Dallas Cowboys 2018 midseason grades by position

Defensive Line

September Grade: A
October Grade: B+

The self-labeled “Hot Boyz” were more lukewarm in October. Pass rusher extraordinaire DeMarcus Lawrence did not post a sack. The team only had five in three games. As such, the grade is reflective of the statistical regression.

Otherwise, there is good news to report here. Tackles Maliek Collins and David Irving are back in the fray. They should only improve as they get more work. The rush defense was slightly better in October as well. This group is still putting in work.

Linebackers

September Grade: B+
October Grade: A

As odd as it is to constantly blame the offense for poor performances, it is almost equally odd to praise a Dallas Cowboys linebacking unit.

This group is responsible for the biggest leap forward in performance from September to October. Jaylon Smith is almost exactly what everyone thought a healthy version of himself would be like before his gruesome injury three years ago. First-round pick Leighton Vander Esch has progressively become better and better each game.

The biggest testament to this group, however, had to be the lack of drop off when the inevitable Sean Lee injury occurred. The future, both near and distant, is bright with these guys.