The Dallas Cowboys enter the 2025 season with one glaring weakness that could derail a successful season: their run defense.
In 2024, Dallas allowed 25 rushing touchdowns, the most in the NFL, and opposing backs routinely found success in short yardage. If the Cowboys want to compete with the NFC’s heavyweights, they must add an actual run-stopping defensive tackle.
With NFL roster cuts finalized today, several intriguing big men are suddenly available. Three names in particular—C.J. Okoye, Jordan Jefferson, Desmond Watson, and Zaach Pickens—stand out as potential answers to Dallas’ most pressing need.
Let’s break down how each could immediately impact the Cowboys’ run defense.
C.J. Okoye: Sheer Size and Untapped Upside
C.J. Okoye, a former NFL International Pathway player, is as unique as they come.
At 6’6” and roughly 370 pounds, Okoye brings elite size and length at the nose tackle position. His journey began with a viral sack in his very first game action and his raw traits remain impossible to ignore.
In his first game as a Raven, 6-foot-6, 370-pound CJ Okoye rocked Daniel Jones for a QB hit.
An International Pathway Program player from Nigeria, Okoye is an ascending player.
"[He's] making good use of all that size he has. He's come light years," John Harbaugh said. pic.twitter.com/1OxP2bSnrt
— Ryan Mink (@ryanmink) August 12, 2025
For the Cowboys, Okoye represents the chance to plug the middle of the defense and eat double-teams on early downs.
While his technique is still developing, his mass and strength could keep linebackers like Micah Parsons and Marist Liufau free to make plays downhill.
If Dallas needs a goal-line wall and an anchor against power runs, Okoye is tailor-made for that role.
Jordan Jefferson: Low Pad Leverage and SEC Toughness
A surprise cut from Jacksonville, Jordan Jefferson brings a different profile than Okoye. At 6’2”. 316 pounds, Jefferson thrives on leverage and hand placement.
His college career at LSU showed he could consistently hold the point of attack against top-tier SEC linemen, and his preseason snaps displayed flashes of disciplined gap control.
For Dallas, Jefferson could slot in as a rotational 1-tech who helps stabilize early downs.
His compact build makes him harder to move than his weight suggests, and he’s capable of shedding blocks to plug cutback lanes.
Strike/Peek/Shed by Jordan Jefferson (@_JJefferson_95). Jefferson strikes his blocker, peeks/controls his gap & stays patient. When RB cuts back towards him, Jefferson sheds & makes the tackle!
Bringing sled work to the games! #StopTheRun #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/r9HUi0bteI
— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) November 12, 2024
He may not provide as much as a pass rusher yet, but as a first-down and second-down run defender, Jefferson fits exactly what Dallas lacked in 2024.
Desmond Watson: The Tush-Push Terminator
At 6’6” and close to 450 pounds, Desmond Watson is one of the largest players professional football has ever seen.
Recently waived by Tampa Bay, Watson’s conditioning remains a work in progress, but his potential impact in a specialized role is undeniable.
Dallas doesn’t need him playing 30 snaps a game. They need him to line up in goal-line and 3rd-and-1 situations, where his sheer size makes it nearly impossible to move him off the ball.
https://twitter.com/247Sports/status/1572615106265223170
Even 8–10 snaps of Watson clogging the middle could be the difference between opponents scoring touchdowns or settling for field goals.
Zaach Pickens: Familiar Face, Different Place
Another intriguing option is Zaach Pickens, who was recently let go by Chicago.
Pickens was originally a 3rd-round pick in 2023 and spent two off-seasons developing under then-Bears head coach Matt Eberflus, not the Cowboys defensive coordinator.
That connection could make Dallas an ideal landing spot.
At 6’4”, 300 pounds, Pickens combines length and athleticism, flashing the ability to hold his ground in run support while also providing some pass-rush juice.
Zacch Pickens is a natural 3-Tech and I will not rest until he gets a shot at the position.
Here, the #Bears bump their front in response to motion & kick Pickens into a 3-Tech alignment… then he explodes off the line, draws a hold, & sets up the 2nd INT.
Give him his shot! pic.twitter.com/mPQlEuSE3f
— Robert Schmitz (@robertkschmitz) November 21, 2023
His familiarity with Eberflus’ system means he could make a quicker transition than other cut-day options, potentially plugging into the rotation without a long learning curve.
For the Cowboys, Pickens isn’t just another body—he’s a player with scheme familiarity who could reinforce the middle while still offering upside as a rotational 3-tech or 1-tech.
If Dallas wants both a run-stopper and someone who understands Eberflus’ defensive principles, Pickens could be the best blend of fit and familiarity.
The Cowboys Do Not Need More Interior
Rushers
The Cowboys don’t need another finesse lineman or undersized interior rusher—they need a true run-stopper.
Whether it’s C.J. Okoye, the leverage technique of Jordan Jefferson, or the situational gravity of Desmond Watson, Dallas has multiple cut-day options to fix their defensive soft spot.
If the Cowboys want to transform their defense from talented but inconsistent into championship-caliber, the front office must act fast.
Adding one of these run-stopping tackles could turn their biggest weakness into a strength—and unlock the full potential of Matt Eberflus’ defense.
Solid no on Watson. He needs a whole season to get into shape. As for the rest of them, flip a coin..
a Dallas Cowboys fan, since the 70’s the only money Jerry Jones needs to focus on spending is on players like George Pickens and Micah Parsons and any other expiring contracts on the Cowboys roster
Not happening. They appear to have an aversion to trying to stop the run.
It would be insane not to add Okoye or Jefferson and cut Mazi.
Insanity, thy name is Jones.
All this problem is because the Boys had a bad draft. Booker solves no problem . Had the Boys taken 331# Grant at 12, the ongoing issue of size in the line would be mostly solved. Now, the Boys are left sorting through the rubbish bin or more likely the plan– doing nothing and being run over while yelling what great pass rushers they have.
Your crazy!! Booker solves a big problem!! We needed a new RG after Zach Martin retired!! We can’t run the ball, and keep Dak on his feet without offensive linemen!! A football game isn’t all about DTs stopping the run!! You seriously need to learn how football works!! Just because our group of DTs aren’t the best, it doesn’t mean we should’ve drafted Grant ahead of Booker!! We needed Booker more!! Yeah, teams mite be able to run on us every now and then, but our DTs are good enough to keep the other teams RB from running on us all game long!! And they’re not gonna run the ball all game long anyways!! They’ll have to pass the ball too and we’ll have to score points to win those games, and we can’t score points without a good group of offensive linemen!! And that’s why it was better to draft Booker!! And DTs aren’t the only players that can stop the run either!! RBs don’t always run up the middle, they run to the outside too, and that’s what LBs and safeties are for they’ll be there to help DTs and edge rushers when they are being blocked!! So DTs aren’t as important as having a really good offensive linemen!!
I don’t expect Jones to address the big need at the nose position. He wants Mazi Smith to perform a miracle. Jones can’t face another first round bust as he had with Guyton and Taco Charlton.
You don’t know what your talking about!! First of all, Guyton is only going into his 2nd year, so calling him a bust already is stupid!! Secondly, Guyton wasn’t even that bad in his rookie year!!
And Mazi isn’t a bust either!! If you knew anything about football, you would know that Mazi has been through a lot in his short career!! There’s no player that has to go through what Mazi went through and end up being the player they were supposed to be!! Not only did Mazi have to go through 3 different defensive coordinators in his first 3 years in the NFL, but he also had to change his weight in every one of those years too!! Mazi is good enough where he would’ve been fine dealing with the new defensive coordinators every year, but going from college at a certain weight to being drafted and being asked to lose a bunch of weight and play a different style than he’s used to playing, and then by the time he starts getting used to it the defensive coordinator leaves and a new one comes in and asks him to gain all that weight back and go back to the way he used to play, and then by the time he gets back into playing that way, he has yet another defensive coordinator come in and makes him lose weight again so he can play another style that he’s never played before!! That poor kid has never been given a chance to play at the same weight and the same style for more than a year without having to change his weight and learn a new style!! If they would just leave him alone and let him play at the weight he was in college and play the way he was drafted to play, he would be a really good player!! But going through all that change keeps him from getting going in the NFL!! I guarantee nobody in the history of the NFL has gone through all the change that Mazi had to go through in his first 3 years in the NFL!! And if by some miracle somebody else had to go through that much change, I guarantee they never got to be the player they were meant to be either!? But if Eberflus gets to be our defensive coordinator for more than one year, then Mazi will have a chance to be the player he was meant to be because he won’t be asked to change his weight and style of play again!! I guarantee Mazi isn’t a bust, he just needs a chance to play more than a year without having to change something!!
I really don’t understand how people can’t see that’s why Mazi hasn’t been the player he was supposed to be!! It’s not hard to understand!! People need to stop putting players down and learn why those players are the way they are!! Chances are, it’s not the players fault!! Just like Mazi!!