Cowboys fans give their projection for Dallas defense

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 28: A detail shot of the Dallas Cowboys logo painted at midfield prior to an NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium on November 28, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It all rests on the defense. That’s the feeling Dallas Cowboys fans have coming into the 2026 season. The trust in the offense is almost universal. Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Javonte Williams spearhead an attack that was good enough to be a contender last year. They were let down by their defense.

The Cowboys are running back it on offense, but on defense it’s a different story. New defensive coordinator Christian Parker is basically revamping everything about the defense from the coaching staff, to the personnel, to the scheme. The Cowboys used both of their first-round draft picks on defense by selecting Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence. They used free agency and trades to renovate a failing unit.

But how will it all play out? We asked you to weigh in on that question. We broke it down by top ten, middle tier or bottom tier for the defense in 2026.

You guys overwhelmingly think the Dallas defense in its first year under Parker will be a middle tier defense. 67% of respondents chose that option, with 29% choosing top ten. That’s a lot of confidence in what the Cowboys are doing on that side of the ball.

Previously we talked about how the Cowboys could be contenders if their defense was just average. This response says that Dallas will be that.

Hit the comments and let us know if you think that Dallas is definitely a playoff team in 2026.

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