ESPN's Kevin Clark thinks the Cowboys will be contenders if they get to be mediocre on defense, but not everyone agrees.
Most Dallas Cowboys fans would love to have their team as genuine Super Bowl contenders in 2026, but most know that isn't in the realm of possibility.
With the offense Super Bowl-caliber, the defense was one of the worst in football last season, dragging this team down.
This offseason, the Cowboys added Jalen Thompson, Cobie Durant, and Rashan Gary to be starters for Christian Parker, and with two first-round picks in the upcoming draft, there's a chance for Dallas to get another two starters.
ESPN's Kevin Clark, on First Take, said that if Dallas gets either Caleb Downs or Rueben Bain Jr., along with a corner in the first round, the Cowboys could make their defense the 15th-best in football or "mediocre," which would make Brian Schottenheimer's team Super Bowl contenders.
Well, our friend at 105.3 The Fan, Shan Shariff, responded to Clark's comments, and he needs to see a lot more from Dallas before it can be considered a Super Bowl contender.
"Let's just say they have an average defense," Shariff said. "The Dallas Cowboys, since I've been covering them, have still shown a consistent inability to beat good teams over .500. I have very little confidence when you face, and I think Dak is a very good quarterback, it's a very good offense.
"This isn't some foolproof offense to where you face Brian Flores or the Denver Broncos or elite defense that you're going to see come playoff time, that the Dallas Cowboys offense is going to have that advantage. So, I still need to see toughness, over .500 wins, doing enough offensive damage against elite defenses in order to think of you as a Super Bowl contender. Sorry."
Shan isn't wrong.
If Dallas does get Downs or Bain and then gets a corner, the Cowboys won't necessarily transform into a Super Bowl contender. Plus, they lost to a lot of good teams last season.
Yes, the roster overall will be better than a year ago, but do we really think Dallas can go on the road to Seattle, Los Angeles, and Detroit and be confident the Cowboys can win?
Shan's checklist, if you want to call it, is exactly right. If the Cowboys can consistently show that, then maybe we can have a conversation.
But right now, even with the defensive additions and what we think the offense can become in 2026, there are still too many questions about this team to confidently say they can be saddled up next to the other Super Bowl contenders in 2026.