The Dallas Cowboys have an obvious offseason problem to solve

The primary focus for the Dallas Cowboys is going to be on one side of the football this offseason. There are some boxes to check off on offense, such as re-signing George Pickens, but the root of the issues in head coach Brian Schottenheimer's first season were caused by breakdowns defensively.

Dallas elected to fire defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus after ranking at the bottom of the league in scoring defense and passing defense, along with No. 30 in total defense. The Cowboys were the only team to allow 30+ points per game, surrendering 30 or more points in nine games.

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With the franchise interviewing multiple candidates to replace Eberflus, that's just the first step.

Reinforcements Needed On Defense In Dallas

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Jadeveon Clowney celebrates after he sacks Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Cowboys need help across the defense, literally. Obviously, the defensive backfield was a major point of concern last season, with Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland struggling to stay healthy.

At the same time, Dallas has to figure out a solution in the front seven. The pass-rush left a ton to be desired after moving on from Micah Parsons. After all, the Cowboys failed to record a sack in two consecutive weeks down the stretch of the season. The linebackers weren't any better as DeMarvion Overshown missed over half of the campaign recovering from an injury.

Hefty investments in the NFL Draft and free agency will be necessary to right the wrongs.

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"From pass rush to linebacker to the secondary, the Cowboys need help at all levels of the defense. The Cowboys’ defense gave up a league-worst 511 points during the 2025 season, the most in franchise history," Sports Illustrated's Eva Geitheim wrote.

"Dallas should not only prioritize adding the best defensive player available in the draft, but also buck their trends and pursue defensive talent through free agency," Geitheim added. "The defense simply needs an overhaul, and the Cowboys cannot solely rely on the draft to get that done."

There are a few defensive players Dallas may want to retain, such as Jadeveon Clowney and Dante Fowler Jr. Clowney had a career performance in the regular-season finale, but has expressed interest in returning to the team. With nearly $40 million in cap space, expect Jerry Jones to shell out the money to try and get the job done.

The Cowboys also hold the No. 12 and No. 20 overall picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.

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