Starting at The Star? 3 Burning Questions for Cowboys Defense

The Dallas Cowboys will have their eyes on three key positional battles likely to have significant implications on their starting defense for the upcoming season.

As the start of training camp approaches, the Dallas Cowboys are preparing themselves for several positional battles to shape their roster for the 2022 season. Though Dallas’ offense has garnered a great deal of headlines throughout the offseason, the Cowboys' formidable defense is not without its share of intriguing storylines.

Having revitalized a notoriously subpar defense from 2020, the current iteration of Dallas’ defense hopes to build upon the improvements they showed in 2021. Though the team currently enjoys a wealth of depth at each of its defensive levels, there are only limited starting spaces available.

In that vein, here is a look at three key positional battles likely to have significant implications on the Cowboys’ starting defense for the upcoming season.

The Team of Neville and Osa?

When healthy, Neville Gallimore is among the team’s best defensive linemen, and has done a great job holding down the defensive tackle position from the right side. In 2020, he appeared in 14 games with nine starts, collecting 26 tackles (four for loss), 0.5 sacks, 12 quarterback pressures and one pass defended.

However, an elbow injury kept him from the field for much of 2021. The Oklahoma product was placed on injured reserve to start the season. He was activated on December 11 for Week 14. Appearing in five games for the Cowboys, he collected 1.5 sacks, 13 combined tackles [three for losses] and two quarterback hits

In his absence, rookie defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa earned valuable playing time, combining for 21 tackles, logging two sacks and six stuffs. Heading into his second season with the team, Odighizuwa is expected to challenge for a notable role at 3-tech position. Fellow defensive tackle Trysten Hill will also compete for a spot within the rotation as he entered his fourth and final season on his rookie contract. It will be interesting to see how the reps are distributed in training camp. However, it is clear that the team will have several options. Ultimately, Odighizuwa and Gallimore may be a potent pairing for the Cowboys on the interior of the defensive line.

The Emergence of Dorance Armstrong?

With the departure of Randy Gregory, the starting spot on right side at defensive end may be Armtrong’s for the taking. Fresh off signing a two-year, $13 million extension this spring, Dallas has high hopes for the Kansas product. In 2021, Armstrong appeared in 13 games; combining for 37 tackles, while earning five sacks, one pass defensed, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick.

Though Dante Fowler Jr, Tarell Basham, and rookie Sam Williams are expected to compete for reps in training camp, Armstrong’s versatility seemingly makes him the frontrunner to start along with DeMarcus Lawrence heading into 2022.

Will Jourdan Lewis remain the starter at slot corner?

With cornerback Anthony Brown impressing the masses opposite Trevon Diggs on the perimeter, Lewis has been a more than capable option in the slot. In fact, he has settled into a role as Dallas’ starting slot corner. Though most expect him to remain there, second-year cornerback Kelvin Joseph remains an option on the outside. Could he challenge Brown for a starting spot on the perimeter?

In short, not likely

Dallas is undoubtedly hoping that both Joseph and Nashon Wright will make notable improvements in their respective second seasons with the team. Knowing that their two top options [Diggs and Brown] are strong enough to anchor a formidable secondary, both Joseph and Wright have the luxury of developing at their own pace, barring injury.

As a result, Lewis seems poised to continue on as the Cowboys’ slot corner in 2022 — which is not a bad thing for Dallas, in the least. The 26-year-old Michigan product played in 16 games for Dallas in 2021, making 13 starts. He finished the season combining for 61 tackles, with 11 passes-defensed, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. 

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