The Dallas Cowboys had their fair share of issues this past season, one being their inability to stop the run. Truth be told, it's been a problem for several years now.
Even in the three seasons with Dan Quinn serving as the defensive coordinator, America's Team ranked 16th (112.8), 22nd (129.3), and 16th (112.4), respectively, against the run.
And this past season, with Mike Zimmer running the show on defense, the Cowboys ranked an abysmal 29th in this department, allowing 137.1 yards per game on the ground.
So, this is a problem that clearly needs to be addressed, which Jerry Jones did not do in the first wave of free agency, at least for the most part.
In total, Dallas has added five players thus far who are either defensive linemen or linebackers. And of those five, only Jack Sanborn has a strong PFF run defense grade at 70.5. And this is a positive in a second way, as Sanborn already knows new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus quite well, as they spent several seasons together with the Chicago Bears.
The other four—Dante Fowler Jr. (50.0), Solomon Thomas (41.5), Payton Turner (40.7), and Kenneth Murray Jr. (35.0)—tend to struggle in this area.
As such, the Cowboys will need to go looking for help in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. And while it seems unlikely they'll go the run defender route in Round 1—especially after getting burned by Mazi Smith a couple of years back—they do have a meeting set up with one of the top prospects in this category who could be perfect on Day 2.
Cowboys set meeting with Texas DT Alfred Collins before NFL Draft
The Dallas Cowboys are expected to host Texas iDL Alfred Collins for a 30 visit, a source said.
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) March 24, 2025
One of the premier run stuffers in the class.
Per The Draft Network's Ryan Fowler, Dallas is expected to conduct a top-30 visit with interior defensive lineman Alfred Collins, who was a First-Team All-SEC selection and a Second-Team All-American this past year with the Texas Longhorns.
At 6-foot-6 and 330-plus pounds, Collins is considered one of the top run defenders in this draft and racked up a career-best 55 total tackles in 2024, six of which went for a loss. The fact that he also recorded seven passes defended and a sack is a nice bonus.
The size is clearly there, and he's undoubtedly got the strength to perform well at the professional level, especially in the lower half of his body, as he's extremely difficult to move off his base and has demonstrated the ability to be able to handle combination blocks.
That's not to say the upper body isn't an asset as well, as the 23-year-old possesses quality hand-swipe and arm-over technique.
But he's not all strength, as he has plenty of quickness and overall agility to boot.
Collins is also a Texas native—which Jerry Jones loves—attending Cedar Creek High School, which is about three hours from Dallas, before joining the Longhorns.
Following their first-round selection at No. 12 overall, the Cowboys' next pick is at No. 44 overall in Round 2. And while some might like to see them take a running back here, Collins likely won't fall all the way to Round 3, so Jones would be wise to scoop him up with that 44th selection.
More Cowboys news and analysis
manual