Projected defensive front runners to make Cowboys final 53

Deciding who to keep at linebacker was the easiest position group to decipher and yet it was still tough to leave off a few names that have been in my hopeful category.

First-round pick Micah Parsons is a lock to make the roster and he should be the team’s opening day starter at middle linebacker. I took heat for criticizing the position and the players’ off-field issues yet I still think this guy could become a problem for opposing offenses.

With Parsons set to start in the middle, the weakside linebacker or “Will” should be manned by Leighton Vander Esch if healthy and not traded.

The strongside linebacker or “Sam” has gone through an evolution as of late. With the modern-day offense using the pass to move the ball more, the Sam backer has been the first position off the field in order to replace them with another defensive back.

This is where I have Jaylon Smith which should help him with his lateral movement and diagnosis issues when he is on the field in that capacity. The less field he is responsible for the faster he can diagnose and get there. The only issue that might arise is will be his ego.

Can a Dallas Cowboys defensive captain and player with so much spotlight take a lesser role for the good of the team? That is a camp question we will certainly get an answer to. Cutting or trading Jaylon Smith seems to be a popular opinion but I am not ready to give up on him yet nor do I think it is wise to carry such a big cap number for someone to not play for your football team.

With so many questions regarding the pass rush which I will get into later, Jaylon could be used to blitz more which is something new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has been known to do.

Keanu Neal is finally in a position to do what he does best. Neal was a big-time hitter coming from the secondary and now in Dallas, it is believed that he will stay with the linebackers. The thing about Neal is he can stay on the field as a linebacker and provide decent coverage as he was an above-average safety in Atlanta.  Neal gets my fourth linebacker spot because there will be times a hybrid or spy will be needed.

The fifth and final position battle comes down to linebackers Francis Bernard, Luke Gifford, and rookie Jabril Cox.

I like all three of these guys and who knows, there always exists the possibility that one of the top four guys gets moved in order to keep two of the three aforementioned bubble linebackers.

I don’t see that happening so I broke this down as best as I could. Dan Quinn’s defense gives the appearance that there are more players closer to the line of scrimmage than there actually is. The reason is that he prefers to play his off-the-ball players a bit closer but not to the point where they are considered box guys.

The more guys it appears to have at the line of scrimmage is used to cause confusion and make the offense wonder where the blitz is coming from.

This has probably allowed Quinn’s defense’s to be better at the run than they actually are. It is easier to line up closer to the line of scrimmage and bail than it is to come downhill and make an open-field tackle.

For that reason, I think the Cowboy stick with rookie Jabril Cox as his pass coverage is very impressive. He does have to get better playing the run but in this day and age, pass covering linebackers are starting to become the norm.

Linebackers (5) (33)

• Micah Parsons (MLB1)
• Leighton Vander Esch (WLB1)
• Jaylon Smith (SLB1)
• Keanu Neal (WLB2)
• Jabril Cox (WLB3)