Dallas rebuilt its defense around Caleb Downs, LT Overton and Christian Parker, giving Jerry Jones fresh playoff optimism after a rough 2025 season.
The Dallas Cowboys’ offseason has shifted from draft speculation to playoff expectation, and Jerry Jones isn’t exactly hiding his optimism.
After a disappointing 7-9-1 season under Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas attacked its biggest weakness with a clear plan ... rebuild the defense.
The Cowboys added major help through free agency, trades and the 2026 NFL Draft, giving new defensive coordinator Christian Parker a much different group than the one that struggled badly last season.
The draft brought serious defensive muscle. Safety Caleb Downs headlines the class as a potential tone-setter in the secondary, while pass rusher Malachi Lawrence, defender Jalon Barrow, corner Devin Moore and Alabama lineman LT Overton give Dallas more versatility across the board.
Overton may be especially interesting because of his ability to play inside while also shifting outside in certain looks.
At Alabama last season, Overton posted 42 tackles, six tackles for loss and four sacks, showing the kind of power and motor Dallas wanted up front.
He’s unlikely to be a Day 1 starter, but he could become an important rotational piece in Parker’s hybrid front.
The Cowboys also kept a major offensive weapon in place, with George Pickens signing his $27.3 million franchise tag for 2026.
That keeps Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Pickens together for another season, giving Dallas plenty of firepower while the defense catches up.
The real question is whether the revamped defense can go from awful to average quickly enough.
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If Parker can organize the new pieces and Downs becomes the leader Dallas expects, the Cowboys may not need a dominant defense to get back into the postseason.
They just need one that stops giving games away.