Cowboys' porous defense demands impact. Texas Tech's David Bailey ignites chaos, a disruptive force ready to transform Dallas.
The Dallas Cowboys struggled to play balanced, complementary football during the 2025 season. While their offense was one of the best in the league, the Cowboys defense could not stop opponents from scoring and could not stop the explosive plays.
With two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Cowboys can find needed help in those areas. One player’s name should be on their big board in their war room: Texas Tech’s EDGE David Bailey.
Bailey was a big reason the Red Raiders played for and won a Big 12 title and earned a berth in the College Football Playoff. He was a one-man wrecking crew for Texas Tech.
To borrow a phrase from R.C. Slocum, former Texas A&M coach, Bailey’s style of play is like “pulling a pin on a hand grenade.”
This past season, Bailey posted 52 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks, 13 QB pressures and three forced fumbles.
In the 23-0 playoff loss to Oregon, Bailey recorded nine tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss and two pass breakups.
At 6-3, 250 pounds, Bailey thrives on chaos when you consider over a three-game stretch against Houston, Kansas and Arizona State, he posted nine tackles for loss. In the Oregon State game, he was in the quarterback’s face often and recorded four pressures against the Beavers.
In his four-year collegiate career, Bailey totaled 163 tackles, 41.5 tackles for loss, 29 sacks, 26 QB pressures and forced 10 fumbles. So, if the Cowboys are looking for a disruptor on defense, one that will take the opposition’s offensive game plan and rip it up, chew it up and spit it out, then Bailey is your guy.
Dallas, meanwhile, followed up its season-starting trade of sack artist Micah Parsons to Green Bay by ...
Too rarely getting to the QB from the edge (with the exception of Jadeveon Clowney's 8.8 sacks). And now four of their defensive ends are heading to free agency.
With those two first-round picks, the Cowboys have some moves they can make. A recent mock draft has Bailey going No. 10 to the Bengals, so the Cowboys are in the right range here - and we would project them to seriously consider him at No. 12.
Whatever they do, the Cowboys must address their defensive needs if they want to become a more balanced football team - and one that gets to the QB.