Don’t look now, but compared to years past the Dallas Cowboys defensive line is looking as if it is absolutely stacked full of talent. Whether it’s defensive end or defensive tackle, the depth at both positions looks pretty formidable right now. This could possibly be the best DL unit Defensive Coordinator Rod Marinelli has had since joining the Cowboys.
On paper, the Dallas Cowboys current depth along the defensive line seems to be an upgrade over what we saw on the field in the NFC Divisional Round against the Los Angeles Rams. That last impression is the way many of us still view the Cowboys DL and unfortunately they were embarrassingly manhandled in that contest.
Thankfully though that was last year and this is now. The Dallas Cowboys clearly wanted to upgrade their DL and it’s really starting to look as if they’ve done just that. But don’t take my word for it, let’s take a look at the current depth along the defensive line so that you can get a better idea of what I’m talking about.
Defensive End
- DeMarcus Lawrence
- Robert Quinn
- Dorance Armstrong
- Taco Charlton
- Jalen Jelks
- Joe Jackson
- Randy Gregory (if/when reinstated)
Defensive Tackle
- Antwaun Woods
- Maliek Collins
- Christian Covington
- Daniel Ross
- Trysten Hill
- Ricky Walker
- Shakir Soto
Hybrid DE/DT
- Tyrone Crawford
- Kerry Hyder
- Daniel Wise
As you can see, the depth throughout the defensive line is pretty impressive and that’s not even including players like DeMarcus Lawrence and Tyrone Crawford who have yet to practice. Nearly every defensive lineman listed above has stood out at some point this offseason and that could make things extremely difficult for the Dallas Cowboys when the time to make cuts.
The Dallas Cowboys typically only keep around 10 defensive lineman on their 53-man roster. That means only about half of the current DL on the roster make the team. There’s a quite a bit of talent who could get released because of the numbers crunch and some of those might surprisingly be veterans.
If some of these younger undrafted players like Ricky Walker and Daniel Wise continue to impress maybe Tyrone Crawford becomes expendable. He still has two years remaining on his current contract, but the Cowboys could save a little money if they trade or released him. It’s an option, but these young guns will definitely need to prove they’re capable of replacing his production.
It’s hard to believe the Dallas Cowboys have such a plethora of riches, or so it seems, along their defensive line. It’s a position they’ve undervalued for years now, but it finally looks as if they could put together a pretty formidable unit for the 2019 season. That’s what we all hope at least.
