Outside of reaching a long-term agreement with quarterback Dak Prescott, improving their defense is one of the Cowboys’ top priorities this offseason. Last season, even after losing their star quarterback, the Cowboys were held back by the pure incompetence of their defense.
The Cowboys ranked near the bottom of the league in almost every defensive category. Their 29.6 points per game given up (fifth-worst) and 158.8 rushing yards per game (second-worst) were both very alarming statistics. Also, Pro Football Focus had them graded as the fifth-worst defense in the NFL. (52.9)
After a year like that, wholesale changes were needed on the defensive side of the ball.