Dallas Cowboys' Improved Defense Still Needs Major Work At Key Position

The Dallas Cowboys have a lot of promise on the defensive side of the ball, but there is also a ton of uncertainty.

Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One of the key positions to watch for the Dallas Cowboys this coming season will be edge rusher.

Dallas finished tied for the seventh-fewest sacks in the league in 2025 and if the team's defense is going to improve in 2026, the Cowboys need to bring that number up.

The Cowboys being able to do so is very much in question given the uncertainty with guys like Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezieruaku and Malachi Lawrence, all of whom have something to prove.

Gary is the most proven out of that trio, but he is also coming off a season in which he didn't register a single sack after Week 9.

The fact that Gary is the Cowboys' best edge rusher but ranks just 29th in Pro Football Focus' edge rusher rankings shows just how shaky Dallas' edge rusher situation is currently.

"Gary was one of the league’s best edge defenders back in 2021, with his 90.1 PFF pass-rush grade ranking fifth at the position, and his 87 total pressures tied for third," Gordon McGuinnes said.

"Since then, his PFF grade and PFF pass-rush grade have dropped in every season, and he is coming off a campaign where his 61.8 PFF pass-rush grade was tied for just 68th among the 111 edge defenders to see 300 or more snaps. At his best, Gary is capable of ranking in the top 10, but he could just as easily continue to underwhelm," McGuinness added.

On the flip side of Gary's second-half slide was his impressive showing over the first eight weeks in which he totaled 7.5 sacks. That shows Gary is very much capable of exploding if he can put together a complete season.

Rashan Gary puts NFL on notice

Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Rashan Gary. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

While questions remains about how good Gary can be in Dallas, he is not lacking confidence ahead of what is a huge season for his career.

"Man, the film speaks for itself," he said, per DallasCowboys.com. "But everybody [should] pay attention this year. It's gonna be a great year... I can't wait."

Gary, who has quickly taken on a leadership role in Dallas, is in a good position to succeed with the players he has around him.

Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark should take some pressure off by drawing a ton of extra attention up the gut, and Ezeiruaku can do the same on the other side if he can take that next step.

Gary, who will turn 29 in December, is running out of time to get one last big deal before hits the back nine of his career. He can make serious in-roads towards getting one if he can have a bounce-back year in 2026.