Although Philadelphia's roster is better in many areas, Dallas had an impact on the Eagles' biggest regression this offseason.
ESPN released its annual ranking of the most complete starting lineups in the NFL, where the best 11 players on each side of the ball complete a team of 22 that is judged head-to-head against its peers.
Your Dallas Cowboys slot in at No. 14, just ahead of the median. That's the second-best ranking in the NFC East: in front of the Washington Commanders (21) and New York Giants (23), but considerably behind the No. 2-ranking Philadelphia Eagles.
Philly, the first two-time defending NFC East champs in over two decades, possess one of the best offensive line formations in football, which the publication cites as the team's biggest strength.
The Eagles' biggest weakness? Dallas might've had a direct affect on this point of view.
Analysts Mike Clay, Aaron Schatz, and Seth Walder believe Philadelphia's safety group is the team's weakest link. That might be a result of the Cowboys hiring away former Eagles pass-game coach Christian Parker to be their next defensive coordinator.
Eagles Remodel Secondary After Parker Departure
The 34-year-old has been praised for his work developing a consistent Philadelphia secondary, notably the impressive rises of Reed Blankenship and Cooper DeJean from overlooked prospects into Pro Bowl-caliber players.
Now, Blankenship is signed by the Houston Texans in free agency, and DeJean is being forced to swing between safety and his traditional slot cornerback spot.
"... Second-year man Andrew Mukuba (who missed half of his rookie season with a broken ankle) and Marcus Epps (a backup for most of 2025) as the team's top full-time options," Clay says.
Philadelphia added former Seattle Seahawks veteran Riq Woolen to the group in free agency, which Walder names as the Eagles' biggest X-factor in 2026 as he comes off a Super Bowl title.
"I'm a Woolen believer," the writer said. "He has the best yards per coverage snap among all cornerbacks with at least 500 coverage snaps over the past four seasons, per NFL Next Gen Stats, but there's no question opinions are divided on him.
"He has been benched before and started only seven games (out of 16 played) last season for Seattle. Woolen presents a wide range of outcomes for the Eagles."
Woolen received votes in ESPN's ranking of the league's best cornerbacks. Philadelphia continues its stronghold of that group with two top-10 finishers in Quinyon Mitchell (No. 6) and DeJean (10), but the defense behind them will be something to follow next season.
Meanwhile, Parker hopes to correct what was listed as Dallas' biggest roster weakness: the cornerbacks.
"Dallas doesn't have many major problem areas, so an unproven cornerback room is the biggest red flag," Clay scouts. "This area must be better after the Cowboys finished last in defensive EPA, allowed a 58.4 QBR (29th) and generated only six INTs in 2025 [second-fewest in the NFL].
DaRon Bland headlines the group, but after signing a long-term contract extension last summer, he began battling injuries (that's sure to scare Cowboys Nation with flashbacks to the Trevon Diggs downfall).
While the Cowboys made a splash signing safety Jalen Thompson, the cornerback additions are less exciting. But still, they represent some type of intention to improve. Cobie Durant comes over from the Los Angeles Rams (who rank as the best roster. Myles Garrett will do that for a team). Former third-round rookie Shavon Revel Jr. is also expected to give Durant a run for his money in a fully healthy (fingers crossed) Year 2.
The Eagles allowed the fewest passing touchdowns in the NFL last year: 14. Philly was also inside the top 10 in fewest opponent passing yards on the year. They'll face a tall task in 2026 with a Cowboys offense reloaded with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens after an explosive debut season together.
Defensively, Dallas gave up the most passing yards and the second-most passing touchdowns in the league in 2025. More detailed stats represent a similar disparity from last year to its division counterparts.
Something's got to give. Hopefully, for the Cowboys, it's a turnaround credited to Eagle-turned-Cowboy Christian Parker.
