Run defense issues could push Cowboys toward SEC star in 2026 NFL draft originally appeared on The Sporting News
The Dallas Cowboys are bracing for defensive questions that linger from their 2024 campaign, and first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer will be tasked with finding answers.
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Last season, the Cowboys’ inability to contain the run repeatedly exposed their defense and remains the most pressing concern entering 2025. Opponents averaged 4.8 yards per carry against Dallas.
It will become clear when the 2025 season progresses whether the Cowboys still have a problem stopping the run. If those struggles continue, finding a solution up front will be unavoidable. That means the front office will likely explore interior line help in the 2026 NFL draft.
In his preseason 2026 NFL mock draft released on Wednesday, ESPN’s Field Yates projected Dallas to look squarely at the problem area. “Their porous run D (4.8 yards allowed per carry, tied for third worst) cannot continue if they want to keep contending in the NFC,” Yates wrote.
Yates connected the Cowboys to a towering SEC defensive tackle: Florida Gators star Caleb Banks.
“He has outstanding size at 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds, but he also displays the quickness and power to be a disruptive interior rusher,” Yates noted.
If progress doesn’t come in 2025, the pressure will mount to secure a true anchor on the interior. Banks is projected as a likely first-round pick in 2026, which would make him a natural priority for Jerry Jones and the Cowboys.
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Draft boards will shift over the next several months. However, the Cowboys’ priorities are unlikely to change, and that keeps the situation intriguing.