3 Reasons the Cowboys Have the Best Defense in the NFL Right Now

The Dallas Cowboys offense gets a lot of publicity due to their stars at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver, but they have quietly assembled one of the stingiest defenses in all of football over the last few years. This team ranked eleventh in total defense and pass defense while ranking ninth in rush defense last year, and that was before they made a few big additions this offseason. Looking at the depth chart the top down, Dallas appears to have arguably the best defense in all of football for a multitude of reasons.

3. The Young Stars Ready To Break Out

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Chidobe Awuzie / Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The Cowboys added three new members to their secondary in the 2017 draft, as they selected Chidobe Awuzie in the second round, Jourdan Lewis in the third, and Xavier Woods in the sixth. Now that Byron Jones has left for the Miami Dolphins and the bundles of cash they offered him, these three will be forced into the spotlight. Given their natural talent, solid 2019 seasons and the addition of defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, these three could all make a Jones-esque leap to stardom in 2020.

2. Interior Defensive Line

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Gerald McCoy / Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images

Dallas has one of the nastiest defensive lines in all of football, as they turned a position of weakness into a clear strength in just one offseason. Former Oklahoma star Gerald McCoy is one of the best interior disruptors in all of football, while McCoy's former Panthers teammate Dontari Poe, one of the best run-stuffers in all of football, joined him. With DeMarcus Lawrence terrorizing the offensive tackle that lines up on the other side of him, quarterbacks who face Dallas are going to spend half their dropbacks picking themselves up off the turf.

1. The Linebacking Corps

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith / Tom Pennington/Getty Images

You know you have a tremendous linebacking corps when a Pro Bowl talent like Sean Lee can be considered a luxury. Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch are both two of the most productive linebackers in the league in terms of a tackles per game basis, but what stands out on film is the duo's ability to drop back into both man and zone coverage while still making plays on the ball. Smith is already signed long-term, and the impending Vander Esch contract is coming soon. When he puts pen to paper, Dallas will officially have the best linebacking tandem in football signed for the foreseeable future.