In this edition of the Cowboys’ mailbag, a fan asks which position is most valuable and which needs a breakout year for Dallas to return to the playoffs. The answer lands on defense—especially defensive end—where the belief is that consistent pass rush can lif
The question arrives like it always does in a good mailbag: not just what the Cowboys should do, but where the difference can actually be made.
Keith Howe. of Ruskin. Florida. asks two linked things—outside of quarterback. what position group is the most valuable on this current team. and which group needs a really good year to get the Cowboys back in the playoffs. The staff writer admits the answer wasn’t immediate. saying he probably changed his mind “like four times” before settling on a direction.
He doesn’t go hunting for the “flashiest” position. Instead, he leans into what he believes changes games: the defense’s ability to get to the quarterback. He writes that he’s going to choose a “bounce-back year” on defense, starting with defensive end. He acknowledges cornerback and linebacker as possibilities. but the core argument is consistent—“it all starts with pass-rush. ” because that spot is where he thinks the team created the most havoc and where it “just didn’t see it much last year.”.
That framing turns into a specific. uncomfortable point of impact: the writer says losing Micah Parsons was tough. but that it affected more than the absence of “consistent pressure.” He connects that drop in pressure to wider defensive struggles. pointing to what he calls a decline in DaRon Bland’s best year and “struggles from the safeties” Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson.
Even the linebackers, he argues, were set up to look worse than they might otherwise have. Kenneth Murray and Jack Sanborn. in his view. “would’ve looked and played much better if they had elite rushers.” It’s a direct claim about cause and effect—if the pass rush is there. coverage and tackling often land differently.
So the hope going forward centers on the edge. He’s looking for Rashan Gary “bring that. ” and for an improved year from edge rusher Donovon Ezeiruaku. along with Sam Williams and “others coming off the edge.” The mailbag question asks where value sits and where the Cowboys need to turn up. The answer comes down to one belief: fix the pass rush. and the rest of the defense has a chance to catch up.
By the time the question is answered, the stakes are clear even without playoff predictions spelled out. This isn’t a debate about who should get the spotlight. It’s about whether Dallas can get back to the kind of defensive pressure that makes the rest of the unit function like itself.
Dallas Cowboys Mailbag Defensive End Pass Rush Micah Parsons DaRon Bland Malik Hooker Donovan Wilson Kenneth Murray Jack Sanborn Rashan Gary Donovon Ezeiruaku Sam Williams