The Cowboys have had a good offseason, with the NFL Draft to come, but is Brian Schottenheimer's team ready to compete with the Philadelphia Eagles for the division?
The Dallas Cowboys will be a fascinating watch in 2026, mainly because of how their defense under Christian Parker will play.
Last year, the offense was elite, the defense all-time bad, and a 7-9-1 record for Brian Schottenheimer in his first year meant no playoffs.
This offseason, the signings of Jalen Thompson, Rashan Gary, Cobie Durant, and others have seen the Cowboys address problem areas of the defense.
Yes, more is needed, but Dallas has two first-round picks to use in the upcoming draft to further bolster the defense.
We have seen several mocks that have Caleb Downs and Rueben Bain falling to the Cowboys at No. 12. That is mainly due to positional value for Downs, and Bain's shorter arms are seen as a potential problem.
But for ESPN's Kevin Clark, if either Downs or Bain is selected by the Cowboys, Schottenheimer's team is in NFC East contention in 2026.
"If they're able to get one of those guys, they're gonna be immediate NFC East contenders because they don't need much," Clark said on ESPN's GetUp. "The offense has a really high floor, Quinnen Williams, one of the best defensive tackles in the league, the Rashan Gary acquisition, if you add a Downs, a Bain, that's immediate impact.
"I think they'll be able to compete in that division. I think Bain is the pick there. Someone will drop to the Cowboys, and I think it will change the complexion of the NFL next year."
It is worth noting that even last season, given how bad the Cowboys were on defense, with a handful of games to go, the team was still hot on the heels of the Philadelphia Eagles for the division.
So it isn't like the Cowboys were way behind the Eagles last season.
But are the Cowboys really a player like Downs or Bain away from being a contender?
I still think more is needed, and if Jordyn Brooks is signed or another veteran linebacker, that will strengthen the case.
However, right now, you can argue that there are still too many holes for fans to be confident in the defense under Parker. Plus, we haven't seen Parker serve as a defensive coordinator in the league yet.
So all of that has to be taken into account.
Would drafting Downs or Bain make Dallas contenders? I'm not too sure about that...yet.