Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Dallas Cowboys defense faces high expectations in 2026 after a disappointing 2025 season and major offseason changes.
- A veteran pass rusher is under pressure to deliver dominant performances and lead the team after being acquired from Green Bay.
- A recent first-round draft pick waits in the wings, creating a direct competition that could reshape the defensive lineup before the regular season begins.
The Dallas Cowboys defense single-handedly cost the franchise a chance to make a decent playoff run in 2025. Jerry Jones recognized that, fired the defensive coordinator, brought in a new one and made some big moves in the offseason to change the outcome in 2026.
One of those moves was sending a fourth-round draft pick to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for pass rusher Rashan Gary.
Pressure is on Rashan Gary in his first Cowboys season
The 28-year-old Michigan product recorded 7.5 sacks and 25 solo tackles last year and believes he still has a higher ceiling to reach despite entering the league with high expectations and not meeting them right away as a first-round pick.
"I'm trying to be great," he told the Dallas Morning News' Joseph Hoyt. "I'm not just here to say I played in the NFL. I want to be a dominant factor."
Playing for America's Team will come with even higher expectations than he was used to in Green Bay but it also comes with greater opportunity. Gary will be paired with veteran talents such as Quinnen Williams, DeMarvion Overshown, Dee Winters and fellow former Packer Kenny Clark. Though that group couldn't do much to avoid finishing dead last or near the bottom of every major defensive category in 2025.
Rashan Gary must lead Cowboys defense or face replacement by rookie hopeful
Gary won't have a very long leash to take charge of Dallas' defense and help turn things around with new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. Remember how Jerry Jones made meaningful moves this offseason to address this side of the ball? He had the foresight to execute a backup plan should Gary be just as underwhelming as Clark was after the infamous Micah Parsons trade.
The Cowboys drafted Malachi Lawrence out of UCF with the 23rd-overall pick in April. Not a lot of folks thought the 22-year-old was going to be selected that high but Dallas' scouting staff must see something in him that required he be taken sooner than later. Lawrence is certainly content biding his time and proving his worth when it matters most.
"I’m kind of used to being in the shadows, so it really doesn’t faze me," he told The Athletic's Jon Machota. "It’s just once the time comes, people will see the work that you’ve put in.”
That should weigh on Gary's mind as he begins his tenure at Jerryworld. He may be in his first year with the franchise too and is expected to work with Lawrence to terrorize opposing offenses but Gary can be moved to second-string should the rookie show more promise quicker.
Gary's "dominant" comments are just increasing the pressure on his shoulders entering training camp. It's great motivation but his past body of work doesn't necessarily suggest he's going to turn into a double-digit sack machine just by wearing a Cowboys helmet. Training camp will begin here shortly and we'll all see who truly is putting in the work for the upcoming season.
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