The Dallas Cowboys focused on improving the defense this offseason. New defensive coordinator Christian Parker is tasked with turning this unit around, and the trade market helped them add new pieces.
Back in April, the Cowboys landed linebacker Dee Winters from the San Francisco 49ers for a 2026 fifth-round pick. It was a move that came as a bit of surprise, but going into this season, Winters will have the path to lock down a long-term deal in Dallas.
Winters is entering the final year of his rookie deal, but he's in line to have a major role in Dallas defense. In an article by Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport, Winters was listed as an under-the-radar player who is set to have a big role in 2026.
The Dallas Cowboys are giving Dee Winters a chance to prove he belongs
After spending two years with San Francisco, Winters was thrust into the starting lineup last season. Across 17 starts, he racked up 101 total tackles (eight for loss), five pass deflections, and an interception. On Pro Football Focus, Winters finished with a 60.4 overall grade (46th among 88 graded linebackers), 62.6 run-defense grade (55th among 88 graded linebackers), and a 62.0 coverage grade (29th among 88 graded linebackers).
Despite being in the 49ers building for two years, he wasn't able to crack the starting lineup and get consistent playing time until last year, when Fred Warner went down with a gruesome ankle injury.
Regardless, Winters showed he can handle the extended playing time and be an above-average starter. For a Cowboys team that also has DeMarvion Overshown entering a contract year, this linebacker room is a position group to watch in 2026.
Both players are expected to get significant playing time, but if Winters can build on the success he lucked into thanks to Warner's injury, he could be in the Lone Star State for the foreseeable future. And that would give Dallas fans another reason to smile, as they would take a player from a rival in San Francisco and have him as a building block going forward.
Linebacker was a serious problem area for this team in 2025. Kenneth Murray Jr. led all Dallas linebackers in total snaps (873), but he was one of the worst players at his position in the NFL. He finished with a 38.9 overall grade (86th among 88 graded linebackers), 31.9 run defense grade (88th among 88 graded linebackers), and a 48.3 coverage grade (55th among 88 graded linebackers) on PFF.
Rookie Shemar James ranked second among Dallas LB's in total snaps (544), yet he also struggled immensely. He had a 39.9 overall grade (84th among 88 graded linebackers), 38.2 run-defense grade (86th among 88 graded linebackers), and a 40.9 coverage grade (75th among 88 graded linebackers) on Pro Football Focus.
The Cowboys knew they needed to improve there, which is why they went after Winters. He will have the runway to lock down his future with the Cowboys and earn a lucrative payday, an opportunity he was not afforded with the team that drafted him.
In a scheme that will emphasize athletic linebackers, Winters should fit right in and have another effective campaign.
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