DALLAS COWBOYS

OFF SEASON CHANGES

The front office unsurprisingly fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and hired Eagles assistant Christian Parker, then traded for All-Pro tackle Quinnen Williams and edge rusher Rashan Gary while using five of seven draft picks on defense. Dallas didn't take advantage of the league's third-easiest schedule last year, going just 1-5 against playoff teams. With a much harder slate in 2026, they’ll need to sort out their defensive issues. George Pickens was brought back and most of the offense remains the same.

QUATERBACKS

Dak Prescott threw for 4,552 yards, 30 touchdowns, and just 10 interceptions in 2025, completing his return from injury by playing all 17 games and making his fourth Pro Bowl. The offense definitely wasn’t the problem and it’s no wonder the front office has run it back this year. Dak has some elite weapons in CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens and Jake Ferguson. If Dak can put together another healthy season there is no reason why he won’t be top-5 in the NFL for passing yards again. He was just overtaken by Matthew Stafford in the final week last year for most passing yards in the regular season.

RUNNING BACKS

Javonte Williams rejuvenated the run game on a prove-it deal last year. He recorded 1201 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, proving to be a great pickup after a couple of years of poor rushing efficiency. I expect another strong season for him in 2026 alongside a passing game that will take a lot of attention away from him. Dallas was ninth in offensive health last season with Prescott, Pickens, and Ferguson all avoiding missed games. This remains one of the most explosive, and healthiest, offenses in the NFC even without major additions this off-season.

RECEIVERS

George Pickens proved to be exactly the difference-maker Dallas envisioned, hauling in 93 passes for 1,429 yards, third-most in the NFL, and nine touchdowns in his first season with Prescott, forcing defenses off CeeDee Lamb for the first time in years. Jake Ferguson set career highs with 82 catches and eight touchdowns at tight end. Dallas' potent offense still left real meat on the bone, ranking just 18th in red-zone touchdown rate (56.9%) despite that bevy of weapons, suggesting there's another gear available here even before factoring in better injury luck or scheme tweaks. I’ve barely even mentioned CeeDee Lamb yet who is a top-5 receiver in the NFL at his best. He recorded over 1000 receiving yards last year but just the 3 touchdowns. I expect some real positive regression there for Lamb this year and he should be scoring closer to 10 if he plays a full season. Dallas' receiving corps might be the best in the entire conference on pure talent, and better red-zone execution alone could push this offense into the league's true elite tier by year's end.

DEFENCE

This defense allowed a franchise-record 511 points and finished 32nd in explosive-play rate allowed last season, directly costing Dallas a playoff spot. The Quinnen Williams and Rashan Gary trades, plus first-round picks Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence, represent a genuine top-to-bottom overhaul under new coordinator Christian Parker, who arrives with real credibility from Philadelphia's staff and system. If they can all come together, this should be a much improved unit from last season.