Let’s be honest: No one could ever replace Micah Parsons. While the Packers had one of the best rosters in football before the trade, Parsons is a big reason why they are now considered one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl. He's been that good to start the season.
Whether Dallas Cowboys fans like it or not, though, Kenny Clark has been an amazing addition. After finishing 28th in run defense a year ago, it looks much improved in 2024, largely thanks to Clark's imposing presence in the trenches.
While the secondary is undergoing some clear issues after allowing Russell Wilson to throw for 450 yards, Clark led the Cowboys with five pressures against the New York Giants in Week 2.
Kenny Clark has answered the Cowboys' past interior DL nightmares
While Wilson threw for a long touchdown and scrambled for a big gain on two of Clark's pressures, that obviously isn't Clark's fault. He did his job. And on the first three pressures, he produced a sack and forced Wilson to abandon the pocket and throw the ball away in the red zone.
Clark and the interior defensive line did their job, as three of them - Clark, Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas - were among the Cowboys' five highest-graded players against the Giants, per Pro Football Focus. Clark finished with a pristine 79.0
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Through two games, Clark ranks 10th among interior defenders with a 76.6 pass-rush grade. He's fourth at the position with six pressures in true pass sets and ranks fifth with a 25.0 percent pass-rush win rate in true pass sets.
Clark fared much better against the Giants compared to the defending champion Eagles, but make no mistake: he was a force to be reckoned with in both games. He doesn't have the numbers to back up his impact against the run, but if you watched the games, you'd notice him resetting the line of scrimmage and consuming rushing lanes.
Jerry Jones has recognized Clark's exceptional play, and while fans probably think that Jones is just boosting his own ego for the trade itself, the numbers don't lie: Clark has made a difference thus far. He is, without question, the Cowboys' best pure nose tackle since Jay Ratliff.