- Head coach: Brian Schottenheimer (first season)
- PFF projected win total: 8.0
- 2024 Record: 7-10 (third in the NFC East)
Biggest strength: Pass Rush
Although elite edge defender Micah Parsons is gone, the Cowboys are at their most dangerous when forcing opponents into obvious passing situations. Despite Parsons' four missed games last season, Dallas still ranked fourth in the NFL in PFF pass-rush grade. Osa Odighizuwa contributed 60 interior pressures, and the team bolstered its pass-rushing depth this offseason with additions such as Dante Fowler Jr. and second-round rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku.
Biggest weakness: Run Defense
The Cowboys’ run defense lagged well behind their pass rush in 2024, finishing ahead of only Carolina in team run-defense grade. The main issue was a lack of impact at the line of scrimmage — Micah Parsons, now with the Packers, led all Dallas defensive linemen in run-defense grade at only 65.5. With no major additions outside of potential contributions from rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku, the Cowboys will need improved play from last year’s core to shore up this weakness.
Quarterback spotlight: Dak Prescott
- 2024 PFF Grade: 67.9
- Key Stat: 4.7% turnover-worthy play rate (second-highest among QBs with at least 300 dropbacks)
Dak Prescott endured the worst season of his career in 2024 before a season-ending injury in Week 9. His 67.2 passing grade and 4.7% turnover-worthy play rate were both career lows. Without a reliable vertical threat opposite CeeDee Lamb, defenses could devote extra coverage to Lamb, limiting Prescott’s ability to get him the ball. That issue was most evident in the intermediate passing game, where Prescott recorded a league-worst 45.7 passing grade.
Offensive player: WR CeeDee Lamb
CeeDee Lamb’s 79.9 receiving grade in 2024 was his lowest since his rookie season in 2020. Without a true secondary receiving threat in Dallas’ offense, Lamb faced tighter coverage than in years past. As defenses condensed their zone coverages toward him, he struggled to create his usual separation in the short passing game, posting an 80.4 receiving grade on targets within 0 to 9 yards, nearly 15 points lower than his stellar 2023 mark.
Defensive player: CB DaRon Bland
Fresh off signing a four-year, $92 million extension, Bland is set to be a leader of the Cowboys‘ secondary — both on the field and financially. Over the past three seasons, he ranks in the 88th percentile in PFF coverage grade from the slot and PFF coverage grade in single coverage.
Rookie to watch: OG Tyler Booker
Dallas ranked just 22nd in pass-blocking grade last season, but first-round rookie Tyler Booker could help change that. In his final year at Alabama, Booker earned an 83.5 true pass-blocking grade — fourth-best among qualified guards. That pass-protection skill, combined with his power in the downhill run game, gives him the potential to be an immediate asset for the Cowboys’ offensive line.
Fantasy spotlight: RB Jaydon Blue
Blue spent his Texas career as a backup, often playing behind high draft picks like Bijan Robinson and Jonathon Brooks. In limited opportunities, he impressed as a receiver, averaging 1.58 yards per route run. He now joins a completely revamped Cowboys backfield, with Dallas moving on from Rico Dowdle, Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook, and adding Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders, Blue and Phil Mafah. With the competition wide open, Blue will likely battle Williams for passing-down snaps while also pushing for early-down work.
Best bet: WR George Pickens — over 5.5 receiving touchdowns (+102)
Across three seasons in Pittsburgh, Pickens managed to haul in a touchdown from four different quarterbacks. Six scores in a single season would be a career high for the 24-year-old, who logged five in 2023 with spotty play at quarterback. With Dak Prescott back under center in Dallas, the sky is the limit for Pickens. In his last full season in 2023, Prescott supported three targets with eight or more touchdown receptions.
Bottom line
With Micah Parsons off to Green Bay, it remains to be seen if the Cowboys have enough star power to reach the postseason. Dak Prescott will need to prove last year’s struggles were an outlier, and questions about the team's ability to run the ball and stop the run could place a hard cap on how far they can advance if they get there.
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