Ranking the top 10 players on the Cowboys’ 2026 roster: #7 Rashan Gary

Just a little over a week stands between the Dallas Cowboys and the start of 2026 OTAs. While the offseason has not fully come to an end, Dallas and the other 31 NFL franchises have made almost all of the significant moves they will make before the start of training camp.

Dallas’ roster looks significantly different from what it did at this time last year, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. With that thought in mind, today we continue our series ranking the top 10 players on the Cowboys roster for the 2026 season.

7) Rashan Gary

Age: 28

Years Pro: 7

NFL Awards: 1x Pro Bowl (2024)

2025 Recap: Rashan Gary’s 2025 season got off to as good a start as anyone could have imagined. Over the course of the Packers’ first seven games, the former first-round pick recorded 26 total pressures, 13 QB hurries, and seven sacks. Gary benefited from Green Bay’s acquisition of All-Pro Micah Parsons at the start of the regular season, seeing much fewer double teams and taking advantage in a big way. 

However, after such a good start, Gary was unable to sustain this level of play for the rest of the year. After recording seven sacks in the first seven games, Gary did not record a single sack in Green Bay’s final 10 games. The now 28-year-old did record 34 total pressures, but his pass rush grade dropped to 58.5 over that span, and he was not showing the explosiveness and playmaking ability he did early on.

After such a disappointing end to the season, it was fairly evident that Gary’s time in Green Bay was coming to an end. With the Packers looking to move the veteran pass rusher, Dallas and Green Bay made their second trade in less than a year, sending Gary to the Cowboys for a 2027 fourth-round pick.

2026 Preview: If the Cowboys want to have a competitive defense in 2026, they absolutely need Rashan Gary to be closer to the guy he was at the start of the 2025 campaign, rather than the player we saw in the final 10 games. It’s unrealistic to project that he will be able to replicate his seven sacks in seven games production, but on a roster with not many quality pass rushers, Gary should make a significant impact.

Based on their offseason decisions, the Cowboys clearly feel the same. Dallas did draft pass rusher Malachi Lawrence with one of their first-round selections, but outside of that, they did not do anything of significance to improve the pass rush group. This decision, right or wrong, shows how much of an impact they believe Gary can make during his first year in Dallas.

Gary did not put much good tape on display in the second half last season, but he has shown the ability to be an impactful pass rusher over the course of his seven-year career. As recently as 2023, Gary had 60+ total pressures and 10 sacks to go with a 75 pass-rush grade.

A change of scenery was clearly needed for the former Michigan Wolverine, and getting the 28-year-old playing at a high level will likely be one of Christian Parker’s top priorities for his defense.

Prediction: Rashan Gary replicates his 2023 production, recording a team-high 11 sacks.