ESPN analysts rank Cowboys sixth in overall roster strength

Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones, Will McClay and the rest of the Dallas Cowboys front office put in the hours in the offseason to revamp the roster following a disappointing finish to the 2022 season.

That work has paid off in the eyes of ESPN analysts Seth Walker and Mike Clay. The analysts reviewed and ranked all 32 NFL teams’ rosters heading into 2023, and placed the Dallas Cowboys sixth for overall strength.

Their No. 6 overall ranking is 10 spots higher than the analysts’ ranking from last season. Citing a general weakness on the defensive line, ESPN named the DL as the biggest concern.

Since then, the Cowboys have addressed the issue, even drafting a defensive tackle with their first-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.

According to the new rankings, the Cowboys’ 2023 roster is slightly weaker than the Chiefs, Eagles, Bills, Dolphins and Bengals.

Cowboys have dominant pass rushing, concerning interior DL

Unsurprisingly, their biggest strength remains the same from last season: Edge rusher Micah Parsons.

“Parsons began his career in a hybrid LB/ED role, but he’s settled in as one of the league’s top edge rushers (his 29.7% pass rush win rate was the best among edge defenders in 2022),” Clay writes.

“This unit also returns some quality depth (Dorance Armstrong, Sam Williams, Dante Fowler Jr.) after leading the NFL in pass rush wins (194) and tying for first in sacks (38.0) last season.”

Walder named 2022 draft pick Sam Williams as a nonstarter to watch this year after he posted a 20% win rate against offensive linemen in pass rush as a rookie.

Cornerback Stephon Gilmore and wide receiver Brandin Cooks are two new faces in the Cowboys’ projected starting lineup for 2023, and Gilmore is the team’s X-factor, according to Walder.

“Since his first season in New England in 2017, Gilmore has never allowed more than 1.2 yards per coverage snap in a single season (average for an outside CB) and has allowed 1.0 on average in that span, per NFL Next Gen Stats. But he isn’t just consistent; he offers upside. He has two seasons with minus-30 EPA allowed, most notably his 2019 DPOY season. A good-to-great Gilmore would take the Cowboys’ defense from threatening to scary.”

The analysts’ biggest concern is on the Cowboys’ interior defensive line.

“Dallas has struggled to solve its defensive line problem in recent years. While we can’t anoint first-round pick Mazi Smith as an impact player before seeing him in an NFL game, there’s hope for the unit because it will feature Osa Odighizuwa, Neville Gallimore, Johnathan Hankins, Quinton Bohanna, Chauncey Golston and perhaps fourth-round rookie Viliami Fehoko.”