The Dallas Cowboys are walking into 2026 with a massive question mark hanging over their defense. Per Dallas News, the team spent the entire offseason trying to fix what was one of the NFL’s worst defenses. That is a tall order for any squad, but it is the only way this team moves forward. The offense has rising expectations, yet the defense must be the anchor. If they cannot stop the run or cover tight ends, the whole season crumbles before October.
Pickens Takes the Lead Role
George Pickens is now the clear number one target, a fact confirmed by A to Z Sports. According to reports, CeeDee Lamb trails Pickens once more in Cowboys receiving yardage. Lamb dealt with injuries early last year and was never fully healthy, which opened the door for Pickens. When crucial moments arrived, Pickens participated throughout the entire season and performed significantly. The coaching staff now intends to increase the methods used to deliver the ball to Pickens. They will move him around the formation to create mismatches. Lamb will likely finish with more catches because he will operate out of the slot as Dak Prescott’s easy button on plenty of plays. This shift changes the entire offensive identity.
Running back Saquon Barkley knows that winning is easy when things go right. “It’s easy when you rush for all these yards and you win a Super Bowl,” said running back Saquon Barkley. But the real test comes when the season gets tough. “But when it doesn’t go the way you want it to, you’ve got to lock in even more, be more detailed in yourself, be more critical of yourself,” said running back Saquon Barkley. The Cowboys need that exact mindset from their defensive unit this year.
A New Coach and High Stakes
Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer is in his second year and looking to prove he can turn things around. Because the Philadelphia Eagles have secured consecutive NFC East titles, becoming the first in a generation to do so, the division will not grow easier. The Cowboys cannot afford to be the team that watches from the outside. Yahoo Sports observes that last season the Tampa Bay Buccaneers found themselves excluded from the playoff picture. That is a fate the Cowboys must avoid at all costs. The roster has new faces, and the depth is higher than last year. “I think the biggest thing for me is if you take our roster from last year and you laid it down next to our roster from this year, there’s no question that the depth and the overall talent is higher,” one insider noted. The addition of new pieces and developing younger players has created a different classification for this group.
The path to the playoffs starts with stopping the other team’s best players. If the defense cannot step up, the offense will carry too much weight. The season kicks off on Sunday against the New York Giants. That game will set the tone for the entire year. The Eagles are waiting in the wings, and they are hungry for more. The Cowboys have the talent to win, but they need to lock in on every single play. No more excuses. No more half-hearted efforts. The 2026 season is their chance to prove they belong at the top.
