Going into the 2019 season, I think most Dallas Cowboys watchers were expecting America’s Team to field a very good defensive team. It made sense. Dallas had fielded its best defensive unit in years in 2018.
That year, Pro Bowl defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence had his second straight year of double-digit sacks, cornerback Byron Jones had a breakout year, making his first Pro Bowl.
Linebackers Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith both had breakout performances as well, with the former making the Pro Bowl as a rookie. People were talking about the Cowboys possibly having the best linebacker corps in the NFL.