his night still gave Dallas plenty to work with moving forward.
It wasn’t one player creating all the pressure. The defensive front kept the pressure coming from different places, and that’s what I expected from a Christian Parker defense, even if we watched the water-downed version.
Malachi Lawrence Has Work To Do
Malachi Lawrence gave us fans a glimpse of why Dallas liked him in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The burst and power could be seen against Seattle. He also held up against the run better than I expected. We even got to see snaps where he looked comfortable setting the edge instead of winning everything with speed.
But the false step the team has been trying to fix is still there.
Dallas has been working on that since he arrived. There were snaps where Lawrence got everything moving forward, and others where he had that wasted movement before getting into the pass rush. Watch and see if you see in the next game.
With a player like him, built around explosiveness, he can’t have wasted movement. His first step should be making tackles struggle, but the false step gives them a slight upper hand before he gets to them.
I still think the good outweighed the bad with Malachi Lawrence.
James Houston’s Role Should Expand
James Houston is a guy who needs more snaps, even if they only put him on the field in pass rush situations.
He got to Jalen Milroe and showed the same burst and bend we saw from him last year. I don’t think Houston needs 60 snaps a game, but a designated pass rusher role would benefit him and the defense.
If he can get 15–20 pass-rush snaps, that would make any offense have to account for him, or he will get to the quarterback.
I think he is the perfect type of rotational production for this new defense.
Wheat and Land Made a Good Case
Tyrus Wheat and Isaiah Land are fighting a different kind of battle. These two are trying to just survive roster cuts.
I think Wheat’s shared sack with Reddy Steward helped his case, slightly. However, one play doesn’t win a roster spot in most cases. Players in his position need enough good tape to show cutting them isn’t a good idea.
Land is in the same boat.
The only difference between these guys is Isaiah Land had a whole sack to himself. His fourth-down sack of Milroe came at just the right time and most likely bought him a few more looks Saturday.
Does Dallas Actually Have Some Depth?
I feel like this defense will not have to bring four pass rushers in the hopes at least one of them wins.
They can bring pressure from four different spots in this defense. Move people around and make the protection hesitate. That becomes more useful than just having one guy who brings all the pressure.
The second and third stringers looked better against Seattle than it did last year in any game.
James Houston can help this defense, Tyrus Wheat and Isaiah Land made plays, and Malachi Lawrence did enough against the run to be encouraged with his progress while still having things to work on.
I don’t say all this for you to get the idea that I think Dallas suddenly has one of the best pass rush fronts in football. I mean, come on, it’s August.
But the Cowboys might finally have enough bodies up front that the pass rush doesn’t disappear the minute the starters come off the field.
I feel that is a pretty good place to be after the first preseason game.
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