The Cowboys position groups are harder to rank than you would think.
A few position groups are some of the best in the NFL, so the top of the list was much easier for me than the middle down. The harder positions will need young players to grow up in a hurry, and veterans to stay healthy.
These same positions will need someone in those groups to step up and take the lead before things get messy after the season starts.
Love it or hate it, this is how I see the position groups being ranked.
1. Wide Receiver
How could anyone not put this wide receiver group at the top of the power ranking?
CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens combined last season for 2,506 receiving yards, 12 touchdowns, with only 12 drops on 168 receptions.
I don’t know if there would be much of an argument with just these two receivers, but this position has a breakout candidate in Ryan Flournoy, and KaVontae Turpin brings the speed.
What I think is crazy about this group is that Lamb and Pickens will get the majority of looks and the other two will get the leftovers, but Flournoy and Turpin can turn these looks into major gains because of the attention they won’t get.
Dak Prescott has more than enough help in this area. Nobody should blame wide receivers this season for anything.
2. Defensive Tackle
Quinnen Williams changed the way I look at the defensive line and being ranked the 6th overall defensive tackle in the NFL may be the fuel to push him to take over next season.
I’ve watched the Dallas Cowboys get pushed around for so many years, I don’t know what it’s like to have a team stop the run. Williams gives them something they’ve been missing for years.
Then you add in Kenny Clark and give those two an entire offseason together. I can’t wait to see what they look like in year two.
Add in a couple young guys in Otito Ogbonnia and Jay Toia and this line could be formidable next season.
Dallas finally has some weight inside, and I’m all about it.
3. Interior Offensive Line
Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, and Tyler Booker could become the best interior line in the NFL this season. These three guys are beasts and could become the meanest part of this offense.
Smith already plays with the kind of edge I like in a guard. Beebe is hitting his stride and will de-cleat someone. Booker looks like he’s trying to take someone’s head off every play.
The Cowboys proved last season they could run the ball and these three guys are one of the main reasons that was possible.
I feel like this is the position group that can line up, tell the defense what they are about to run, and still get four yards.
This trio might be my favorite part of the team.
4. Quarterback
We should all know the quarterback room starts and ends with Dak Prescott, but behind him the water gets murky.
Joe Milton III and Sam Howell might give Dallas better depth than they have had in a couple of years, but neither one really brings much to the team.
Dak is still the guy in this position group.
I know he is good enough to win with, and I will not be the guy who dumps every bad playoff loss on him while the rest of the team slips out the back door.
If Dak plays well and stays healthy, this room belongs near the top of the position group power rankings. If he doesn’t, I don’t know that Sam Howell or Joe Milton can lead this team and the season may be cooked.
5. Safety and Nickel
I think you all know why this position group sits so high, and if you don’t, it’s because of Caleb Downs and the rave reviews he has gotten so far this offseason.
I’m not worried at all what position he plays: safety, nickel, or hybrid. His value comes from doing several jobs without tipping the defense hat to the offense.
We also cannot forget about one of the free agent signings that has kinda flew under the radar, Jalen Thompson. This guy can play football and will be the best safety the Cowboys have had in several years.
Then you add in Malik Hooker and P.J. Locke and you have an experienced safety room around an extraordinary rookie in Caleb Downs and the skies the limit.
The Top 5 Give Dallas Something to Build On
These are the position groups that give me hope for next season.
We have the star power in the wide receiver room, muscle at defensive tackle, an interior offensive line that will set the tone, Dak gives the Cowboys a chance, and the safety room gives this team the versatility needed for a new defensive scheme.
That’s the good part of this two-part series.
Part two is where the position ranking gets shaky for this team.
If the next five position groups are able to step up, this team will be a contender. If they fail, this team will fall apart.
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