{"id":912387,"date":"2026-06-07T11:42:22","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T11:42:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/912387\/"},"modified":"2026-06-07T11:42:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T11:42:22","slug":"cowboys-pass-rush-has-a-clear-gap-in-2026-inside-the-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/912387\/","title":{"rendered":"Cowboys Pass-Rush Has A Clear Gap in 2026 \u00bb Inside The Star"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Dallas Cowboys have a pass-rush problem they need to figure out, and I don\u2019t think it is as simple as looking at sack totals.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where people can get fooled.<\/p>\n

A player can have a few sacks and still not be someone who consistently wins. Another player can have a lower sack number, but create pressure over and over again.<\/p>\n

For Dallas, I think this comes down to one question.<\/p>\n

Who can actually help this defense<\/a> get to the quarterback?<\/p>\n

The numbers show a pretty clear gap.<\/p>\n

\"Rashan<\/p>\n

Rashan Gary is the Cleanest Answer<\/p>\n

If I\u2019m looking at this group and trying to find the safest pass-rush answer, Rashan Gary is the name that stands out.<\/p>\n

Gary had 60 pressures on 446 pass-rush snaps<\/a> in 2025. That gives him a 13.5% pressure rate. He also had 7 sacks, 13 quarterback hits, and 40 hurries.<\/p>\n

Those numbers matter because they show more than just flash. Gary was not just lucking into sacks. He was affecting the quarterback.<\/p>\n

His true finish rate was 11.7%, and his impact pressure rate was 4.5%.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s solid.<\/p>\n

What makes Gary different from the rest of this group is his career in the NFL<\/a>. He has a 14.5% career pressure rate and a 15.5% true finish rate in the numbers I looked at.<\/p>\n

If the Cowboys want someone who can step in and raise the floor right away, Rashan Gary is the guy I would feel best about.<\/p>\n

\"James<\/p>\n

James Houston is the Upside Swing<\/p>\n

James Houston is not as safe as Rashan Gary, but his numbers as a pass rusher are hard to ignore.<\/p>\n

In 2025, Houston had 25 pressures on 182 pass-rush snaps<\/a>, which translates to a 13.7% pressure rate.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s right there with Rashan Gary, but the difference is James Houston\u2019s finish rate.<\/p>\n

Houston had 6 sacks on those 25 pressures. That gave him a true 24.0% finish rate. He also had 10 quarterback hits, which pushed his impact pressure rate to 8.8%.<\/p>\n

I think that is the kind of number that should make fans take a double take.<\/p>\n

I know the sample is smaller because of Houston\u2019s 397 career pass-rush snaps<\/a>. That\u2019s why I can\u2019t put him in the same safe bucket as Gary.<\/p>\n

But, if Dallas wants a pass-rush piece who can turn pressure into negative plays, Houston has some juice.<\/p>\n

He may not be the answer as a full-time edge, but as a rush-package weapon, I would be interested.<\/p>\n

\"Cowboys<\/p>\n

Donovan Ezeiruaku Has Something to Work With<\/p>\n

Donovan Ezeiruaku is one of the young guns<\/a> the Cowboys want to take the next step as a pass rusher in 2026.<\/p>\n

He has the tools, now he just needs the numbers.<\/p>\n

In 2025, he had 36 pressures on 343 pass-rush snaps, which comes ut to a 10.5% pressure rate. That\u2019s not great, but it\u2019s not bad either.<\/p>\n

The issue in his young career is finishing.<\/p>\n

Ezeiruaku had 2 sacks on those 36 pressures<\/a>, which gave him a 5.6% true finish rate.<\/p>\n

What that tells me is he can create some pressure, but he isn\u2019t consistently closing the deal. His impact pressure rate was 4.1%, so there is something there. I just don\u2019t think Dallas can act like he\u2019s the solution to their sack problem.<\/p>\n

\"Sam<\/p>\n

Sam Williams Needs A Rebound Year<\/p>\n

Sam Williams may be the most frustrating<\/a>.<\/p>\n

His career numbers aren\u2019t bad. He has 70 pressures on 654 pass-rush attempts, giving him a 10.7% career pressure rate. Just slightly higher than Donovan Ezeiruaku.<\/p>\n

His career finish rate is 14.3%. That should give you a reason to still believe there is something untapped, but his 2025 numbers weren\u2019t good enough.<\/p>\n

Williams had 24 pressures on 270 pass-rush snaps for an 8.9% pressure rate. Finishing the season with only 1 sack and 4 quarterback hits. That\u2019s a concern for me, injuries or not.<\/p>\n

His true finish rate dropped to 4.2%, and most of his pressures were hurries.<\/p>\n

The Cowboys can not pencil Sam Williams in as a reliable pass rusher and call it good.<\/p>\n

\"Marist<\/p>\n

The Depth Pieces Tell a Different Story<\/p>\n

This is where I think the Cowboys have to be careful.<\/p>\n

Isaiah Land<\/a> only has 72 career pass-rush snaps with a career pressure rate of 8.3%. That\u2019s not enough for me to sell him as anything more than a developmental depth piece.<\/p>\n

Tyrus Wheat<\/a> is another one of those depth pieces. He finished well when he got home, but did not get home enough. His 2025 true finish rate was 66.7%, but that came on 3 pressures. His career pressure rate is 7.8%.<\/p>\n

Marist Liufau is a different type of player<\/a>. He\u2019s not a true edge rusher, but more of a pressure linebacker. His career pressure rate is 20.5%, which looks great, but it came on only 88 pass-rush snaps.<\/p>\n

I like Liufau as a blitzer. I don\u2019t like him as an answer to the pass-rush woes.<\/p>\n

\"Malachi<\/p>\n

The College Names are Solely Based on Projection<\/p>\n

Malachi Lawrence<\/a> and LT Overton<\/a> are worth talking about, but they have to be viewed the right way.<\/p>\n

Lawrence had a 17.5% pressure rate at UCF in 2025, and had a 22.1% career true finish rate.<\/p>\n

I think that\u2019s impressive, but it is also still college production.<\/p>\n

Overton is different because he brings versatility. He can play defensive tackle and defensive end, which adds to his value.<\/p>\n

He had a 20.8% true finish rate, but his pressure rate was 9.7%.<\/p>\n

I like LT Overton as a defensive line chess piece, but i don\u2019t see him as the top pure edge answer.<\/p>\n

\"Will<\/p>\n

Pressure Rate Tiers Show the Gap<\/p>\n

This is where I make the Cowboys pass-rush picture much clearer.<\/p>\n

Here is how I broke down the tiers based off of some of the best pass rushers in the NFL.<\/p>\n

Elite NFL pass rusher: 18% or higher
\nHigh-end starter: 15% to 17.9%
\nGood\/solid rusher: 12% to 14.9%
\nRotational\/developmental: 9% to 11.9%
\nDepth and concern: Below 9%<\/p>\n

This should give you some context.<\/p>\n

Micah Parsons is the elite marker at 18.1% pressure rate in 2025, and his career rate is 18.8%. That is the kind of number that changes how an offense has to play.<\/p>\n

Will Anderson Jr.: Was even higher at 19.3%
\nJaelan Phillips: 17.4%
\nNick Herbig: 13.3%, but had a 16.7 true finish rate
\nTJ Watt: 10.0%, but his true finish rate is 23.0%<\/p>\n

Now, when you go back and stack that against the Cowboys pass rushers, does it make you feel better about our pass-rush in 2026?<\/p>\n

Mind the gap the Cowboys pass rushers have to overcome.<\/p>\n

Was this helpful?<\/p>\n

Thanks for your feedback!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Dallas Cowboys have a pass-rush problem they need to figure out, and I don\u2019t think it is…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":912388,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2066],"tags":[100012,230,229,257,2461,15093,1156,285,846,14661,7,5007,20660,7725,34104,6,13006,108003,3996,22684,9170],"class_list":["post-912387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dallas-cowboys","tag-2026-defense","tag-cowboys","tag-dallas","tag-dallas-cowboys","tag-dallascowboys","tag-defensive-end","tag-defensive-line","tag-donovan-ezeiruaku","tag-edge","tag-edge-rusher","tag-football","tag-isaiah-land","tag-james-houston","tag-lt-overton","tag-malachi-lawrence","tag-nfl","tag-outside-linebacker","tag-players-cap","tag-rashan-gary","tag-sam-williams","tag-tyrus-wheat"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116708648311447069","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/912387","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=912387"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/912387\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/912388"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=912387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=912387"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=912387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}