Machota: Cowboys 2026 potential starting defense

[Hawkeye0202]

Add Winter....LBer

 

[75boyz]

Safeties and defensive tackles look strong.

Gary has no Micah to lean on for any edge pressure/sack production.
Agreed that 2nd level/offball LB desperately needs Brooks.

Corner best summed up as Revels hopeful return to full health and second year leap along with Bland's fingers crossed uncertainty from injury return.
I do like Durant as the possible slot corner who they never replaced since Lewis left.

 

[ScotsCowboy]

Add Winter....LBer

Think Durant will probably start instead of Revel, initially.

 

[speedkilz88]

DE	91	Ogbonnia, Otito U/LAC		Overton, LT 26/4
NT	97	CLARK, KENNY T/GB	93	Toia, Jay 25/7
DT	92	Williams, Quinnen T/NYJ	98	BULLARD, JONATHAN U/NO	96	Odeleye, Adedayo SF25
LOLB	7	Gary, Rashan T/GB		Lawrence, Malachi 26/1	35	Liufau, Marist 24/3	91	Land, Isaiah SF25
LILB	0	Overshown, DeMarvion 23/3	50	James, Shemar 25/5
RILB		Winters, Dee T/SF		Barham, Jaishawn 26/3	45	Barron, Justin CF25
ROLB	6	Ezeiruaku, Donovan 25/2	53	Houston, James U/Cle	54	Williams, Sam 22/2	90	Wheat, Tyrus U/Det
LCB	26	Bland, DaRon 22/5		Moore, Devin 26/4	21	Carson, Caelen 24/5	31	Butler, Josh SF23
SS	34	Thompson, Jalen U/Arz	14	Bell, Markquese CF22	32	Wood, Julius SF25
FS	28	HOOKER, MALIK U/Ind	1	Locke, P.J. U/Den	38	Clark, Alijah CF25
RCB	2	Durant, Cobie U/LAR	34	Revel Jr., Shavon 25/3	25	Bridges, Trikweze W/LAC	15	Kendrick, Derion U/LAR
NB		Downs, Caleb 26/1	27	Steward, Reddy W/Min	36	BALLENTINE, COREY SF25	48	Childress, Zion SF25

 

[stilltheguru]

Safeties and defensive tackles look strong.

Gary has no Micah to lean on for any edge pressure/sack production.
Agreed that 2nd level/offball LB desperately needs Brooks.

Corner best summed up as Revels hopeful return to full health and second year leap along with Bland's fingers crossed uncertainty from injury return.
I do like Durant as the possible slot corner who they never replaced since Lewis left.

They're not trading for brooks. Winters is a starting lb in the NFL. You can disagree with that if you want but it's a fact that Dallas isn't trading for Brooks.

 

[75boyz]

They're not trading for brooks. Winters is a starting lb in the NFL. You can disagree with that if you want but it's a fact that Dallas isn't trading for Brooks.

I mean I see improvement in Winters over that 3 stooges last year failure of Murray, Sanborn and Wilson but I still don't think he's enough at the 2nd level to compliment the middle pressure from the d tackles.

And to add that I honestly don't trust Overshown's durability or lack thereof so I still see a hole in the middle then.

My opinion.

 

[gtb1943]

Downs will be on the field all the time; not just a NB
stupid list right there

 

[Q_the_man]

DE	91	Ogbonnia, Otito U/LAC		Overton, LT 26/4
NT	97	CLARK, KENNY T/GB	93	Toia, Jay 25/7
DT	92	Williams, Quinnen T/NYJ	98	BULLARD, JONATHAN U/NO	96	Odeleye, Adedayo SF25
LOLB	7	Gary, Rashan T/GB		Lawrence, Malachi 26/1	35	Liufau, Marist 24/3	91	Land, Isaiah SF25
LILB	0	Overshown, DeMarvion 23/3	50	James, Shemar 25/5
RILB		Winters, Dee T/SF		Barham, Jaishawn 26/3	45	Barron, Justin CF25
ROLB	6	Ezeiruaku, Donovan 25/2	53	Houston, James U/Cle	54	Williams, Sam 22/2	90	Wheat, Tyrus U/Det
LCB	26	Bland, DaRon 22/5		Moore, Devin 26/4	21	Carson, Caelen 24/5	31	Butler, Josh SF23
SS	34	Thompson, Jalen U/Arz	14	Bell, Markquese CF22	32	Wood, Julius SF25
FS	28	HOOKER, MALIK U/Ind	1	Locke, P.J. U/Den	38	Clark, Alijah CF25
RCB	2	Durant, Cobie U/LAR	34	Revel Jr., Shavon 25/3	25	Bridges, Trikweze W/LAC	15	Kendrick, Derion U/LAR
NB		Downs, Caleb 26/1	27	Steward, Reddy W/Min	36	BALLENTINE, COREY SF25	48	Childress, Zion SF25

Doesn'tlook good. Downs at Nickle. only 1 starter from the rookies, does t look promising. Looks like we have a bunch of no names on D

 

[speedkilz88]

Doesn'tlook good. Downs at Nickle. only 1 starter from the rookies, does t look promising. Looks like we have a bunch of no names on D

Downs ability to play nickel is part of what makes him so special.

Same for Darren Woodson.

 

[Carson]

Downs ability to play nickel is part of what makes him so special.

Same for Darren Woodson.

Woodson said Dallas has not had a general in the secondary in a very long time. They need someone to get everyone lined up and in position. Downs does this

 

[Jarntt]

DE	91	Ogbonnia, Otito U/LAC		Overton, LT 26/4
NT	97	CLARK, KENNY T/GB	93	Toia, Jay 25/7
DT	92	Williams, Quinnen T/NYJ	98	BULLARD, JONATHAN U/NO	96	Odeleye, Adedayo SF25
LOLB	7	Gary, Rashan T/GB		Lawrence, Malachi 26/1	35	Liufau, Marist 24/3	91	Land, Isaiah SF25
LILB	0	Overshown, DeMarvion 23/3	50	James, Shemar 25/5
RILB		Winters, Dee T/SF		Barham, Jaishawn 26/3	45	Barron, Justin CF25
ROLB	6	Ezeiruaku, Donovan 25/2	53	Houston, James U/Cle	54	Williams, Sam 22/2	90	Wheat, Tyrus U/Det
LCB	26	Bland, DaRon 22/5		Moore, Devin 26/4	21	Carson, Caelen 24/5	31	Butler, Josh SF23
SS	34	Thompson, Jalen U/Arz	14	Bell, Markquese CF22	32	Wood, Julius SF25
FS	28	HOOKER, MALIK U/Ind	1	Locke, P.J. U/Den	38	Clark, Alijah CF25
RCB	2	Durant, Cobie U/LAR	34	Revel Jr., Shavon 25/3	25	Bridges, Trikweze W/LAC	15	Kendrick, Derion U/LAR
NB		Downs, Caleb 26/1	27	Steward, Reddy W/Min	36	BALLENTINE, COREY SF25	48	Childress, Zion SF25

I think this is closer to what the depth chart looks like as of today

2026 offseason roster - Base 3-4 D​
POS​	Starter	2nd	3rd	4th
LDE​	Quinnen Williams	Otito Ogbonnia
NT​	Kenny Clark	Jay Toia	​	​
RDE​	Jonathan Bullard	LT Overton	Adedayo Odeleye	​
LOLB​	Donovan Ezeiruaku	James Houston	Sam Williams	Tyrus Wheat
LILB​	DeMarvion Overshown	Shemar James
RILB​	Dee Winters	Jaishawn Barham	Justin Barron
ROLB​	Rashan Gary	Malachi Lawrence	Marist Liufau	Isaiah Land
LCB​	DaRon Bland	Devin Moore	Caelen Carson	Josh Butler, Reddy Steward
SS​	Caleb Downs	Markquese Bell	Julius Wood	Zion Childress
FS​	Jalen Thompson	Malik Hooker	P.J. Locke	Alijah Clark
RCB​	Shavon Revel Jr.	Cobie Durant	Trikweze Bridges	Derion Kendrick, Corey Ballantine

 

[JayFord]

I like it, and i like the depth that we have ….

Im not expecting a top 5 unit, there is a learning curve and there are all new people here…all im asking is be anywhere from 13-19 and thats good enought to carry this team to the playoffs

 

[Carson]

I think this is closer to what the depth chart looks like as of today

​

2026 offseason roster - Base 3-4 D​
POS​	Starter	2nd	3rd	4th
LDE​	Quinnen Williams	Otito Ogbonnia
NT​	Kenny Clark	Jay Toia	​	​
RDE​	Jonathan Bullard	LT Overton	Adedayo Odeleye	​
LOLB​	Donovan Ezeiruaku	James Houston	Sam Williams	Tyrus Wheat
LILB​	DeMarvion Overshown	Shemar James
RILB​	Dee Winters	Jaishawn Barham	Justin Barron
ROLB​	Rashan Gary	Malachi Lawrence	Marist Liufau	Isaiah Land
LCB​	DaRon Bland	Devin Moore	Caelen Carson	Josh Butler, Reddy Steward
SS​	Caleb Downs	Markquese Bell	Julius Wood	Zion Childress
FS​	Jalen Thompson	Malik Hooker	P.J. Locke	Alijah Clark
RCB​	Shavon Revel Jr.	Cobie Durant	Trikweze Bridges	Derion Kendrick, Corey Ballantine

I think Durant will start over Revel

 

[speedkilz88]

Otito Ogbonnia has played the 5t end position last year and he's making $750K more than Bullard.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

Why do I keep seeing Downs projected as a NCB and not a S?

 

[Jarntt]

I think Durant will start over Revel

Wouldn't surprise me after seeing Revel last year, but this is today's depth chart (by the way from BTB not from me). As of today I think the team has Revel penciled in and it is his job to lose. Who will ultimately start is a different depth chart.

 

[Carson]

Why do I keep seeing Downs projected as a NCB and not a S?

So we can keep the best players on the field.

He won’t come off the field. But when he plays nickel it allows Thompson, Hooker and Downs on the field

 

[Jarntt]

Why do I keep seeing Downs projected as a NCB and not a S?

He is a absolutely a starting safety in our base defense. He will be a little of a wild card in the nickel and expected to play a lot of slot CB. He will play some centerfield in those sets and some blitzing and some box. I think the Hamilton comparisons are the closest to what he will do in the nickel. Do it all kind of a guy

 

[JBS]

They're not trading for brooks. Winters is a starting lb in the NFL. You can disagree with that if you want but it's a fact that Dallas isn't trading for Brooks.

You don’t know that. They just said yesterday they’re still open to the idea of acquiring another LB. The reason it hasn’t happened already is bc Miami is wishing for post June 1st. Same thing Philly is doing w Brown.

 

[Pessimist_cowboy]

I hate Malik hooker