Dallas Cowboys: 5 midseason breakout candidates

ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 30: Nevin Lawson #24 of the Detroit Lions tries to break up the pass caught by Michael Gallup #13 of the Dallas Cowboys in the first quarter of a game at AT&T Stadium on September 30, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

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Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images /

Taco Charlton, Defensive End

As a former first-round selection, there are some lofty expectations placed on a prospect’s shoulders. And as the Cowboys first rounder in 2017, Michigan defensive end Taco Charlton seemed to be living up to his draft status this offseason following a relatively quiet rookie campaign.

Yet, through seven games this season, Charlton has failed to have a huge impact on the stat sheet recording 15 tackles and a single sack. That following a rookie year where Taco posted 19 total tackles, 3.0 sacks, and one forced fumble.

During his rookie season, Charlton played just over 38 percent of the defensive snaps (399). Through his first six games, Taco’s played over 65 percent of the snaps on defense (251) and started opposite one of the league’s top pass rushers in DeMarcus Lawrence in every contest.

But Charlton was a slow starter last season, posting his three sacks after Week Eight. You have to believe the 23-year old defensive end will continue to grow into his role and could start putting up numbers worthy of his draft status in the second half of his sophomore season.

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