FRISCO, Texas — Myles Garrett was traded from the Cleveland Browns to the Los Angeles Rams last week; Garrett set an NFL record in 2025 with 23 sacks. That total exceeded what the Cowboys’ projected top six edge rushers produced in 2025, underscoring Dallas’ lack of a single dominant pass rusher entering 2026.
Offseason addition Rashan Gary had 7.5 sacks for the Green Bay Packers but recorded none in his final nine games. Second‑round pick Donovan Ezeiruaku had two sacks as a rookie. James Houston, who joined the roster days before training camp last summer, had 5.5 sacks, while Sam Williams and Marist Liufau had one each. No. 23 draft pick Malachi Lawrence was not widely regarded as a likely first‑rounder as a senior at Central Florida a year ago.
The Cowboys have taken a piecemeal approach to their pass rush rather than chasing a single elite rusher, even though past Dallas Super Bowl teams featured top‑tier individual producers such as Hall of Famer Charles Haley, Jethro Pugh and Harvey Martin. DeMarcus Ware built his Hall of Fame career in Dallas and remains the franchise’s all‑time sack leader; he later won a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos. Micah Parsons recorded at least 12 sacks in each of his first four seasons before being dealt to the Packers the week before last season started.
According to sources, Dallas was not involved in trade discussions for Garrett but had been part of talks with the Las Vegas Raiders about Maxx Crosby before Crosby’s trade to the Baltimore Ravens was called off because of a failed physical. The Cowboys have not expressed interest in bringing back last year’s sack leader, Jadeveon Clowney, who had 8.5 sacks and remains available. “Some of the best pass‑rushing teams I know we’ve faced don’t have necessarily one guy,” coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “It’s easier to shut one guy down. One elite guy, you can pay a lot of attention to.”
New defensive coordinator Christian Parker arrives after two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, who were led in sacks last year by Jalyx Hunt (6.5) and featured multiple contributors. In Parker’s three seasons as an assistant with the Broncos, no defender topped 8.5 sacks but the team had four players with at least 4.5 sacks each season. Schottenheimer said, “I really do think it’s more of the unit,” and praised the team’s depth. Schottenheimer also called Gary a “grown‑ass man,” while Gary noted, “The film speaks for itself… I’m a dog, man,” and highlighted his consistent effort. Ezeiruaku, who led college football with 16.5 sacks at Boston College, had 43 pressures and a 28% pass‑rush win rate as a rookie despite playing much of the season with a hip injury that required surgery; he will be held out of team drills until the start of training camp.
