Cowboys Depth Chart - Defense: 'An Elite Pass-Rush Group!'

Our dive into the Dallas Cowboys’ depth charts on offense and on defense will best tell the "we're better'' story. Below is our defensive depth chart projection. Click here for our offensive depth chart ...

FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys come away from this NFL Draft "very satisfied and fired up about our draft class,” COO Stephen Jones said. “At the end of the day, I think we accomplished everything we wanted to get done. There’s no question we made our football team better.''

Maybe so, though a dive into the Cowboys’ depth charts on offense and on defense will best tell the "we're better'' story. Below is our defensive depth chart projection. Click here for our offensive depth chart ... 

Defensive line: Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Mazi Smith, Osa Odighizuwa, Dorance Armstrong, Johnathan Hankins, Sam Williams, Dante Fowler, Quinton Bohanna, Chauncey Golston, Neville Gallimore, Viliami Fehoko - There are so many wild-cards and so many variables here ... but there is also lots for coordinator Dan Quinn to work with.

How much better does Mazi make this group, and how soon? Should we put Micah here or with the linebackers? How many good players end up not making it?

"We have an elite pass-rush group,'' coach Mike McCarthy said. He's right - and that's a heckuva start.

Linebacker: Leighton Vander Esch, Damone Clark, Jabril Cox, Devin Harper, DeMarvion Overshown, Malik Jefferson - As you can see, we're not handing anything to Overshown just yet. For now, this is about Vander Esch and Clark ... and Micah, too. The battle between Cox and Overshown figures to be more about special teams than anything else.

Defensive back: Trevon Diggs, Stephon Gilmore, Jayron Kearse, Donovan Wilson, DaRon Bland, Malik Hooker, Jourdan Lewis, Kelvin Joseph, Israel Mukuamu, Nahshon Wright, Markquese Bell, Tyler Coyle, Eric Scott Jr., Juanyeh Thomas - Piece by piece, Dallas has constructed for itself a playmaking secondary, with the trade for Gilmore causing a positive domino effect.

Special teams: C.J. Goodwin, Bryan Anger, Trent Sieg - Goodwin is the special-teams ace, Anger the punter and Sieg the long-snapper ... with the search for a kicker about to launch - along with the big question: Does Dallas want to spend cap money here? Or try to sneak by on the cheap?

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Mike Fisher
MIKE FISHER

Mike Fisher - as a newspaper beat writer and columnist and on radio and TV, where he is an Emmy winner - has covered the NFL since 1983 and the Dallas Cowboys since 1990, is the author of two best-selling books on the Cowboys.