Do the Cowboys have enough to replace sack production?

Sep 2, 2025
5
2 mins read
A Dallas Cowboys linebacker tackles a New York Giants player during an NFL game, showcasing football action, team rivalry, and game intensity at the stadium.

It is a topic that nobody wants to talk about, but we have to ask ourselves the question: Will the Dallas Cowboys pass rush be good enough without Micah Parsons?

The Matt Eberflus defense was already going to have their hands full if Parsons ended up playing, but now without him, they are already suffering enough on the back end.

Now he has to deal with another major concern. Do they have enough to replace the loss of sack production?

On paper, the Dallas defensive line still has four former first-round picks: Dante Fowler, Kenny Clark, Solomon Thomas and Mazi Smith.

Three second-round selections in Sam Williams, Marshawn Kneeland and Donovan Ezeiruaku, and a third-rounder, Osa Odighizuwa, who might be the best of the bunch.

Can It Be Replaced?

Can it be replaced? Probably, Micah would have ended the season with anywhere from 12 to 15 sacks.

Replaced shouldn’t be the issue, it is the extra fluff they were going to get from everyone else.

Fowler has hit double digits before, but the issue is, now teams don’t have to worry about a guy like Parsons, so it puts more pressure on everyone else.

Regardless of the way Micah was acting, when he was on the field for Dallas, it made the job easier for everyone else.

Now, it is going to be all about how Eberflus can create pressure for the guys he still has.

With both Parsons and DeMarcus Lawerence out of the picture, we can only hope Kneeland and Williams can be a solid duo.

Fowler had 10.5 sacks last year with Washington. The Dallas Cowboys are going to need that production from him, who has now become the team’s best pass rusher.

So can the Cowboys be good enough with Micah, I mean, maybe? I think they will be able to replace his sack total with the guys that they have.

Williams is on the very last year of his rookie contract, and with just 32 games played and 8.5 total sacks under his belt, he needs to have a solid year.

At the end of the day, I have no idea how this is going to go. I think the team can replace the pass rush numbers of Micah, but they are not going to get anything extra that these depth guys would have brought with Parsons on the field.

I would be lying if I said I was not worried about this defense, it could get ugly in a hurry. I hope I am wrong, but man, this offseason started off great with trading for George Pickens and ended awful by trading Parsons.

Shane Taylor

Shane Taylor

Shane Taylor is a Dallas Cowboys fan from the Midwest. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and works at a Junior College in the TRIO Upward Bound department. Taylor has written for two publications in his lifetime. The first was as a Sports Reporter for Journal Star while in college. He also spent a year as a Regional News Reporter for Shaw Media. When he is not working or writing for Inside The Star, he enjoys bowling competitively. Feel free to connect with him on his social media outlets listed below!

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Siempre
Siempre
Sep 2, 2025 3:43 PM

Parsons almost never got sacks against good teams or in critical game situations –so–the pass rush will be EFFECTIVELY as good . Parsons was #83 against the run so the run defense will definitely be better. Parsons was fools’ gold and now he is Green Bays’ bar of shiny stuff. Move on.

Joe
Joe
Sep 2, 2025 3:55 PM

Ezeiruaku has potential as well. He looked great this preseason. Don’t forget him

Edward Carmichael
Edward Carmichael
Sep 3, 2025 8:49 AM

a Dallas Cowboys fan, since the 70’s NO! with Micah Parsons gone the Cowboys defense will be last against the run and last against the pass

MITCh
MITCh
Sep 3, 2025 10:12 AM

I wish everyone would quit worshipping at the altar of micah. Really he made no real difference in the playoffs as he was just average. Not elite. There is a possible outcome that with the rest of the cowboys edge players will have more sack numbers as they will be able to stay fresh and our interior defensive line will be better. Micah was good but imo not good enough to say he makes or breaks our team.

MITCh
MITCh
Sep 3, 2025 10:15 AM

And NOT the best player on this team.

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